Last updated: October 2026. Social and ad platforms change their features constantly, so check the official pages before any decision. We do not promise a specific result.
This guide on evaluating a marketing agency performance is written for business owners in Syria, in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, and Latakia, and for those serving the Syrian audience from Istanbul and Gaziantep, and it takes into account the reality of both markets and local buying habits.
You pay a marketing agency every month, and reports arrive with many numbers and colorful charts: reach, impressions, likes, new followers. But your real question is simple: did my sales grow? Many business owners do not know how to answer because the report does not link the work to the results. This guide gives you the indicators to ask for monthly, explains danger signs, and provides questions for the monthly meeting.
Quick Summary
- Judge with four groups: actual results, cost, quality of work, and quality of communication.
- Record your actual orders and their source yourself, and do not rely on the agency numbers alone.
- Give the agency enough time, but ask for a clear plan and improved understanding and data from the first month.
Article Contents
- Quick Summary
- The Numbers That Deceive
- Group 1: Actual Results
- Group 2: Cost
- Group 3: Work Quality
- Group 4: Communication and Transparency
- Warning Signs
- The Monthly Meeting: Ten Questions
- How Long Do You Wait Before Judging?
- What Should You Do Yourself?
- A Sample Monthly Tracking Sheet You Fill In
- Questions to Answer for Yourself Before Blaming the Agency
- How to Open a Frank Conversation with Your Agency
- When Is Moving to Another Agency the Right Decision?
- Evaluating an Agency in Syria: What Is Specific to the Syrian Market?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources and References
Read also 12 questions before choosing a marketing agency in Syria
The Numbers That Deceive
| Number | Why may it deceive? | What is better? |
|---|---|---|
| Likes and followers | Can be raised with content that brings no buyers or with unreal accounts | Interested messages and orders |
| Reach and impressions | Big numbers may come from an unsuitable audience | Reach within your target audience and cost per message |
| Clicks | May be accidental or without buying intent | The conversion rate to an order |
| Number of posts | Activity does not mean a result | Content quality and its effect on orders |
Group 1: Actual Results
- The number of new interested messages or calls this month compared with last.
- The number of confirmed orders or bookings and their value, from your record.
- The source: which channel or campaign brought each order? (ask «how did you hear about us?» in every new order).
- The conversion rate of messages to orders: if weak, the problem may be in the reply or price and not the ad.
Group 2: Cost
| Indicator | Calculation | What does it tell you? |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per message | Total ad spend ÷ number of messages | Efficiency of attracting interest |
| Cost per customer | Total you pay (ads, management, production) ÷ number of actual customers | Is the investment worthwhile? |
| Return on spend | Resulting revenue ÷ total spend | Do you profit after all costs? |
| Direction of numbers | Comparing three consecutive months | Improvement, stability, or decline? |
Always ask the agency about the total amount and what it includes, and ask for reports or screenshots from the platform proving the actual spend on ads. A clear total price with a spend report spares you from scattering among many items.
Group 3: Work Quality
- Is the content original, resembling your identity and respecting your local audience?
- Are ads tested in different versions, with weak ones removed and strong ones boosted?
- Does the landing page work well and fast on mobile? Is tracking set up?
- Does the agency respect platform policies so as not to expose your accounts to restriction?
Group 4: Communication and Transparency
- A clear monthly report explaining what happened, why, and what is next, not just numbers.
- Fast replies to your questions and feedback, and a short monthly meeting.
- Clarity about who works on your account and how to reach them.
- Frankness in mistakes and a correction plan, not excuses.
- Your ownership of your accounts and dashboards and your ability to see everything at any time.
Warning Signs
| Sign | What to do? |
|---|---|
| Reports full of likes without messages or orders | Ask for actual result indicators in writing |
| Refusing to give screenshots from the platform or read access | Require your ownership and read access, otherwise reassess |
| Promises of guaranteed fast results | Ask for a measurable plan and not promises |
| Ignoring your feedback or delayed replies of days | Write to it and set a deadline, and know its behavior in the contract |
| Constantly changing the team without telling you | Ask for a fixed owner |
The Monthly Meeting: Ten Questions
- How many new orders did we achieve compared to last month?
- What is the cost per customer this month? And what is its trend?
- Which ad or content was the best and why?
- What failed and what did we learn from it?
- What experiments will be run next month?
- What do you need from me to improve results (photos, replies, prices)?
- How do we improve the conversion rate of messages to orders?
- Are there risks to our accounts or new policies we should be aware of?
- How do you compare our results to our sector?
- What is the numeric goal for next month?
How Long Do You Wait Before Judging?
| Period | What you expect |
|---|---|
| Month one | Understanding the business, setting up tracking, first tests, and clear data and reports |
| Month two | Removing the weak, improving messages and the page, and a better cost |
| Month three | A clear direction of the cost per customer and a growth plan |
If three months pass without clarity in data and reports and without improved understanding, this is a suitable time for a frank review or changing the agency according to the contract terms.
What Should You Do Yourself?
- Reply to customers quickly, as the best ad fails with a slow reply.
- Record actual orders and their source in your own sheet.
- Provide the agency with real photos, updated prices, and news of offers and stock.
- Approve materials quickly so campaigns are not delayed.
A Sample Monthly Tracking Sheet You Fill In
| Column | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New interested messages | Enter the number | Enter the number | Enter the number |
| Confirmed orders | Enter the number | Enter the number | Enter the number |
| Order value | Enter the number | Enter the number | Enter the number |
| Total you paid for marketing | Enter the number | Enter the number | Enter the number |
| Cost per order | Enter the number | Enter the number | Enter the number |
Keep your own sheet yourself and do not rely on the other party reports alone. Comparing your sheet with the agency report reveals gaps quickly.
Questions to Answer for Yourself Before Blaming the Agency
| Question | If the answer is no |
|---|---|
| Do I reply to messages within minutes during working hours? | Improve the reply before increasing spending |
| Are my price and product competitive in the market? | Review pricing and the offer with the agency |
| Are my site and page clear and fast? | Fix them as they are the meeting point |
| Do I give the agency the photos and information on time? | Delay slows campaigns and weakens results |
| Did I record actual orders and their source? | Start today, as without it there is no accurate judgment |
How to Open a Frank Conversation with Your Agency
- Set a dedicated time for discussion, and do not send an angry message in a moment of emotion.
- Start with the numbers in your sheet and the problems you see, not accusations.
- Ask for the agency opinion and explanation, as there may be reasons you do not know (platform restrictions, season, stock).
- Agree on a written improvement plan with experiments, dates, and indicators.
- Set a short review date after two to four weeks, and read the results together.
When Is Moving to Another Agency the Right Decision?
- Repeated refusal to give reports or platform screenshots or your right to see the accounts.
- Guaranteed promises that repeat without delivery, and excuses that change every month.
- The absence of any improvement plan after three months, or a drop in quality with team change.
- Repeated violations of platform policies exposing your accounts to restriction.
And when moving: recover your account permissions, files, and data first, demand an organized handover, then start with the new agency with a trial period and a comparison sheet against the old numbers.
Evaluating an Agency in Syria: What Is Specific to the Syrian Market?
Marketing results in Syria are affected by factors outside the agency: purchasing power, product availability, delivery speed, and changing circumstances. So you must separate what the agency controls (content, ads, and report quality) from what you control (price, reply, and service), and evaluate each side with its indicators.
- Compare your results with your previous numbers and with your sector in Syria, not with different markets numbers.
- Ask for a spend report from the platform and a clear total price explaining what it includes.
- Agree on seasonal notes: Ramadan and holidays change the numbers, so do not compare a month with a different season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my results are weak in Syria despite the agency work?
Check price, reply, delivery, and season first, then discuss with the agency a clear experiment plan with indicators and dates.
Do I evaluate the agency by sales alone?
Sales are a final goal, but they are affected by factors outside the agency (your price, product, and service). So combine message, conversion, and cost indicators.
What if my results are weak despite the agency work?
Check other causes: price, reply, product quality, competition, season. Then discuss with the agency a clear experiment plan.
Should I change the agency after a month?
Rarely. One month is too little for a final judgment, but it is enough to evaluate clarity, communication, and reports.
Does Ghayat provide reports with these indicators?
Yes, we provide a monthly report with actual results, cost per customer, and next month plan, and you can view the platform dashboards.
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