Feedback is an essential part of content creation, so it’s important to work with an agency that values this crucial step.
What’s more, it’s worth scrutinising how the process of client feedback is handled before deciding on which marketing agency to use. After all, you’re likely to repeat the task of giving feedback multiple times, so you want to know it will be done in a positive and constructive manner.
Content creation is a collaborative process. Nobody knows your brand better than you and the agency you choose will have the expertise to put your vision into motion. This means both parties need to work together for consistent messaging that reflects your voice.
After receiving a comprehensive brief, creatives will then put together a first draft of the content. From there, your feedback will help to move the piece on to the next stages, helping the agency to ensure the final product reaches its full potential and is something you’re proud to publish in your brand’s name.
Feedback helps creatives to understand your brand better and over time, you may find you’re offering fewer amends to your agency. Initial notes on the tone of voice, messaging and values you’re trying to convey should be taken on board in all of your content going forward.
Even after working with an agency for a long time, you shouldn’t be against sending feedback. As your company changes direction and the market evolves, your content will adjust to ensure it’s as relevant as ever.
Here at Axonn we fully understand the importance of feedback and build it into the production schedule. That means we factor in enough time to ensure you can have a good look at the content before we implement the amends without negatively impacting deadlines.
Be wary of agencies that don’t anticipate the time it takes for the feedback process. Assuming the client won’t have notes is not a positive sign but a red flag that perhaps they’re not realistic in their expectations of the partnership.
Of course, like all things in life, there are good and bad ways to give feedback. It should always be constructive, actionable and relate back to the goals you’ve set out for the campaign. Setting up a feedback process in advance should make this element of content creation straightforward and efficient.
Setting goals at the beginning of a campaign is crucial, as it ensures your messaging doesn’t get muddled and your desired outcomes watered down. Refer back to these goals during the feedback process to drive the content creation process towards the results you’ve outlined.
It will also help to show the copywriter, graphic designer or video editor you’re working with what it is you mean with your feedback. Everyone being aligned with the same vision makes for the most effective campaigns.
The number one thing to remember as the person giving feedback is to be specific. The second piece of advice to take on board is making it actionable. Vague statements can be very hard to turn into the right changes and can result in content getting further away from the desired outcome as opposed to moving towards it.
Additional content and even links to other pieces that could inform the content under scrutiny can be a useful approach. Feedback should promote understanding not hinder it, so make sure you’re facilitating this in the way you communicate with your agency.
The process for giving feedback may look different for various clients, even if they’re working with the same agency. That’s because every brand has its own unique set of circumstances. Larger companies may have decision makers spread across multiple locations or even time zones, and businesses that produce technical solutions may need to run content by a regulatory department.
None of these challenges are insurmountable as long as a process has been put in place to offer feedback. It could be comments on a document or a video call between all parties. Perhaps there’s a chain of feedback on the client’s end where the content is passed from one person to the next to ensure everyone is happy with the final piece.
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