You want to develop a new website or app for your company. Or you are interested in setting up a campaign to address a new target group. You just don't have the in-house knowledge to achieve this. When such a situation arises, it is good to engage a digital agency. A clear digital briefing is important to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Creating a clear briefing still has some snags, which is why we have put together a checklist with the topics that you really should not forget. Of course you don't want to find out at the final presentation that mistakes have been made due to miscommunication.
In a briefing you map out what you expect the agency to perform and which end results must be achieved. By providing clear information, the agency can get to work effectively and surprise you with perfect production and creative results.
A digital briefing can take different forms, these different forms can of course also be combined (e.g. an oral discussion of your briefing form):
Oral: a briefing can be discussed by telephone, per online meeting or offline in a work session.
Briefing form: a briefing can be provided per word, pdf file or online briefing form.
Video file: a briefing can be included to map out the expectations and wishes.
Which parts should not be missing in your briefing?
A good briefing fits on one A4. It serves as input for the implementing party such as digital marketers, creative marketers, copywriters, designers and developers. There is usually a need for information about standard components, such as in an online draft elaboration. Think of a context, objective, target group, etc.
1. Introduction
Start your briefing by introducing yourself and your organization. For example, tell us about the company's history. This background information provides a clear picture of the standards and values that are considered important within your organization. Introduce your team so that the agency knows who they will be working with.
2. Context
After introducing your team and organization, it is important to provide context about your issue. You explain what you think you need help with. Do you run into the same problems, but don't know how to improve them? By means of a creative work session you can brainstorm together with the agency about the best plan of approach. They can help your company with issues in the field of design, digital marketing and development.
3. Objective & target group
Map out who your target group is, what does this group look like? This includes age, occupation and geography. An agency can help you map out that target group by creating different buyer personas. These buyer personas are fictitious representations of your customers. This makes it clear how you can best reach your target group. In addition, you will find out how your target group wants to be addressed, you can take these insights with you when you determine your tone of voice. Of course these are components that you can explore together with an agency, but if you already have answers to these, be sure to include them in your briefing.
To get started with a focused goal in the good to set out a qualitative objective. These KPIs can also be determined together in consultation with the agency.
4. Specifications & Frameworks
Here you indicate specifically what you expect from the agency. Think of the dimensions of images, the number of words of an article or the number of pages of a website. These specifications can also be more detailed. For example, you want a build-in social media gadget on your website, a API link between your website and software system, use a certain CMS system or you would like to track information through data tracking. Your agency can keep these specific requests in mind when developing a strategy.
5. Desired working method
Be clear about how you want the communication between both parties to be arranged. Think about when and how many tuning moments you would like. Indicate when you would like to be forwarded interim progress before the final material follows. Clear planning prevents miscommunication and is the first step towards a good workflow.
6. Core message
Name the promise you want to keep. This is the message that you want to convey with your website, brand or campaign, but this message does not always come across the same to the recipient. It is therefore important to clearly check whether your core message radiates what you have in mind. An agency can help you refine this message.
7. Concept Ideas
As a company, you often already have an idea of a strategic direction or a creative idea that you would like to further implement. Don't be afraid to put your ideas on paper. It helps the agency to go in the right direction, although of course they also like to surprise you. A working session with both parties can allow creativity to flourish and positively influence the concept ideas.
8. Tone of Voice/Style
Do you have your own brand book, style guide or tone of voice? Then share these documents with your agency so that the information can be included in the strategy development. Don't have your own brand book or tone of voice? No problem either, an agency can create a suitable communication and corporate identity in line with your wishes. This way you can be sure that the content matches your brand.
9.Budget
This chapter provides substantive specifications about the available budget. Be clear about your budget, be it big or small, so that the agency can develop a campaign that gives you the most bang for your buck.
10. After Going Live
When your application has been completed, this does not mean that the work here ends. Who will take care of the technical maintenance of your website? When are optimizations made or new content added? These are all questions that you can discuss in your briefing. Clearly state what you expect from your agency after your campaign, website or app has gone live.
In addition to the checklist above, there are also a number of steps that you can follow before presenting your digital briefing to a digital agency. Make sure you have the document checked internally before the presentation. An extra pair of eyes always come in handy, maybe the information isn't as clear as you thought? Now you still have the chance to supplement where necessary!
As mentioned earlier in the text, it can help you on your way to organizing a creative work session with your digital agency. Within a creative work session you can brainstorm together about a plan of action, let the creativity flow!
It's a wrap! Now you know everything about drawing up a clear digital briefing. Got excited? Now using our SB Model Canvas to map out your (new) business model for your next digital briefing!