Regular paid media performance reports are one of the simplest outputs an agency produces. And one of the easiest to get wrong. The issue usually starts with mismatched expectations. Brands often want clarity, momentum and early warning signs. Agencies sometimes provide a data dump, a highlights reel, or a soft narrative that leaves you guessing.

In our opinion, a good performance report should help you make better decisions. It’s not a strategic reset, it’s not a QBR, and it shouldn’t trigger dramatic shifts in direction. Its job is to show whether performance is on track, why it’s happening, and what happens next.

If your agency isn’t delivering that, here’s what you should be asking for.

1. Start With the Basics

A strong regular performance report is simple, consistent and aligned with your expectations. You should be asking your agency:

Are we reporting on the right KPIs?
Make sure the focus is on the metrics that actually matter to your business stage, not whatever the platform dashboard happens to surface.

What are we comparing results against?
A forecast, even a loose one, anchors the conversation. Insist on it. Without a benchmark, you can’t tell if trends are good, bad, or simply noise. In situations where forecasts are not available, anchor to past results. Are you improving MoM, QoQ, YoY? Is continued growth occurring?

How will the report be delivered?
A good report does not always require an over engineered deck. Some of our healthiest relationships report around continued google sheets & word docs that are added upon each week. It’s not the prettiest but gives clear linear actions, references and data. Pick a format that matches how your team best absorbs information. Hold your agency to it.

Who is presenting it, and to whom?
You should know exactly who’s walking you through your performance and that the seniority matches the complexity. If the audience changes, the depth should too.

If your agency can’t get these foundations right, the rest of the reporting process will always feel messy.

2. Demand Context, Not Just Charts

A useful regular report tells you what happened, whether it’s good or bad, and why it happened. Expect your agency to answer:

Charts should be simple and purposeful. If your agency includes visuals they can’t explain (or didn’t reference in the meeting) push back. It’s your time they’re wasting.

3. Ask for Clear, Actionable Next Steps

A regular performance report without actions is just a recap. Expect your agency to present:

If you’re hearing long-term plans or vague promises, redirect them. Weekly actions should be small, sharp and execution-ready.

It’s also occasionally perfectly reasonable for an action to be no action. If the agency has been heavy handed on the accounts the previous week, it’s often recommended to give some breathing room. Although this should not happen every call.

4. Insist on Early Warning Signs & Opportunities

Ask them to highlight unusual shifts, spikes or drops in cost, or sudden fatigue in creative. This is where the regular report earns its keep. If your agency isn’t proactively scanning, you’re only ever reacting to problems once they’ve become expensive.

5. Expect a Clean Wrap and Space to Talk

Your agency should close each report with summarised takeaways, confirmed actions, and space for open conversation. Finally, hold them to airtight accountability. If actions aren’t owned and followed through, the reporting process collapses.

Final Thought

Regular performance reports shouldn’t be complicated or bloated. They should give you clarity, protect your spend, and help you spot issues early, long before they hit your monthly numbers.