What Should I Expect in the First 90 Days With a Marketing Agency?

The first 90 days with a marketing agency set the foundation for success. This period is where trust is built, expectations are clarified, and both teams align around shared goals. For companies partnering with agencies like Stamp, these early months are more than an introduction — they are a strategic launchpad for long-term growth and collaboration.

Phase 1: Discovery — Understanding Your Goals and Defining Success

The relationship begins with discovery. During this stage, the agency learns about your brand, business objectives, target audience, and internal processes. Expect a combination of kickoff meetings, interviews, and data reviews. The purpose is to build a full understanding of where your company stands and where you want to go.

Agencies typically request materials such as marketing plans, campaign reports, and brand assets. They may also conduct competitor and audience research. This helps the team define what success looks like in measurable terms — whether it’s lead generation, awareness, or improved ROI. Transparency here is key: clear goals make for accountable partnerships.

Phase 2: Strategy Development — Aligning Creative Ideas With Business Outcomes

Once the agency understands your brand and goals, they move into strategy development. This is where creative concepts meet performance frameworks. Expect to see roadmaps outlining campaign priorities, content calendars, and measurable KPIs.

A strategic plan connects every creative decision to a business outcome. Agencies that emphasize transparency, like Stamp, explain not only what they’ll do but why it matters. By defining deliverables and metrics early, both sides share a common definition of success. This alignment builds confidence and sets a tone of accountability. (If you want to understand how ROI is tracked in detail, see How Agencies Measure ROI.)

Phase 3: Execution — Bringing Campaigns to Life and Gathering Early Data

Execution is where ideas become reality. Your agency will begin producing and launching creative assets — whether ads, landing pages, email sequences, or social media campaigns. Early results are monitored closely, not to judge success prematurely but to establish performance benchmarks.

In these weeks, collaboration is essential. Agencies should provide progress updates, share performance dashboards, and outline next steps. When an agency communicates openly and consistently, it reinforces trust and ensures you always know where the project stands. Expect a mix of weekly check-ins and monthly performance reviews.

Want a simple 90-day rollout checklist (assets, access, approvals, KPIs, and meeting cadence) so onboarding feels organized from day one? We can map it in a quick strategy session.

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Phase 4: Optimization and Feedback — Adjusting Based on Initial Insights

By the third month, the focus shifts toward optimization. Early campaign data provides valuable feedback: which channels perform best, which messages resonate, and what can be improved. This phase is about refining, not restarting. Agencies analyze results and recommend adjustments to ensure future campaigns perform even better.

Feedback flows both ways. The most productive agency relationships encourage honest conversations about what’s working and what’s not. A transparent feedback loop helps the agency fine-tune strategy and strengthens the partnership through shared accountability.

Building Trust Through Communication and Measurable Results

Trust is earned through consistency, clarity, and results. Great agencies treat communication as an ongoing process — not just a reporting task. They explain data clearly, admit challenges openly, and celebrate milestones together. When clients see honesty and effort combined, confidence grows.

Expect detailed reporting dashboards that track agreed-upon KPIs. These may include engagement rates, lead quality, web traffic, or conversion costs. A trustworthy agency will contextualize the data, helping you understand not just what happened but why. This transparency makes marketing feel like a shared mission, not a mystery.

Common Pitfalls in the First 90 Days (and How to Avoid Them)

While onboarding is exciting, it can also be overwhelming. Common pitfalls include unclear expectations, slow approvals, and inconsistent communication. The best way to avoid these is through proactive collaboration:

• Set clear communication cadences — decide early how often you’ll meet and how updates will be shared.
• Document expectations — align on deliverables, timelines, and performance metrics from day one.
• Ask for transparency — a good agency won’t hide data; they’ll make it accessible and easy to interpret.
• Provide timely feedback — quick responses help maintain project momentum.

Agencies that prioritize structure and openness empower clients to feel confident and involved throughout the process. (For broader onboarding best practices, you can also reference HubSpot.)

Why the First 90 Days Matter

The first three months define how your agency and company will collaborate long-term. A structured, transparent onboarding process helps everyone move faster, make smarter decisions, and avoid misunderstandings. Most importantly, it builds the foundation for measurable results and a relationship built on trust and shared accountability.

For a company, those first 90 days offer reassurance — proof that their new agency partner is reliable, communicative, and invested in their success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I have ready before starting with an agency?
A: Provide your brand assets, recent marketing data, analytics access, and any previous campaign reports. The more context your agency has, the faster they can align strategies with your goals.

Q: How will I know if the partnership is working?
A: Look for clear communication, transparent reporting, and measurable progress toward goals. A good agency will proactively share performance updates and recommendations.

Q: How often should I meet with the agency in the first 90 days?
A: Weekly check-ins are common during onboarding, moving to biweekly or monthly once campaigns are stable. Consistent meetings maintain alignment and trust.

Q: What if early results are underwhelming?
A: Early data is often used for calibration. Agencies use these insights to optimize performance — the goal is steady improvement, not instant perfection.

If you want to compare “what you’re getting” versus “what you should be getting” in onboarding, we can review your kickoff plan and reporting format in one call.

Conclusion

The first 90 days with a marketing agency set the stage for everything that follows. When transparency, communication, and accountability guide the process, clients gain confidence that their investment is in good hands. A strong start doesn’t just build campaigns — it builds trust that drives long-term success.