As marketers, you will constantly find yourself dealing with agencies and freelancers.
They are your trusted stakeholders, who will help you bring your visions to fruition.
That social media post. Or that product romance video.
That brand identity document. Or that national-level TV campaign.
Whatever the need, third-party agencies are a marketer’s army.
And just like a general, leading from the front requires a few skills from marketers:
- Make them understand what your brand does, and what it stands for.
- Think of your agencies as business partners and not a service provider.
- Brief your agency clearly. State the business challenge and the ask very clearly upfront, and define what success will look like.
- Provide timely feedback. Agencies hate feedback that’s indecisive, late, or too subjective.
- Have clear contracts in place to define your relationship legally.
- Make your payments on time.
- Be friendly and professional in your written or verbal communications.
Agency relationships thrive on mutual trust and high integrity. Maintain both.
