What a social media agency should report to you every month.
Every month, your social media agency should tell you what was spent, what it produced in business terms like reservations, leads, bookings or sales, what was delivered against what was promised, what changed and why, and what happens next month. Reach, views and followers belong in the report, but as context, not the headline.
What should be at the top of the report?
The business numbers. If you run ads, that means total spend, what it produced, and the cost of each result: cost per reservation, cost per lead, cost per booking, cost per application. Pick the one result that matters most for your business and track it every month.
Here is what that looks like in practice. For Securitas, the headline was never likes. It was more than 29,550 applicants at an average cost of $3.51 per submission, with cost per acquisition down 60 percent. That is a number a business owner can act on.
What content numbers should it include?
- Delivered vs promised. If you are paying for 16 posts and 4 shoots a month, the report should show 16 posts and 4 shoots.
- Reach and views. How many people saw your content, and how much of that came from people who do not follow you yet.
- Top posts, with a reason. The best three posts of the month and why they worked, so next month builds on it.
- Saves, shares and comments. Better signals of real interest than likes alone.
- Follower change. Worth tracking, as long as it is not the only thing being tracked.
What about the paid side?
Spend by campaign, results by campaign, and the cost per result for each. The report should also say what was paused, what was scaled and why. If one campaign is carrying the account and another is wasting money, you should hear about it in plain words, not find it in a chart on page nine.
Should community management be reported?
Yes, especially for restaurants and bars. How many comments and DMs came in, how fast they were answered, and anything that needs your attention, like a reservation request, a complaint or a private event inquiry. Reviews on Google and Yelp are worth a line too, since they shape whether a new guest picks you.
What changed, and what happens next?
This is the part most reports skip, and the part that matters most. A good report ends with a short list: what we learned this month, what we are changing because of it, and what is planned for next month, including upcoming events, shoots and promotions. Numbers without a plan are just a scrapbook.
How long should the report be?
Short enough to read in five minutes. One page of headline numbers and plain-English notes, with the detail behind it for anyone who wants to dig in. If you finish the report and cannot say in one sentence whether last month was good or bad, the report did not do its job. Ask for that sentence at the top.
Where should the numbers come from?
From your own accounts. Your ad accounts, your Instagram, your analytics. You should be able to log in yourself and see the same numbers that are in the report. If an agency will not give you access, or the accounts are in their name, treat that as a warning sign.
What are the red flags in a monthly report?
- Only followers, likes and impressions, with no business result anywhere.
- No comparison to last month, so you cannot tell if anything improved.
- Screenshots instead of numbers you can check.
- No plan for next month.
How does Swimm report?
Sidney sets and owns the strategy and stays on the account, and a dedicated account manager runs the day to day. Ad spend and accounts stay in your name. See how it works and what is included in social management.
