5 ways to get the most out of your marketing budget Worried about squeezed marketing budgets? Here are our top 5 ways to get the best results from your agencies: 1. A great brief is key. A brief sets the tone for everything that follows. Make sure yours outlines the overall goals of the project and details any other objectives along the way. An experienced marketeer will often spot other aspects you may have missed, but don’t assume they know your business better than you do! Work together to establish the clearest brief possible, as it will be the starting point for everything that follows. 2. If you have a vision, share it. The more background given, and supporting information supplied, the greater our understanding of the challenges you face. Don’t be shy, and feel free to come forward with issues, anecdotes and any other material to help build a picture of your marketing needs. Your agency will be able to offer a different perspective and may well see solutions that you hadn’t even considered. 3. Constructive feedback produces better results. It’s very easy to get caught up in personal opinions – especially when it comes to creative likes and dislikes. However, by being as objective as you can and providing specific feedback, you’ll provide clearer direction on what you want to change. Instead of just being negative, don’t forget to also mention the things you like. Try to break down feedback into what needs to change, what stays, and what you’d like more of. We know it’s difficult, but try to be impartial, and remember to see things from the eyes of the audience it was intended for. 4. Realistic timelines. As the old adage goes, “There’s never enough time to do it right, but there is always enough time to do it again”. In an age where everything is needed yesterday, sometimes it is better to take stock and consider all the angles before jumping in head first. Allowing ample time for your project gives us all a little more breathing space, and almost always produces better results. 5. Reveal your budgets… It can be a controversial sticking point, but by making it clear how much you have to spend means that the approach and deliverables can be designed around it. By being upfront with your budget from the start, we can tailor solutions to fit your specific project. Finally, remember that your agency is there to help you. You’ll know you’ve found the right one when you establish a good working relationship (dare I even say partnership) that deepens and strengthens over time.