Paid media questions that tie the ad spend to what the client wants
Ask clients how clear the ad spend is, how each channel performs and where next quarter's budget should go. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What paid media report questions tell you
Paid media report questions ask clients how they read your ad reporting: whether they know where the spend went, how they rate each channel, how much they trust the attribution and what to optimize for next. Ad spend is the line clients watch most closely, and a report they can't follow puts the budget at risk.
Ask a day or two after the monthly report goes out, and ask the budget questions a few weeks before each quarter starts. Pick four or five questions at a time: the report rating, the spend check, the channel grid and the open question on surprises. Send the survey from Usertick to the people who receive the report, or put the link in the report email.
Each written answer gets a theme and a sentiment, and each response an urgency. On every plan, a workflow can add every answer to a Google Sheet, next to the spend and results you already track.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- A day or two after the monthly report
- Industry
- Agencies
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 paid media reporting questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
How clear the reporting is
Start with clarity and whether the client knows where the money went, then how fast the report arrives and how it travels inside their company.
- 01Stars
How clear is the paid media report?
A star rating for how clear the report is. It can be answered inside the email; ask it every month, so the card compares with the month before.
- 03Yes / No
Do you know what every line of the ad spend went to?
A yes or no on whether the client knows where every line of spend went. Treat each No as a call to make the same week, since unclear spend wears down trust.
- 13Customer effort
How easy is it to understand the cost per result?
A customer effort score for understanding cost per result. Results shows the share who found it easy; a low share calls for a simpler table or a short explanation.
- 12Ruler
How many days after month end do you get the report?
How many days after month end the client gets the report, on a ruler. Compare the median with what you promised in the contract.
- 08Multiple choice
Which reports do you forward to your leadership?
Lets the client tick each report they forward to leadership. Put more effort into the formats that travel, and simplify the ones nobody forwards.
Channels and results
Ask how each channel performs in the client's eyes and how much they trust the attribution, before you walk them through the numbers.
- 02Matrix
Rate each channel we run for you
Rates search, social, display and video in one grid. The heat map shows where the client's view of a channel differs from what your numbers say.
- 07Big scale
How confident are you in how we attribute results?
How confident the client is in your attribution, on a scale of 1 to 10. A low average calls for a plain explanation of how results are counted.
- 06Text
Which campaign result surprised you this month?
The open question for a result that surprised the client. Surprises, good or bad, show where expectations and reporting don't line up.
Next quarter's plan
Ask what to optimize for, where the budget should go and who signs off, a few weeks before the quarter starts.
- 04Multiple choice
What should we optimize for next quarter?
Makes the client pick one goal for next quarter, from cost per click to new customers. Agree the answer in writing, since it decides how you judge every campaign.
- 05Points allocation
Split 100 points of next quarter's ad budget
Asks the client to split 100 points of next quarter's budget across channels and testing. Compare the average points with your own plan before the budget meeting.
- 10Number
How much do you plan to spend on ads next quarter?
The planned ad spend for next quarter, as a number. Across clients, Results shows the median and the middle half, which helps you plan team capacity.
- 11Dropdown
Who signs off on ad spend changes?
Who signs off on changes to ad spend. Knowing it in advance saves days when a campaign needs more budget mid-month.
- 09Text
Which audience should we be reaching that we are not?
Asks which audience the client wants to reach and isn't reaching yet. These answers feed straight into next quarter's targeting plan.
Tips for asking about paid media reporting
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask after every monthly report
Keep the same four or five questions each month, so each card compares with the period before.
- 02
Ask budget questions before the quarter
Send the allocation and goal questions a few weeks before the quarter starts, while the budget is still open.
- 03
Follow up on unclear spend
Give every No on the spend question an owner in the inbox and reply with a breakdown within a day or two.
- 04
Keep answers next to the numbers
Add the client's name as a tag on the survey link. On every plan, a workflow can add each answer to the Google Sheet where you track spend.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about paid media reporting
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
A day or two after the monthly report, with the budget questions a few weeks before each quarter. Usertick sends now or on a date up to 30 days ahead and has no recurring sends, so schedule each month.
Four or five each month. Start with the report rating and the spend check, add the channel grid and end with the open question.
Yes, as a starting point for the budget meeting. The allocation question shows where the client would put the money, and the sign off question tells you who else needs to agree.
On every plan, a workflow can add each answer to Google Sheets. Any tag on the survey link, such as the client or the account, stays with each answer there and in the API.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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