How to Get the Most Value From Your Performance Marketing Agency

Working with a performance marketing agency can be the key to unlocking transformative growth for your business—but only if the relationship is set up for success. Whether you're a hands-on marketing manager, or a time-strapped business owner looking for external expertise, this guide will help you get the most from your agency partnership.
We'll walk you through:
•    How to brief your performance marketing agency
•    What to look for when choosing the right partner
•    Common red flags to avoid
•    How to establish clear KPIs and accountability from day one
•    Performance marketing terminology you should know
And we’ll include actionable tips to make sure your ad spend is well-managed, your goals are met, and your intellectual property stays in your control.

Start With the Right Brief

A strong client-agency relationship begins with a strong brief. Think of this as your roadmap: the clearer your destination, the easier it is for your agency to chart a winning path.
What to include in your brief:
•    Your business goals: Not just "more leads," but "increase qualified leads by 20% from Northland-based home owners  ."
•    Your ideal customer: Include demographics, psychographics, purchase behavior, and even negative audiences.
•    Past marketing performance: Share what has (and hasn’t) worked before, along with any key learnings.
•    Budget and timeline: Be transparent early—agencies can’t recommend the right tactics without knowing your limitations.
•    Creative assets and approvals: Clarify if you have internal creative resources or need help. Define who signs off on ads.

Choose the Right Fit for Your Business

Not all agencies are created equal. Here's what to look for:
✅ Qualities of a Great Performance Marketing Partner:
•    Proven experience in your industry or audience niche
•    Transparency in reporting and billing
•    Clear onboarding process and timelines
•    Willingness to educate and upskill your team
•    Platform expertise (Google Ads Search, Display, Shopping,  Performance Max , Meta, TikTok, Linkedin, etc )
•    Strong emphasis on ROI—not just impressions or clicks. Make sure they can talk about the outcomes that matter to you.

🚩 Red Flags to Watch Out For:
•    They won't give you access to your ad accounts.
•    They lock you into long contracts without flexibility.
•    Their reporting is vague or doesn’t match platform data.
•    They push platform spend over business outcomes.
•    They use a "set and forget" approach to campaigns.

Establish Ownership and Transparency Early

Before you go live, confirm these basics to protect your business:
•    You must own all advertising accounts (Google Ads, Meta, etc.). Invite your agency as a partner. Not the other way around.
•    Use your business credit card for billing. This ensures you’re in control if you part ways.
•    Agree on shared access to platforms like GA4, Google Tag Manager, Looker Studio, etc.
•    Ensure pixel and conversion tracking is installed in your accounts, not theirs.
TIP: Agencies should be happy to set everything up under your business. If they push back, ask why—and be cautious.

Set Baseline KPIs and Clear Expectations

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Before any campaigns launch, align on what success looks like.
Key Performance Marketing Metrics to Track:

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue generated per dollar spent on ads. Note that each platform will have it's own ROAS reporting, based on the accounts attribution settings.
• MER (marketing efficiency ratio): Total revenue generated over total marketing spend. This is wider than ROAS, and is more of a long-term efficiency measure.
• CPA (Cost per Acquisition): The average cost to acquire a customer or lead
• CTR (Click-Through Rate): A measure of ad relevance
• CVR (Conversion Rate): Percentage of visitors who complete your desired action-be that a purchase, form completion, or something else.
• Impression Share: For search campaigns. This is especially useful in competitive industries.
  Use a shared dashboard to track these in real-time. Your agency should review these with you monthly (at minimum).
  Benchmark: At ROAS Performance Marketing, we provide live dashboards, strategic reviews, and channel-specific targets from the first month.
  

Understand What Performance Marketing Really Means

Here are some key terms you’ll hear often:

The more familiar you are with these, the better your strategic conversations will be.

How to Collaborate for Maximum ROI

Great performance marketing is never fully "outsourced." It’s a collaboration. Here's how to make the most of it:

• Give timely feedback: Good agencies iterate based on results and feedback. Don’t delay feedback, and don’t be shy to pick up the phone.
• Be responsive: Campaigns perform better when the client-agency feedback loop is fast and direct.
• Share what’s happening in the business: If you have inventory changes, key dates, new products in development, or upcoming promotions, your agency should know.
• Ask questions: The more you understand the "why" behind decisions, the more strategic your partnership becomes.

How ROAS Performance Marketing Can Help

We specialise in helping New Zealand businesses like yours scale smartly. We’re based in Tauranga and have clients across the country. We understand the challenges (and opportunities) the New Zealand market.

We’re:
•    Google & Meta Ads specialists
•    Obsessed with clear ROI
•    Transparent in all reporting
•    Easy to work with—no confusing jargon, no bloated retainers
Learn more about our approach to performance marketing
, or book a free strategy call.

Working with a performance marketing agency shouldn’t feel like a black box. It should feel like having an expert partner on your team. By briefing well, choosing smartly, setting clear KPIs, and keeping communication open, you can turn your ad budget into real business results.

At ROAS Performance Marketing, we’re here to make digital simple, effective, and profitable. Let’s get growing.