How to Brief a Marketing Agency So You Get Better Results

The quality of an agency's work depends partly on the quality of the information it gets. A clear brief helps the team understand your business quickly and avoid wasted effort.

What a good brief includes

1. About your business

What you sell, how you make money, your history and what makes you different.

2. Your goals

Be specific and measurable. "More leads" is vague. "Twenty qualified enquiries per month at a cost below a certain amount" is much clearer. Separate short-term goals from long-term ones.

3. Your customers

Who buys from you? What problems do they have, what do they care about and where do they spend time online? Include your best and worst customers.

4. Your offer and pricing

What are you promoting? Include prices, margins, delivery times, guarantees and any limits on capacity.

5. Competitors

Who do customers compare you with? What do you do better, and where are they stronger?

6. What has been tried

List past marketing, what worked, what failed and what you learned. Share data where you have it.

7. Budget and timeline

Share a realistic budget range, including ad spend and fees, and any key dates such as launches or seasons. Being open helps the agency propose a suitable plan.

8. Brand and assets

Logo, colours, fonts, photos, videos, tone of voice and any guidelines.

9. Access and tools

Which accounts, websites, analytics and CRM systems exist, and who can give access.

10. How you want to work

Who the main contact is, how quickly you can give feedback and how you prefer to communicate.

Share the numbers that matter

Tell them your average order value, conversion rate, close rate and the value of a customer. These shape what the agency can afford to spend on each lead.

Be honest about challenges

If your product has weaknesses, sales are slow for reasons outside marketing or your team is stretched, say so. It is better to know early.

Give feedback quickly and clearly

Delays in approvals and vague comments slow campaigns. Be specific about what you like and what to change.

Keep sales and marketing connected

Tell the agency what happens with leads. Which are good, which are poor, and why. This feedback improves targeting.

Start with a conversation

A written brief helps, and a call lets the agency ask follow-up questions. Many good briefs are built together.

Summary

Share your goals, customers, numbers and challenges openly. The clearer the brief, the stronger the first plan.

Not sure where to start? Message us on WhatsApp and we will guide you through the questions and build the brief together.