Chase Thomas — November 8, 2016 
A clear and informative digital marketing brief can go a long way. There is a lot that goes into making an effective, quality digital marketing brief that communicates the desired message.
Three agency thought leaders shared what exactly makes a good digital marketing brief and what you should avoid. In an effort to paint a better picture as to what exactly a good digital marketing brief looks like, take a look at what they had to say.
What are the top things you look for in a digital marketing brief?
“First and foremost we look for clearly defined goals. If we know the report card that the project will be judged on we can craft a more thorough and effective strategy. These goals can be simple business goals like driving sales and revenue or soft goals that will excite internal stakeholders.
Additionally we believe the transparency when it comes to budget is a very efficient approach. If we know the budget we can avoid wasting time presenting something too big or too small.”
– Ben Hordell, Managing Partner at DX Agency
“The best digital marketing briefs provide clear objectives and success metrics. ‘Brand awareness’ is certainly a nice objective, but the more specific clients can be about desired calls to action (sales or lead generation, website traffic, engagement, evangelist/influencer behaviors, etc.), the better defined our strategy, tactics, and success metrics will be.
I’d also add that providing a clear audience definition matters because different customers turn to different digital sources for information and influence. When we know who you want to reach and what you want them to think or do, we can develop a precise plan that delivers on those goals.”
– Jennifer Jones-Mitchell, President at Brandware
“While it is easy to jump to tactics, it is imperative that Tank understands a holistic view of the overall marketing strategy. We start with two fundamental issues: 1) why a product/service is relevant to a customer and 2) how a company makes money. Oftentimes these two simple questions clearly define any marketing campaign and can help us understand where Tank can best add value to the relationship.”
– Steve Dwyer, Business Development Director at Tank Design
In case you had any doubts, above all, be clear:
“clearly defined goals”
“clear objectives and success metrics”
“clearly define any marketing campaign”
What are must-haves for a digital brief?
“Goals, budgets, do’s and don’ts and a clear non-padded timeline.”
– Ben Hordell, Managing Partner at DX Agency
“The budget is probably the one must-have that’s most often left out of digital marketing briefs. And, I get it. No one wants to show their hand and be the first to give out a number. And, sometimes, brands genuinely don’t know what budget they have.
But, the fact is, we can design a digital marketing campaign to fit any budget. It’s about scale. Without that guidance, agencies can end up presenting ideas that are simply impossible to implement within monetary constraints and this can ultimately waste everyone’s time.
But, when brands provide the specific budget in advance, we can design a truly unique strategy that meets the objectives and the dollars available.”
– Jennifer Jones-Mitchell, President at Brandware
“A digital marketing brief is no different than any go-to-market strategy. This strategy ensures that we have a collaborative plan and direction that ensures a premiere customer experience and creates a successful product launch.”
– Steve Dwyer, Business Development Director at Tank Design
Dwyer continued with a 9 question framework Tank has developed that helps unearth many of the answers to ensure success:
- What markets does your business currently pursue and/or desire to pursue?
- Who are your target customers and what are their goals, motivations and needs?
- What product/service are you selling and what unique value proposition do you offer to each target customer group?
- What is your unique value or primary differentiation and how will you connect to what matters most to your target customers?
- What is pricing model and does that create benefits/negatives for your business?
- Who are your competitors and what are they doing right and/or wrong that creates opportunities and threats for your business?
- Where do your target customers buy and where will you promote your products?
- What is working/not working today and what is your current marketing strategy?
- Is there anything preventing your company from pursuing/executing your strategy?
We hope these expert insights help you craft a more effective digital marketing brief
Ultimately, creating a great digital marketing brief is so important because it ensures you meet your digital goals together with your partners. Here at Agency Spotter, we hope that these tips help you create an amazing digital marketing brief that leads to real success for you, your agency partner, and your company.
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