The first 90 days tell you almost everything. A good agency spends them learning and proving. A bad one spends them posting.
Days 1–30: audit and baseline
Before anything is launched, the numbers should be established. What does a result cost today? What's working? What's broken? Without a baseline, nobody can prove improvement later — including them.
Days 31–60: test
Structured tests, not a flood of activity. Different angles, different audiences, real budget behind each. The goal isn't a win yet — it's knowledge you can scale.
Days 61–90: scale what won
By now there should be evidence: this angle works, this audience converts, this is the cost per result and here's where it's heading. That's when spend increases with confidence.
- Red flag — launching on day 2 with no baseline.
- Red flag — reports full of reach, no cost per result.
- Red flag — no test log, no learnings.
- Green flag — they tell you what failed.
An agency that never reports a failure isn't testing anything.
Want a first 90 days that works? Let's start.
What should an agency do in the first month?
Audit and baseline — before anything launches. What does a result cost today? What's working? What's broken? Without a baseline nobody can prove improvement later, including them. An agency launching on day 2 with no baseline is a red flag.
When should I expect results?
Testing in month two, scaling what won in month three. By day 90 there should be evidence: this angle works, this audience converts, here's the cost per result and where it's heading. That's when spend increases with confidence.