What Results Should You Expect From a Social Media Agency?

One of the biggest questions businesses ask before hiring a social media agency is:

"What results should we expect?"

It's a fair question.

Whether you're investing $1,000 or $10,000+ per month, you want to understand what success looks like and whether your investment is likely to generate a return.

The challenge is that many businesses focus on the wrong metrics.

Followers, likes and viral posts often receive the most attention, but they don't always translate into meaningful business outcomes. A post with thousands of likes may generate little revenue, while a campaign with modest engagement could deliver a steady stream of enquiries and sales.

The best social media agencies understand this difference.

Rather than chasing vanity metrics, they focus on results that align with your business goals. Depending on your objectives, that may mean increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, generating leads, improving customer retention or growing online sales.

In this guide, we'll explore what results a social media agency can realistically influence, how long social media marketing typically takes to gain momentum, which KPIs matter most and how to determine whether your agency is delivering value.

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Why Businesses Often Get Social Media Results Wrong

Many businesses hire a social media agency with high expectations.

That's understandable.

After all, social media is filled with stories about brands going viral, gaining thousands of followers overnight and generating huge levels of engagement.

The problem is that these stories often create unrealistic expectations.

A successful social media strategy is rarely built on one viral post or a sudden surge in followers. Instead, it is built through consistency, strategy, testing and continuous improvement over time.

The Follower Trap

Followers are one of the most visible social media metrics.

Because they're easy to see, many businesses assume more followers automatically mean better results.

Unfortunately, that isn't always true.

A business with 50,000 followers may generate fewer enquiries than a business with 5,000 highly engaged followers.

The quality of your audience is far more important than the size of your audience.

The goal should be attracting people who are genuinely interested in your products, services or brand rather than simply increasing numbers.

The Viral Content Myth

Many business owners secretly hope their next post will go viral.

While viral content can generate awareness, it rarely creates a sustainable marketing strategy.

Most successful brands grow through:

• Consistent posting
• Strong content
• Audience engagement
• Effective advertising
• Continuous optimisation

A single viral post may create a temporary spike in attention, but long-term business growth comes from building trust and staying visible over time.

Vanity Metrics vs Business Metrics

One of the most important distinctions in social media marketing is understanding the difference between vanity metrics and business metrics.

This doesn't mean vanity metrics have no value.

Reach, engagement and audience growth can all contribute to success.

However, they should be viewed within the context of broader business goals.

A good social media agency should be able to explain not only what happened, but why it matters to your business.

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What Results Can a Social Media Agency Actually Influence?

A social media agency cannot control every aspect of your business.

They cannot guarantee viral content, overnight success or instant sales.

What they can do is influence the factors that contribute to long-term marketing performance.

The most effective agencies focus on improving several areas simultaneously rather than chasing a single metric.

Brand Awareness

One of the biggest benefits of social media marketing is increased visibility.

A strong social media presence helps ensure your brand stays in front of potential customers throughout the buying journey.

Common brand awareness metrics include:

• Reach
• Impressions
• Video views
• Brand mentions
• Audience growth

For many businesses, especially those in hospitality, retail and consumer goods, awareness is a crucial first step toward future sales.

Audience Engagement

Engagement helps indicate whether your content is resonating with your audience.

A good agency should help improve:

• Comments
• Shares
• Saves
• Direct messages
• Story interactions

Higher engagement often signals that your content is becoming more relevant and valuable to your audience.

Audience Growth

Audience growth is not the ultimate goal, but it is often a sign that your strategy is working.

The focus should be on attracting relevant followers who are likely to become customers rather than simply increasing numbers.

A smaller, highly engaged audience is often more valuable than a larger audience with little interest in your business.

Website Traffic

Many businesses use social media to drive traffic to their website.

This may include:

• Product pages
• Service pages
• Booking systems
• Lead generation forms
• Blog content

An effective social media strategy should contribute to a steady flow of qualified website visitors over time.

Leads and Enquiries

For service-based businesses, lead generation is often one of the most important objectives.

A social media agency can help generate:

• Contact form submissions
• Phone calls
• Direct messages
• Consultation requests
• Booking enquiries

These metrics often provide a far clearer picture of success than follower growth alone.

Ecommerce Sales

For ecommerce businesses, the focus often shifts towards revenue and return on investment.

This may include:

• Online sales
• Revenue generated
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Customer acquisition costs
• Conversion rates

The strongest agencies connect social media activity directly to commercial outcomes rather than simply reporting engagement metrics.

Customer Loyalty and Retention

Social media isn't just about acquiring new customers.

It can also help strengthen relationships with existing customers.

Consistent engagement, valuable content and community building can improve retention, encourage repeat purchases and increase customer lifetime value.

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What Results Should You Expect in the First 30 Days?

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when hiring a social media agency is expecting dramatic growth in the first few weeks.

In reality, the first month is usually focused on building the foundations for long-term success.

A good agency will spend time understanding your business, audience, competitors and objectives before making major changes.

This often includes:

• Discovery workshops
• Account audits
• Competitor analysis
• Audience research
• Content planning
• KPI development
• Platform optimisation

While you may see some quick improvements, the primary goal during the first 30 days is usually preparation rather than rapid growth.

Discovery and Strategy

The agency should take time to understand:

• Your business goals
• Target audience
• Products and services
• Brand positioning
• Competitive landscape

Without this foundation, it's difficult to create content that aligns with your business objectives.

Account Audits and Optimisation

Many agencies begin by reviewing your existing social media presence.

This may involve:

• Profile optimisation
• Bio updates
• Highlight organisation
• Link optimisation
• Content performance reviews

Small improvements here can often create immediate gains in professionalism and user experience.

Content Planning and Creation

The first month often includes the development of content calendars and creative direction.

Businesses should expect:

• Content themes
• Content pillars
• Campaign planning
• Content production schedules

This creates consistency and reduces the need for reactive, last-minute posting.

Baseline Reporting

Before measuring future success, an agency needs to understand where you are today.

Baseline reporting may include:

• Reach
• Engagement
• Followers
• Website traffic
• Leads
• Sales

This provides a benchmark against which future performance can be measured.

What Success Looks Like in the First 30 Days

Realistic outcomes include:

• Improved account structure
• Better content quality
• Clearer strategy
• Consistent posting
• Stronger reporting

The first month is usually about setting the stage for future growth rather than delivering dramatic business results.

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What Results Should You Expect in 60–90 Days?

By the second and third month, the strategy should begin gaining momentum.

This is often where businesses start seeing measurable improvements in performance.

At this stage, the agency has typically gathered enough data to understand what content resonates with your audience and where opportunities exist.

Improved Consistency

One of the first noticeable improvements is consistency.

Businesses often move from sporadic posting to a structured content calendar supported by a clear strategy.

This alone can improve visibility and engagement.

Better Engagement

As content quality improves and audience insights develop, engagement often begins to increase.

This may include:

• More comments
• More shares
• More saves
• Increased story interactions
• Higher video completion rates

The exact metrics will vary by platform and industry.

Stronger Content Performance

By this point, agencies should have enough data to identify:

• Top-performing content formats
• Strongest content themes
• Best posting times
• Audience preferences

This allows content to become increasingly targeted and effective.

Audience Growth Trends

While follower growth should not be the primary focus, businesses often begin seeing positive audience growth trends during this period.

The emphasis should remain on attracting relevant followers rather than simply increasing numbers.

Better Advertising Performance

For businesses running paid social campaigns, optimisation often starts producing stronger results after the first few months.

This may include:

• Lower cost per click
• Lower cost per lead
• Improved targeting
• Higher conversion rates
• Better return on ad spend

What Success Looks Like in 60–90 Days

Realistic outcomes include:

• More consistent engagement
• Better-performing content
• Audience growth
• Improved advertising performance
• Stronger understanding of what works

Many businesses begin to see clear progress at this stage, but significant commercial outcomes often require additional time.

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What Results Should You Expect After 6 Months?

Six months is where many social media strategies begin to demonstrate their true value.

At this point, the agency has typically gathered significant data, refined the strategy and developed a deeper understanding of your audience.

The focus shifts from testing and learning to scaling what works.

A More Mature Content Strategy

By six months, most businesses should have:

• Clear content pillars
• Established content formats
• Stronger creative direction
• Consistent publishing schedules

This creates a more recognisable and effective social media presence.

Stronger Brand Awareness

Consistent exposure over time often leads to increased visibility and recognition.

This may be reflected through:

• Reach growth
• Impressions growth
• Brand mentions
• Direct traffic increases
• Search demand increases

For many brands, these improvements support wider marketing and sales efforts.

More Consistent Lead Generation

Service-based businesses often begin seeing more predictable enquiry volumes after several months of strategic activity.

This may include:

• Website enquiries
• Contact form submissions
• Phone calls
• Direct messages
• Consultation requests

While social media rarely operates in isolation, it can become an increasingly important contributor to lead generation.

Improved Ecommerce Performance

For ecommerce brands, six months of consistent content and optimisation often leads to:

• Higher conversion rates
• Increased sales
• Improved ROAS
• Lower customer acquisition costs

The exact results depend on factors such as product quality, pricing, competition and advertising investment.

Better Audience Understanding

One of the most valuable outcomes after six months is insight.

The agency should have a much clearer understanding of:

• Audience behaviour
• Content preferences
• Platform performance
• Campaign effectiveness

These insights help improve future marketing decisions across social media and beyond.

What Success Looks Like After 6 Months

Realistic outcomes include:

• Stronger brand awareness
• Improved engagement
• Better content performance
• More consistent lead generation
• Increased sales opportunities
• Greater marketing efficiency

While every business is different, meaningful social media success is usually measured over months rather than weeks.

The brands that achieve the strongest results are typically those that commit to a long-term strategy and allow enough time for optimisation, testing and growth.

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Social Media KPIs That Actually Matter

One of the biggest challenges in social media marketing is knowing which metrics deserve your attention.

Different businesses have different objectives.

A hospitality venue focused on bookings should measure success differently from an ecommerce brand focused on online sales.

The best agencies align KPIs with business goals rather than applying the same reporting template to every client.

The most important takeaway is this:

The right KPI depends on the goal.

A social media agency reporting increased reach may be delivering excellent results for a brand awareness campaign. The same metric may be far less important for a business focused on lead generation or ecommerce sales.

Good reporting should always connect social media activity back to the outcomes that matter most to the business.

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What Results Depend on the Business?

Even the best social media agency cannot control every factor that influences performance.

Social media success is a partnership.

The agency provides expertise, strategy and execution. The business provides the products, services, customer experience and commercial foundations that ultimately influence results.

This is why two businesses working with the same agency can achieve very different outcomes.

Budget

Budget affects almost every aspect of social media marketing.

A business investing in:

• Professional photography
• Video production
• Paid advertising
• Influencer campaigns

will often have more opportunities for growth than a business relying solely on organic posting.

This doesn't mean large budgets always win, but budget can influence the speed and scale of results.

Offer Quality

A great social media strategy cannot fix a weak offer.

If pricing is uncompetitive, reviews are poor or the product doesn't meet customer expectations, social media can only do so much.

Marketing amplifies what's already there.

The stronger the offer, the easier it is to generate results.

Competition

Some industries are significantly more competitive than others.

For example:

• Fashion
• Beauty
• Hospitality
• Fitness

often face intense competition for attention.

Businesses operating in crowded markets may need stronger creative, larger budgets or more time to achieve similar results.

Website Performance

Social media often drives users to a website.

If the website is slow, confusing or difficult to navigate, conversions may suffer regardless of how effective the social media strategy is.

This is why the best agencies often review the entire customer journey rather than focusing exclusively on social platforms.

Internal Follow-Up

Lead generation is only part of the process.

If enquiries are not followed up quickly, opportunities can be lost.

For service-based businesses, response times can significantly influence overall marketing performance.

An agency may generate the lead, but the business still needs to convert it.

Content Availability

The strongest social media strategies are usually supported by a steady flow of content.

Businesses that regularly invest in:

• Photography
• Video
• Customer stories
• Product launches
• Team content

often have a competitive advantage.

Content is the fuel that powers social media marketing.

The more relevant and engaging content available, the greater the opportunity to grow.

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Red Flags When Reviewing Agency Results

Not all agency reports tell the full story.

Some reports are designed to impress rather than inform.

When evaluating performance, watch for these common warning signs.

Reporting Only Follower Growth

Follower growth is easy to understand, but it rarely tells the full story.

An agency that only talks about follower numbers may be overlooking more meaningful business outcomes.

Always ask:

• Are enquiries increasing?
• Is website traffic improving?
• Are bookings growing?
• Are sales increasing?

These metrics often matter far more than audience size alone.

No Business Metrics

A strong report should connect social media activity to commercial outcomes wherever possible.

If reports focus exclusively on likes, comments and impressions, you may not be getting the complete picture.

No Benchmarks

Numbers without context can be misleading.

For example:

"Engagement increased by 20%"

Sounds impressive.

But compared to what?

Good reporting should compare results against:

• Previous periods
• Campaign objectives
• Industry benchmarks
• Historical performance

This helps businesses understand whether progress is genuinely meaningful.

No Recommendations

Reporting should not simply describe what happened.

It should explain:

• Why it happened
• What can be improved
• What should happen next

A good agency should use reporting to guide future strategy.

No Clear Goals

Perhaps the biggest red flag of all is a lack of defined objectives.

If success has not been clearly defined from the beginning, it becomes almost impossible to evaluate performance accurately.

Every social media strategy should start with clear goals and measurable KPIs.

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How to Measure ROI From Social Media

One of the biggest challenges businesses face is proving whether social media is actually generating a return on investment.

Unlike paid search, where users often click and convert immediately, social media typically influences multiple stages of the customer journey.

A customer may:

• Discover your business on Instagram
• Visit your website later
• Read reviews
• Join your email list
• Purchase weeks later

This can make social media ROI harder to measure, but not impossible.

Start With Clear Objectives

Before measuring ROI, you need to define what success looks like.

Common objectives include:

• Brand awareness
• Lead generation
• Website traffic
• Bookings
• Product sales
• Customer retention

The metrics you track should align with those objectives.

Track Leads and Enquiries

For service-based businesses, lead generation is often the clearest indicator of success.

This may include:

• Contact form submissions
• Phone calls
• Consultation requests
• Direct messages
• Booking enquiries

If social media is consistently generating qualified enquiries, it is contributing measurable business value.

Measure Website Traffic

Social media should often drive users to your website.

Useful metrics include:

• Referral traffic
• Landing page visits
• Time on site
• Conversion rates
• Assisted conversions

Tools such as Google Analytics can help identify how social media contributes to the wider customer journey.

Track Sales and Revenue

For ecommerce businesses, revenue attribution becomes particularly important.

Common metrics include:

• Revenue generated
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Average order value
• Customer acquisition cost
• Conversion rate

The most effective agencies connect campaign activity directly to commercial performance wherever possible.

Look Beyond Last-Click Attribution

One mistake many businesses make is only measuring the final click before a conversion.

Social media often plays an important role earlier in the buying process.

A customer may discover your brand through social media but convert later through:

• Google Search
• Email marketing
• Direct website visits

This is why broader attribution reporting is often important when evaluating social media performance.

Consider Lifetime Value

The value of social media is not always immediate.

A new customer acquired through social media may:

• Make repeat purchases
• Recommend your business
• Become a long-term client

Looking at customer lifetime value can provide a more accurate picture of the return generated by social media marketing.

If measuring ROI is a priority, read our guide on How to Measure ROI on Social Media Campaigns, which explains attribution, reporting and performance tracking in greater detail.

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What Results Should You Expect From Different Types of Businesses?

The results a social media agency can achieve vary significantly depending on the industry, business model and objectives.

This is why comparing your results to another business can sometimes be misleading.

The right KPIs depend on what your business is trying to achieve.

Hospitality Brands

Hospitality businesses often rely heavily on social media because customers regularly discover venues through Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Success metrics may include:

• Bookings
• Reservations
• Direct messages
• Website visits
• Reach within local audiences
• User-generated content
• Engagement rates

For hospitality brands, strong content and local visibility are often key drivers of success.

Beauty and Wellness Businesses

For beauty, wellness and personal care brands, trust and visual content play an important role in the buying process.

Relevant KPIs often include:

• Appointment bookings
• Consultation requests
• Product enquiries
• Website traffic
• Engagement
• Audience growth

Before-and-after content, client testimonials and educational content often perform particularly well within these industries.

Fashion and Retail Brands

Fashion and retail businesses often focus on both awareness and revenue generation.

Common success metrics include:

• Online sales
• Product page visits
• Conversion rates
• Return on ad spend
• Customer acquisition cost
• Engagement
• Reach

For these brands, content quality and creative execution often have a direct impact on commercial performance.

Consumer Goods Brands

Consumer goods brands often use social media to increase awareness, build demand and support retail or ecommerce sales.

KPIs may include:

• Reach
• Impressions
• Product engagement
• Website traffic
• Sales
• Share of voice
• Influencer campaign performance

Many consumer brands also place significant value on user-generated content and creator partnerships.

B2B and Professional Services

While social media may look different in B2B industries, it can still be a highly effective marketing channel.

Common KPIs include:

• Lead generation
• Consultation requests
• Website traffic
• Content engagement
• Webinar registrations
• LinkedIn engagement

For professional services businesses, thought leadership and educational content often play a major role in generating trust and enquiries.

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How to Evaluate Whether Your Agency Is Performing Well

Many businesses struggle to determine whether their agency is actually doing a good job.

The answer goes beyond simply reviewing monthly reports.

A strong agency relationship should demonstrate consistent improvement over time.

Ask yourself:

Are We Moving Towards Our Goals?

The first question should always be:

"Are we getting closer to the outcomes we care about?"

Those outcomes might be:

• More bookings
• More enquiries
• More sales
• Better engagement
• Greater brand awareness

The exact metrics matter less than whether meaningful progress is being made.

Is Content Improving?

Content quality should improve over time.

Look at:

• Creative quality
• Messaging
• Engagement
• Audience response

A good agency should continually refine and improve its creative approach based on performance data.

Are We Receiving Clear Reporting?

You should understand:

• What happened
• Why it happened
• What the agency plans to do next

If reports are confusing or focus only on vanity metrics, valuable insights may be getting lost.

Is the Agency Proactive?

The best agencies don't wait to be told what to do.

They bring ideas, identify opportunities and recommend improvements.

A proactive agency should regularly suggest:

• New content opportunities
• Campaign ideas
• Platform updates
• Performance improvements

Are Results Improving Over Time?

Social media performance is rarely linear.

However, over a period of several months, you should generally see positive movement in the areas that matter most to your business.

The best agencies focus on long-term improvement rather than short-term spikes.

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Conclusion

The best social media agencies do far more than increase follower counts.

They help businesses improve visibility, create better content, engage audiences, generate leads and support long-term growth.

Success should never be measured using a single metric.

Instead, it should be evaluated against your business objectives and the outcomes that matter most to your organisation.

While some improvements can happen within weeks, meaningful results usually require consistency, strategy and time.

The strongest agency relationships are built on clear goals, realistic expectations and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

If you're currently evaluating agencies, understanding what results are realistic is one of the most important steps in making an informed decision. Our guide on How to Choose a Social Media Agency in Australia can help you compare providers and find the right fit for your business.

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FAQs

What results should I expect from a social media agency?

A good social media agency should help improve the metrics that matter most to your business. Depending on your goals, this may include stronger brand awareness, higher engagement, increased website traffic, more enquiries, more bookings, improved sales performance or better return on advertising spend.

The exact results will vary based on your industry, budget, competition and objectives.

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How long does social media marketing take to work?

Most businesses begin seeing strategic improvements within the first 30 to 90 days. This may include stronger content, improved engagement and better campaign performance.

Meaningful business outcomes such as increased lead generation, bookings or sales often take several months of consistent activity, testing and optimisation.

Social media should be viewed as a long-term marketing channel rather than a quick fix.

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Can a social media agency generate leads?

Yes.

Many businesses use social media to generate:

• Contact form enquiries
• Consultation requests
• Direct messages
• Phone calls
• Booking enquiries

A strong social media strategy can help attract potential customers and guide them towards taking action.

The quality of your offer, website and sales process will also influence results.

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How do you measure social media success?

Social media success should be measured against your business goals.

Common metrics include:

• Reach
• Engagement
• Website traffic
• Leads
• Bookings
• Sales
• Return on ad spend (ROAS)
• Customer acquisition cost

The right KPI depends on what your business is trying to achieve.

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What KPIs should a social media agency track?

The best KPIs depend on your objectives.

For example:

• Brand awareness: Reach and impressions
• Engagement: Shares, saves and engagement rate
• Lead generation: Enquiries and form submissions
• Ecommerce: Revenue, conversion rate and ROAS
• Hospitality: Bookings and reservations

A good agency should explain why specific KPIs matter and how they relate to your business goals.

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What is a good ROI for social media marketing?

There is no universal benchmark because every business, industry and campaign is different.

However, social media should ultimately contribute to measurable business outcomes such as:

• Increased revenue
• More enquiries
• Higher booking volumes
• Greater customer retention
• Improved brand awareness

A good ROI is one where the value generated exceeds the investment required to achieve it.

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Should follower growth be my main goal?

Usually not.

Follower growth can be a positive sign, but it should not be the primary measure of success.

A smaller audience of engaged potential customers is often more valuable than a large audience that never converts.

Businesses should focus on attracting the right audience rather than simply increasing follower numbers.

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What should be included in agency reporting?

A professional social media report should typically include:

• Reach and impressions
• Engagement metrics
• Audience growth
• Website traffic
• Lead generation performance
• Campaign results
• Advertising performance (if applicable)
• Key insights and recommendations

The report should explain not only what happened, but what actions should be taken next.

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How do I know if my social media agency is doing a good job?

A good agency should demonstrate consistent improvement over time.

Signs of a strong agency relationship include:

• Clear communication
• Transparent reporting
• High-quality content
• Proactive recommendations
• Progress towards agreed goals
• A clear strategy for future growth

Success should be evaluated over several months rather than a single reporting period.

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How do I choose the right social media agency?

Look for an agency with:

• Relevant industry experience
• Strong content creation capabilities
• Clear reporting processes
• Proven results
• Transparent communication
• A strategic approach to social media

If you're currently comparing providers, read our guide on How to Choose a Social Media Agency in Australia, which explains what to look for, what questions to ask and how to avoid common hiring mistakes.