The Client Workflow — POA&Ms for Real Teams
How to plan, execute, and report digital marketing for clients and their teams. Structured as Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&Ms) with real scenarios.
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How This Works
You land a client. Their team has varying skill levels. You need a plan that is:
- Phased — so nobody is overwhelmed
- Milestone-gated — so you know if you’re on track before spending more budget
- Role-clear — so nothing falls through cracks between your team and theirs
- Measurable — so the client sees value and you can justify your retainer
Every engagement follows the same 5-stage structure. The specific actions change by client type (see POA&Ms by Client Type below).
Stage 1: Discovery & Diagnosis (Week 1)
You can’t prescribe without diagnosing. This is where most agencies skip ahead and lose money later.
What You Do
| Step | Action | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 Discovery call | Understand the business, not just the marketing | Ask: What do you sell? Who buys? What’s working? What’s not? What did you try before? What’s the budget? What does success look like in 90 days? |
| 1.2 Access audit | Get access to everything | GA4, Search Console, ad accounts, social logins, email platform, CRM, CMS. If they don’t have these → that’s your first finding. |
| 1.3 Data audit | Look at what the numbers actually say | GA4: traffic sources, conversion rate, top pages, bounce rate. Search Console: impressions, CTR, indexing issues. Ad accounts: spend, ROAS, wasted budget. Email: list size, open rate, revenue. |
| 1.4 Competitive scan | See where they stand relative to competitors | Search their top keywords — who ranks? Check competitor social — what’s their cadence and engagement? Use Ahrefs/SEMrush for backlink and traffic estimates. |
| 1.5 Customer reality check | Talk to actual customers if possible | Read their reviews (Google, Trustpilot, social). What language do customers use? What complaints recur? What do they praise? |
Deliverable: Diagnosis Document
Client: _______________
Date: _______________
## Current State
- Monthly traffic: ___
- Conversion rate: ___
- Revenue from digital: ___
- Email list size: ___
- Social followers (per platform): ___
- Current ad spend and ROAS: ___
## What's Working
-
-
## What's Broken
-
-
## What's Missing Entirely
-
-
## Quick Wins (can fix in Week 1–2)
1.
2.
3.
## Biggest Opportunities (90-day horizon)
1.
2.
3.
## Risks / Red Flags
-
Milestone: Discovery Complete
- All account access received and verified
- Data audit completed with baseline numbers documented
- Competitive scan done (3–5 competitors)
- Diagnosis document shared with client
- Client agrees on current state before you propose anything
Stage 2: Strategy & Proposal (Week 2)
Don’t sell them a channel. Sell them a plan tied to their revenue.
What You Present
| Section | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| Where they are | Summary from diagnosis (they already agreed to this) |
| Where they need to be | 90-day goals, tied to revenue or leads — not vanity metrics |
| How we get there | Prioritised channel plan. What you’ll do, in what order, and why. |
| What it costs | Budget breakdown: your fees + ad spend + tools |
| How we’ll measure | Specific KPIs per channel, reviewed monthly |
| What we need from their team | Access, approvals, content inputs, response times |
The 90-Day Plan Structure
This is the core of your proposal. Structure it as 3 x 30-day sprints:
| Sprint | Focus | Why This Order |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Fix foundations + quick wins | Build trust with early results. Fix what’s leaking before pouring more in. |
| Days 31–60 | Build the engine | Content, email, organic — the things that compound over time. |
| Days 61–90 | Amplify with paid + scale | Now that tracking works and content exists, paid has something to land on. |
Pricing the Engagement
| Model | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Project-based | One-off audit, website build, campaign launch |
| Monthly retainer | Ongoing management across channels |
| Performance-based | When client wants skin-in-the-game alignment (risky — only if tracking is solid) |
| Hybrid | Base retainer + performance bonus. Most sustainable. |
Milestone: Strategy Approved
- Client has seen and understood the diagnosis
- 90-day plan is agreed with clear sprint goals
- Budget is approved (your fees + ad spend)
- Roles are clear (what you do vs. what their team does)
- Reporting cadence is agreed (weekly check-in + monthly report)
Stage 3: Execution — The 90-Day POA&M
This is where the work happens. Structured as Plans of Action & Milestones with specific dates, owners, and success criteria.
Sprint 1: Fix & Foundation (Days 1–30)
| # | Action | Owner | Start | Milestone | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Fix GA4 tracking — verify events, set up conversions | You (Tech) | Day 1 | Day 3 | All key events firing correctly; conversions tracking |
| 1.2 | Fix website speed issues | You (Tech) | Day 1 | Day 7 | Core Web Vitals green on PageSpeed Insights |
| 1.3 | Fix/create Google Business Profile | You / Client | Day 1 | Day 5 | Fully completed, verified, photos added |
| 1.4 | Fix on-page SEO for top 5 pages | You (SEO) | Day 3 | Day 10 | Titles, metas, headings, structured data optimised |
| 1.5 | Set up email capture on site | You (Tech) | Day 3 | Day 7 | Sign-up form live; welcome email flow triggered and tested |
| 1.6 | Fix broken/wasted ad spend | You (Paid) | Day 1 | Day 7 | Pause underperforming ads; reallocate to what converts |
| 1.7 | Clean email list | You (Email) | Day 5 | Day 10 | Remove hard bounces; segment active vs inactive |
| 1.8 | Set up reporting dashboard | You (Analytics) | Day 7 | Day 14 | Looker Studio live with GA4 + ads + search data |
| 1.9 | Deliver first monthly report | You (Analytics) | Day 28 | Day 30 | Report delivered; client review call completed |
Sprint 1 exit criteria:
- Tracking is accurate and verified
- Quick wins are live and measurable
- Dashboard is shared with client
- First report shows before/after on key metrics
- Client sees tangible progress
Sprint 2: Build the Engine (Days 31–60)
| # | Action | Owner | Start | Milestone | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Keyword research and content plan | You (SEO + Content) | Day 31 | Day 35 | 20+ target keywords mapped to content pieces |
| 2.2 | Publish 4–6 blog posts / landing pages | You (Content) + Client (review) | Day 35 | Day 55 | Posts live, indexed, ranking for target keywords |
| 2.3 | Launch organic social cadence | You (Social) or Client team | Day 31 | Day 35 | 3–5 posts/week on primary platforms; templates provided |
| 2.4 | Build email automation flows | You (Email) | Day 31 | Day 45 | Welcome series, cart abandonment (if e-com), post-purchase |
| 2.5 | Create brand content bank | You (Content) | Day 35 | Day 50 | 20+ social posts, 5+ email templates, ad creative variants |
| 2.6 | Set up retargeting audiences | You (Paid) | Day 40 | Day 45 | Pixels installed; audiences building (cart abandoners, page viewers, etc.) |
| 2.7 | SEO technical audit and fixes | You (SEO) | Day 40 | Day 55 | Sitemap submitted; broken links fixed; crawl errors resolved |
| 2.8 | Deliver second monthly report | You (Analytics) | Day 58 | Day 60 | Report delivered; strategy adjustment call |
Sprint 2 exit criteria:
- Content engine is running — not a one-off burst
- Email list is growing and automations are triggering
- Retargeting audiences are large enough to activate
- Organic traffic trend is upward (may be small — SEO takes time)
- Client team knows their role in ongoing cadence
Sprint 3: Amplify & Scale (Days 61–90)
| # | Action | Owner | Start | Milestone | Success Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Launch paid search campaign | You (Paid) | Day 61 | Day 65 | Campaign live; conversions tracking; budget pacing correctly |
| 3.2 | Launch paid social campaign | You (Paid) | Day 61 | Day 65 | Targeting set; creative live; pixel verified |
| 3.3 | Activate retargeting campaigns | You (Paid) | Day 65 | Day 70 | Cart abandoners and page viewers being retargeted |
| 3.4 | Launch influencer or partnership test | You (Social) + Client | Day 65 | Day 80 | 1–2 partnerships live; tracked with UTMs or promo codes |
| 3.5 | A/B test across channels | You (All) | Day 70 | Day 85 | At least 3 tests running (email subject, ad creative, landing page) |
| 3.6 | Scale what works / kill what doesn’t | You (All) | Day 80 | Day 90 | Budget shifted to top performers; underperformers paused |
| 3.7 | Deliver 90-day review | You (Strategy + Analytics) | Day 88 | Day 90 | Full report: baseline vs current, ROI, what’s next |
Sprint 3 exit criteria:
- Paid channels are profitable (or path to profitability is clear)
- Best-performing content, ads, and emails are identified
- Client has clear data on what £1 of spend returns
- Proposal for next 90 days is ready
Stage 4: Ongoing Management — Monthly Cadence
After the first 90 days, you shift from building to operating and optimising.
Weekly (15–30 min)
| Day | Action | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Check dashboard: traffic, conversions, ad spend, anomalies | You |
| Tuesday | Optimise ads: pause losers, increase winners, test new creative | Paid Media |
| Wednesday | Content review: what’s publishing this week, SEO check | Content + SEO |
| Thursday | Client check-in (async or 15-min call): updates, approvals, blockers | You + Client |
| Friday | Schedule next week’s social; review email performance | Social + Email |
Monthly
| When | Action | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Month start | Pull previous month’s data; build report | Monthly performance report |
| Week 1 | Client review call (30–60 min): results, insights, next steps | Meeting notes with action items |
| Week 2 | Plan next month’s content calendar and campaigns | Content calendar shared with client for approval |
| Week 3 | Execute: publish, launch, test | — |
| Month end | Pre-pull data; identify trends before report | — |
Monthly Report Structure
## [Month] Performance Report — [Client Name]
### Executive Summary
[3 sentences: overall trend, biggest win, biggest issue]
### KPIs vs Targets
| Metric | Target | Actual | vs Last Month | Status |
|--------|--------|--------|---------------|--------|
| Revenue from digital | £___ | £___ | +/- ___% | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| Website sessions | ___ | ___ | +/- ___% | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| Conversion rate | ___% | ___% | +/- ___ | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| Email revenue | £___ | £___ | +/- ___% | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| Ad spend | £___ | £___ | — | — |
| ROAS | ___x | ___x | +/- ___ | 🟢🟡🔴 |
| New email subscribers | ___ | ___ | +/- ___% | 🟢🟡🔴 |
### Channel Breakdown
[1 paragraph + key metrics per active channel]
### What Worked
-
-
### What Didn't
-
-
### Actions for Next Month
| # | Action | Owner | Deadline |
|---|--------|-------|----------|
| 1 | | | |
| 2 | | | |
| 3 | | | |
### Budget Summary
| Item | Budgeted | Spent | Remaining |
|------|----------|-------|-----------|
| Ad spend | | | |
| Tools | | | |
| Your fees | | | |
Quarterly Review (90-min deep dive)
| Focus | Questions |
|---|---|
| Performance | Did we hit 90-day goals? If not, why? |
| Strategy | Are personas still right? Any market changes? New competitors? |
| Channels | Where should we invest more? What should we drop? |
| Budget | Is the spend justified by results? Propose reallocation. |
| Next 90 days | New POA&M for the next quarter |
Milestone: Client Retention
- Client has clear, documented ROI from your work
- Monthly reports are delivered on time every month
- Next 90-day plan is proposed before current one ends
- Client team is self-sufficient on day-to-day (social posting, email, content)
- You are focused on strategy, optimisation, and growth — not firefighting
Stage 5: Scale or Exit
Every engagement reaches a point where you either grow it or transition it.
Scaling Signals (do more)
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| ROAS consistently > 3x | Propose increased ad budget |
| Organic traffic growing 15%+ month-over-month | Propose content scaling (more posts, video, new topics) |
| Email revenue growing | Propose advanced automation (browse abandonment, win-back, cross-sell) |
| Client asks about new markets | Propose international expansion plan → 10 - Reach International Customers |
| Client wants an app | Evaluate need → 08 - Improve Your Business with Websites and Apps |
Transition Signals (hand off or exit)
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| Client team is capable of execution | Shift to advisory/quarterly retainer |
| ROI has plateaued despite optimisation | Honest conversation; propose pivot or reduced scope |
| Budget is being cut | Focus on highest-ROI channel only; document what will be lost |
POA&Ms by Client Type
Different businesses need different plans. Here are 4 real scenarios with specific 90-day POA&Ms.
Scenario A: Local Business (Restaurant, Salon, Clinic)
Typical situation: No analytics, inconsistent social posting, no email list, maybe running Google Ads badly. Revenue is walk-in dependent.
90-day goal: Increase bookings/walk-ins by 25%. Build digital presence from near-zero.
| Sprint | Priority Actions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Google Business Profile (fully complete, photos, posts). Fix/create website with online booking. Set up GA4. Claim Yelp, Apple Business Connect. Start collecting email addresses at point of sale. | Local search is where 90% of their customers come from. GBP is free and highest-impact. |
| Days 31–60 | Launch social posting (Instagram + Facebook, 3x/week). Build email list to 200+. Send first email campaign (offer or event). Publish 3 local-focused blog posts (e.g. “Best brunch spots in [area]” — yes, mention competitors — it ranks). Ask for Google reviews systematically. | Social builds awareness locally. Email creates a direct line. Reviews are the #1 trust signal for local. |
| Days 61–90 | Launch Google Ads (local search: “salon near me”, “best restaurant [area]”). Run Instagram/Facebook local ads (5-mile radius, offer-based). Set up retargeting for website visitors. First event or promotion with email + social push. | Now there’s something to land on (good GBP, website, reviews). Paid amplifies. |
Key metrics: GBP views, direction requests, calls, bookings, walk-in tracking, review count and rating.
Budget reality: £500–£1,500/month total (fees + ad spend). They need to see ROI fast.
Scenario B: E-Commerce Brand (D2C)
Typical situation: Shopify site, some social presence, running Meta Ads with mediocre ROAS, small email list, no SEO to speak of.
90-day goal: Improve ROAS from 2x to 4x. Grow email revenue to 25% of total.
| Sprint | Priority Actions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Fix GA4 e-commerce tracking. Audit Meta Ads (kill wasted spend, restructure). Set up Klaviyo with proper flows (welcome, cart abandonment, post-purchase). Fix product page issues (speed, descriptions, reviews). | Stop the bleeding first. Most D2C brands waste 30–40% of ad spend. Email is the highest-margin channel. |
| Days 31–60 | Launch email campaigns (1–2/week). Build content: buying guides, how-tos, UGC showcases. Set up Instagram Shopping and TikTok Shop. Restructure Meta Ads: prospecting (lookalikes), retargeting (cart abandoners), retention (past customers). SEO: optimise category and product pages. | Email prints money at scale. Content gives ads somewhere to land. Social commerce opens new purchase paths. |
| Days 61–90 | Scale winning ad sets (+20% budget every 3 days if ROAS holds). Launch Google Shopping / Performance Max. Test influencer partnerships (nano/micro, gifting model). A/B test landing pages, email flows, ad creative. Plan for next quarter: new products, seasonal pushes, video. | Scale what’s proven. Diversify beyond Meta dependency. |
Key metrics: Revenue, ROAS, CPA, AOV (average order value), email revenue %, conversion rate by channel, CLV.
Budget reality: £2,000–£10,000+/month ad spend. Your fee: £1,500–£3,000/month.
Scenario C: B2B / Professional Services (SaaS, Consulting, Agency)
Typical situation: Website exists but doesn’t convert. LinkedIn is sporadic. No content strategy. Leads come from referrals and word-of-mouth. Want to diversify.
90-day goal: Generate 20 qualified leads per month from digital. Establish thought leadership.
| Sprint | Priority Actions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Fix website: clear value prop above the fold, case studies, demo/contact CTA on every page. Set up GA4 with lead form tracking. Set up HubSpot (or CRM) to capture and score leads. Audit/improve LinkedIn company page + key people’s profiles. | B2B buyers research before they call. The website must convert visitors into leads. LinkedIn is where B2B trust is built. |
| Days 31–60 | Publish 2 thought leadership articles per week (LinkedIn + blog). Launch email newsletter (weekly or bi-weekly). Create lead magnets: whitepapers, templates, calculators. Set up LinkedIn Ads (sponsored content targeting decision-makers by job title, company size, industry). | Content marketing is the B2B engine. LinkedIn Ads are expensive but hyper-targeted. Lead magnets give you emails. |
| Days 61–90 | Launch Google Ads (search campaigns targeting high-intent keywords like “best [service] for [industry]”). Set up retargeting (LinkedIn + Google Display). Build case study library (video + written). Implement lead scoring: prioritise hot leads for sales follow-up. | Search captures active demand. Retargeting keeps you top of mind during long B2B sales cycles. Case studies close deals. |
Key metrics: Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), cost per lead (CPL), lead-to-opportunity rate, pipeline value, content engagement (downloads, shares, comments).
Budget reality: LinkedIn Ads: £3,000–£5,000/month minimum to be effective. Google Ads: £1,000–£3,000. Your fee: £2,000–£4,000/month.
Scenario D: Creator / Personal Brand
Typical situation: Strong on one platform, weak everywhere else. No email list. No website (or a bad one). Monetisation is ad-hoc.
90-day goal: Diversify presence to 2 more platforms. Build email list to 1,000+. Launch or improve monetisation.
| Sprint | Priority Actions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–30 | Build simple website (Carrd, Squarespace, or link-in-bio tool like Stan Store). Set up email capture (lead magnet: free guide, template, mini-course). Create content repurposing system: primary platform → 2 secondary platforms. Audit best-performing content — what topics and formats win? | Creators who only exist on one platform are one algorithm change from zero. Email is the only audience you own. |
| Days 31–60 | Publish on secondary platforms consistently (e.g. YouTube → TikTok + LinkedIn, or Instagram → YouTube + newsletter). Launch email newsletter (weekly, value-driven). Create a product or offer (digital product, coaching, membership, sponsorships). Build a media kit if pursuing brand deals. | Diversification is the goal. The newsletter is the monetisation engine. A product turns audience into revenue. |
| Days 61–90 | Optimise and scale best-performing repurposed content. Launch or grow monetisation (product launch, sponsorship outreach, affiliate setup). Collaborate with 2–3 other creators for cross-promotion. Invest in production quality if numbers justify it. | Compound what works. Collaborations are the fastest audience growth hack. |
Key metrics: Follower growth (per platform), email list growth, email open rate, revenue per subscriber, product sales, engagement rate.
Budget reality: Often low cash but high time investment. Your fee: project-based or revenue-share if you believe in the creator.
When to Plan What — The Annual View
| When | What You’re Planning | Horizon |
|---|---|---|
| January | Annual strategy: goals, budget allocation, channel mix, major campaigns | 12 months |
| Start of each quarter | Quarterly POA&M: 90-day sprint plan with milestones | 90 days |
| Start of each month | Monthly content calendar, campaign launches, budget pacing check | 30 days |
| Every Monday | Weekly priorities, ad optimisation, content schedule, client check-ins | 7 days |
| Daily | Social engagement, ad monitoring, urgent issues | Same day |
Planning Rhythm with Clients
| Cadence | Meeting | Duration | Agenda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Async update or 15-min call | 15 min | What shipped, what’s next, any blockers |
| Monthly | Performance review call | 30–60 min | Report walkthrough, insights, next month plan |
| Quarterly | Strategy deep-dive | 90 min | 90-day review, goal reset, next POA&M |
| Annually | Strategy workshop | Half day | Full-year review, market trends, budget planning |
Red Flags to Watch For
| Red Flag | What It Means | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Client won’t give you account access | Trust issue or messy accounts | Explain why you need it; offer NDA; walk away if they refuse |
| ”Just run some ads” without strategy | They want tactics, not a plan | Show them the diagnosis → strategy → execution flow; if they insist, set expectations in writing |
| No budget for ad spend | They expect organic-only miracles | Be honest about timelines — organic takes 6+ months. Set realistic goals. |
| Changing goals every month | No internal alignment | Pin them down to 90-day goals; document in writing; don’t let scope creep |
| They want daily reports | Micromanagement or distrust | Educate on data cycles (daily data is noise); offer weekly snapshot + monthly report |
| No one on their team to execute day-to-day | Everything depends on you | Price accordingly; or define clearly what you won’t do |