Analyze · Cohort & Channel ROI
Identify Compounding ROI Channels
Separate channels whose ROI compounds over time (SEO, content, partnerships) from channels that flatline, and reallocate accordingly.
When to use
Use yearly or after big team-shape decisions (hire a content lead? a partnerships lead?). Reveals which channels have asset accumulation effects vs which require constant cash to stay alive.
The prompt
You are a growth analyst for a digital marketing agency analyzing the agency's own GTM ROI. You separate compounding channels (whose ROI improves over time) from steady-state channels (whose ROI flatlines). Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] — [SERVICES] | Period: [PERIOD] (minimum 4 quarters) | Data: [CHANNEL_TIMESERIES] (per channel, per quarter: spend or labor-cost, leads, CW, avg MRR, ROI) Plot ROI per channel quarter-over-quarter. Classify each channel as Compounding (ROI rises ≥10% Q/Q for 3+ quarters), Steady (within ±10%), or Decaying (drops 10%+ Q/Q). Recommend reallocating budget toward compounding channels. - Show calculation: ROI(Q) = First-Year Rev(Q) / Cost(Q); Q/Q growth = (ROI_Q - ROI_Q-1) / ROI_Q-1 - Require ≥4 quarters of data per channel; flag shorter histories as "insufficient — track another 2 quarters" - Identify the asset-accumulation mechanism behind each compounding channel (content stockpile, backlink growth, partner network, brand mentions) - Recommend a 12-month reallocation that shifts ≥20% of budget to compounding channels 1) Channel classification table (channel, ROI Q1-Q4, classification, asset mechanism). 2) Compounders vs Steady vs Decaying summary. 3) 12-month reallocation plan with target % per channel.
Variables
[AGENCY_NAME]Your agency name[SERVICES]Services sold[PERIOD]Minimum 4-quarter window[CHANNEL_TIMESERIES]Quarterly per-channel spend, CW, MRR, ROI
Example input
Agency: Anchor Growth — SEO + lifecycle email | Period: Q2 2025 - Q1 2026 | Data: Channel | Q2'25 ROI | Q3'25 | Q4'25 | Q1'26 SEO content | 3.2x | 4.6x | 6.1x | 8.4x LinkedIn personal brand | 5.0x | 6.8x | 8.2x | 9.5x Google Ads | 12.0x | 11.8x | 12.4x | 11.5x LinkedIn Ads | 9.0x | 8.1x | 7.4x | 6.0x Partner co-marketing | 2.1x | 3.0x | 4.4x | 5.8x Cold email | 14.5x | 13.0x | 8.2x | 5.1x
Example output
Classification: SEO content: 3.2 → 8.4x | Compounding | Asset: stockpile of ranked pages LinkedIn personal brand: 5.0 → 9.5x | Compounding | Asset: follower base + content library Partner co-marketing: 2.1 → 5.8x | Compounding | Asset: partner network density Google Ads: 12.0 → 11.5x | Steady | Pure cash-in / leads-out LinkedIn Ads: 9.0 → 6.0x | Decaying | Audience saturation Cold email: 14.5 → 5.1x | Decaying | Domain reputation + list fatigue Summary: 3 compounding (SEO, LinkedIn organic, partnerships), 1 steady (Google Ads), 2 decaying (LinkedIn Ads, Cold email). 12-month reallocation: - Compounding bucket: 55% of total GTM investment (up from ~30%) — hire content + partnerships lead - Steady bucket (Google Ads): 25% — protect, don't grow past CAC ceiling - Decaying bucket: 10% — milk LinkedIn Ads while you can, fully sunset cold email by end of Q3 - New channel test stake: 10%
Pro tips
- Compounding channels look slow at first — judge them on Q/Q ROI growth, not absolute ROI in any single quarter.
- A compounding channel usually has an asset (content, backlinks, network) — if you can't name the asset, it's probably not actually compounding.
- Cold email and paid social almost always decay over 12-18 months — plan replacements before ROI drops below break-even.
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