As an agency owner, I often hear the question: “How do I know if my digital marketing is working?”
Having been in the marketing industry for over 20 years, this is a hot-button topic I hear from business owners all the time. Many sit in meetings with their digital marketers to go through “the analytics,” only to leave without a clear sense of whether their marketing dollars are achieving their intended goals. Many have reported feeling overwhelmed, as if they’re trying to understand a foreign language. But what if I told you that you can remove the mystery behind digital marketing by following a few key guidelines?
Set Clear Goals and Objectives
As the business owner, goals and objectives should come from you, not your marketing agency. If your agency partner isn’t asking what success looks like for you, that’s a red flag. Without clear, measurable goals, marketers can easily get caught up in enabler metrics like how many website sessions were driven by their efforts or how many impressions they’ve achieved for your brand.
Let’s take it one step further. Be specific about what success means. I often hear clients say their goal is “drive more business.” This goal is far too broad. A generalized target like this will lead to marketers presenting you with metrics like those mentioned above. With a vague goal like “drive more business,” a marketer could show you just one lead and call it a success. Strive for goals that are specific and measurable so that you can clearly determine whether your marketing is working for you. A good marketing objective should specify the number of leads, which leads to a certain amount of sales, by a specific time. This will give you a clear target and allow you to assess whether you’re getting the return you expect from your marketing dollars.
Set Up the Measuring Stick Before You Spend Marketing Dollars

Here’s a little industry secret: Most agency marketers only know how to measure and provide enabler metrics. By enabler metrics, I mean the marketing data that shows how traffic was delivered to your web platforms. While this is important, it’s far more crucial for you to see how that website traffic converts into bona fide leads, opportunities and sales. While a marketer isn’t responsible for closing the deal, a great marketer will work with you to ensure that your web traffic is fulfilling your ultimate goal – driving more leads, opportunities and sales.
At our agency, we don’t build any marketing strategy until we know how our client defines success. We then work with them to tie all the pieces together so we can measure not just what we’re driving but also how it leads to the client’s desired outcomes.
I encourage you to work with your agency partner to develop a plan for measuring success. What data points will be used to track progress, and how will those be shared with your agency? If done properly, you can tie all the pieces together to see the full picture and evaluate your marketing investment based on real numbers.
Be Cautious About Breaking Up Marketing Efforts to Save a Buck
This advice applies particularly to small and mid-sized businesses, as well as any company that doesn’t have a well-trained, experienced marketing professional on staff. I’ve worked with many clients who chose Agency A to handle their social media, Agency B for digital ads and Agency C to build their website. While there are many talented agencies that excel at one or two specific marketing tactics, as a business owner, you’ll need to step into the role of paid advertising and ROI expert to ensure success.
I’ve seen this situation so many times that it inspired me to open Day 2 Marketing. I witnessed the disappointment in business owners’ eyes when they realized they spent media dollars all over the place, only to find that their marketing plan was incomplete. They were left with a pile of impressions and no data showing how those impressions translated into real opportunities.

In marketing, there’s no shortage of talented people who can build you a beautiful website or design a great campaign. This might get you to Day 1 of your plan, but what really makes a marketer special is the one who asks, “So, what happens on Day 2?” This is my “Why” behind starting my agency. We always begin with the “What Happens on Day 2?” question and build our programs with you in mind. As a full-service, channel-agnostic agency, we offer a customized plan that ensures all marketing channels work together to meet your business goals efficiently and effectively.
I caution businesses to consider the cost of breaking up marketing efforts across different agencies. A partner agency that works alongside you handles both strategic planning and execution. It may cost a bit more upfront, but when executed properly, it proves to be an investment that pays for itself in sales.
Don’t Be an Expert, Be Knowledgeable Enough to Be Dangerous
Alright, here’s the last point and the one that’s going to let you off the hook: You don’t have to become a marketing expert. You just need to know enough to be dangerous. What do I mean by that? You need to know enough to ask the right questions that will challenge your marketers.
Here’s how you can start the process of learning:
- Learn the Buzzwords: Google is your friend. Don’t be afraid to use it as a research tool. To get you started, here’s a list of key marketing buzzwords. Google these terms and you’ll find plenty of information that will help you understand them. Learn enough so that you can ask your marketers how they’re using these KPIs, tools and tactics to achieve your goals. You’re a savvy business owner – you’ll know when someone is blowing smoke and when they’re giving you the goods. A good marketer will help educate you and walk you through why these terms matter to your business (or don’t).
Buzzwords to Know: GA (Google Analytics), PPC (Pay-per-click), SEM (Search Engine Marketing), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Programmatic Ads, Display Ads, Social Ads (YouTube, Meta, LinkedIn, etc.), Organic vs. Paid, SEMRush, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), GMB (Google My Business), authority score, impressions, reach, frequency, key events, source/medium, A/B testing, keywords.
- Pay for 1:1 Education: No, I’m not sending you back to school. But I do encourage you to find a local marketing expert and ask if you can pay for 8-10 hours of consultation time. Give them your list of keywords and have them walk you through what each term means and how it can impact your business. Imagine how valuable an investment of 8 hours could be in your journey toward becoming knowledgeable enough to protect your marketing spend.
I’m passionate about the craft I’ve spent my life perfecting, and I’m equally passionate about empowering business owners to reach their goals. I’m rooting for you, and I believe that if you follow this advice, your marketing will flourish. At Day 2 Marketing, we’d love for you to visit us online to learn more about how we can help. Whether you choose us as your agency or partner with us for support, we’re here to help drive real results for your business. Go get ’em!