How to Brief an Agency Effectively: A Practical Guide
Working with an agency can be a game-changer for your business, providing access to specialised skills and expertise. However, the success of your partnership hinges on one crucial element: the brief. A well-crafted brief sets the stage for a productive collaboration, ensuring that the agency understands your objectives, expectations, and constraints. This guide provides practical tips and guidelines for creating clear and concise agency briefs that set your projects up for success.
1. Defining Your Objectives and Goals
The foundation of any effective brief is a clear articulation of your objectives and goals. What do you hope to achieve by engaging an agency? Be specific and avoid vague statements.
Setting SMART Goals
A helpful framework for defining your goals is the SMART acronym:
Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Instead of saying "increase brand awareness," specify "increase brand awareness among 25-34 year olds in Sydney by 20% within six months."
Measurable: How will you measure success? Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, lead generation, sales, or social media engagement.
Achievable: Are your goals realistic given your resources and timeline? Set ambitious but attainable targets.
Relevant: Do your goals align with your overall business strategy? Ensure that the agency's work contributes to your broader objectives.
Time-bound: When do you want to achieve your goals? Establish a clear timeline with specific milestones.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Vague Objectives: Avoid using generic terms like "more traffic" or "better engagement." Provide concrete numbers and specific targets.
Unrealistic Expectations: Don't expect an agency to magically solve all your problems overnight. Be realistic about what can be achieved within the given timeframe and budget.
Lack of Alignment: Ensure that your goals are aligned with your overall business strategy. Don't pursue projects that don't contribute to your core objectives.
2. Providing Background Information and Context
To effectively address your needs, the agency needs to understand your business, your industry, and your target audience. Provide relevant background information and context to help them get up to speed.
Key Information to Include
Company Overview: Briefly describe your company, its mission, and its values.
Industry Context: Provide an overview of your industry, including key trends, challenges, and opportunities.
Target Audience: Define your target audience in detail, including demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviour. The more information you can give, the better the agency can tailor their approach.
Competitive Landscape: Identify your key competitors and explain how you differentiate yourself from them.
Past Marketing Efforts: Share information about your past marketing campaigns, including what worked well and what didn't. This will help the agency avoid repeating past mistakes and build on previous successes.
Example Scenario
Imagine you're briefing an agency to create a social media campaign. Instead of simply saying "we want more followers," provide context: "We're a sustainable fashion brand targeting environmentally conscious millennials in Melbourne. Our competitors are [Competitor A] and [Competitor B]. Our previous Instagram campaign focused on influencer marketing but didn't generate the desired engagement."
3. Specifying Deliverables and Timelines
Clearly define the specific deliverables you expect from the agency and establish a realistic timeline for completion. This will help avoid misunderstandings and ensure that the project stays on track.
Defining Deliverables
Detailed List: Create a comprehensive list of all the deliverables you require, such as website design, content creation, social media management, or advertising campaigns.
Specific Formats: Specify the required formats for each deliverable, such as file types, dimensions, or word counts.
Approval Process: Outline the approval process and identify the key stakeholders who need to sign off on each deliverable.
Establishing Timelines
Realistic Deadlines: Set realistic deadlines for each deliverable, taking into account the agency's workload and the complexity of the task. Overly aggressive timelines can lead to rushed work and compromised quality.
Milestones: Break down the project into smaller milestones with specific deadlines. This will help you track progress and identify potential delays early on.
Contingency Time: Build in some contingency time to account for unexpected delays or revisions. Learn more about Towa and how we manage timelines effectively.
4. Communicating Your Budget and Expectations
Transparency about your budget and expectations is crucial for a successful agency partnership. Be upfront about how much you're willing to spend and what you expect to receive in return.
Budget Considerations
Fixed Budget: If you have a fixed budget, clearly communicate this to the agency. This will help them tailor their proposal to fit your financial constraints.
Budget Range: If you have some flexibility in your budget, provide a range to give the agency some leeway in their proposal.
Payment Terms: Clearly outline your payment terms, including the payment schedule and any milestones that trigger payments.
Managing Expectations
Realistic Scope: Be realistic about what can be achieved within your budget. Don't expect the agency to deliver a premium service on a shoestring budget.
Communication Frequency: Establish clear expectations for communication frequency and response times. How often do you expect to receive updates, and how quickly do you expect the agency to respond to your inquiries?
Reporting Requirements: Specify your reporting requirements, including the types of reports you need and the frequency with which you need them. Consider our services for comprehensive reporting options.
5. Providing Relevant Data and Insights
Arm the agency with as much relevant data and insights as possible. This will help them make informed decisions and develop strategies that are tailored to your specific needs.
Types of Data to Share
Website Analytics: Provide access to your website analytics data, including traffic sources, user behaviour, and conversion rates.
Social Media Data: Share your social media analytics data, including engagement rates, follower demographics, and reach.
Customer Data: Provide anonymised customer data, such as purchase history, demographics, and feedback.
Market Research: Share any relevant market research reports or industry data that you have available.
Using Data to Inform Strategy
Encourage the agency to use the data you provide to inform their strategy and recommendations. For example, if your website analytics show that a particular landing page has a high bounce rate, the agency can investigate the issue and suggest improvements.
6. Ensuring Clear and Concise Communication
Throughout the entire process, prioritise clear and concise communication. This will help avoid misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Best Practices for Communication
Written Brief: Always provide a written brief that outlines all the key information about the project. This will serve as a reference point for both you and the agency.
Regular Meetings: Schedule regular meetings with the agency to discuss progress, address any issues, and provide feedback. Frequently asked questions can be addressed in these meetings.
Open Dialogue: Encourage open and honest dialogue with the agency. Be willing to listen to their suggestions and provide constructive criticism.
- Designated Contact Person: Assign a designated contact person who will be responsible for communicating with the agency and providing feedback.
By following these tips, you can create agency briefs that are clear, concise, and effective. This will set your projects up for success and ensure a productive and rewarding partnership with your chosen agency.