When commissioning a digital marketing project, the brief forms the foundation of your project, so it’s important to get it right. A good one should excite the reader and give a flavour of where your business would like to be, but it’s easier said than done and writing one for the first time can be a daunting prospect.
To help you get it right, here are seven things to avoid when writing a brief for a digital agency that gets results:
1. Don’t include too much information
You should be able to answer each section of the brief in one paragraph at the most. There’s no need for a 20-page company history; cut anything unnecessary but always try to answer the following questions:
· Who are we speaking to/who is your audience?
· What is the tone of voice?
· What is the desired outcome?
· How will you measure success of the project
· What are your timescales?
· What is your sign off procedure?
2. Don’t restrict your inspiration
Just because your company is a new brand of gin doesn’t mean that your only sources of inspiration should come from what other gin brands are doing. Whilst it’s good to keep an eye on the competition, the best briefs are the ones that give us some insight into what really makes you tick. Challenge yourself to find inspiration in places you might not normally look. If there’s an image that creates an atmosphere you want to recreate, or a colour you’d like to see on your website, include that information in your brief.
On the flipside, don’t be afraid to show your agency what you don’t like. The more visual examples you can provide, the more likely you are to get something you love.
3. Don’t forget to make it interesting to read
Whilst writing your brief clearly and concisely is important, being too clinical can have an adverse effect. Using emotive language, reflecting your brand tone of voice and injecting a bit of personality can help to emphasise your message and engage the agency. Perhaps most importantly, your brief should be as easy to read as possible. Using industry-specific jargon will only irritate your reader. Never overestimate the understanding your agency has of your industry. We don’t expect you to know your CMS from your HTML, so try to offer us the same courtesy. Keep it clear, simple and, if you need to use acronyms, provide an easily accessible glossary that we can refer to.
4. Don’t be blinkered to new ideas
Trust the agency to understand your needs from the brief you provide. Be clear about your desired outcome, but be flexible about how you get there. Agencies work on a range of projects, day in day out, so trust their expertise and let them guide you down the right path. Most agencies will keep you updated on your project as it progresses, so there should be plenty of opportunities to provide feedback.
5. Don’t be shy about your budget
Money can be a real sticking point in the design process, especially if you’re new to commissioning design work. Although it may sound obvious, make sure you’ve discussed your budget internally before approaching agencies and be honest about what you can spend. Using vague terms like ‘small’ or ‘large’ in place of figures could see you being presented either with a detailed strategy you simply can’t afford, or something underwhelming.
6. Don’t forget to communicate
Although it may sound obvious, discuss your proposed brief and resolve internal disputes with management and colleagues before submitting it. There’s nothing worse than finding three months in to a project that everything needs to change because the original brief wasn’t approved internally. Additionally, not making yourself available is one way to ensure you don’t get the results you want. Even the best briefs generally leave us with some unanswered questions and the worst thing you can do is vanish as soon as you’ve delivered it to us.
With that in mind, state early on what method of communication is right for you. Some clients like regular written progress reports, whilst others are happy to only be contacted when there’s a query.
7. Don’t be unrealistic
Be honest about what to expect and set priorities; don’t blow your budget on fonts and imagery if it’s going to compromise the ability to deliver your overall project. If you have existing marketing materials like photography or logos, supply your agency with them as doing so will likely bring down costs.
Additionally, be vocal about your company deadlines early on in the process to avoid any nasty surprises. A good agency will work with you to find a solution that suits you both, and will be open to giving you an alternative solution if what you have asked for isn’t possible for your budget or in the given time.
By Gillian Grant, Account manager at LEWIS.
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