A request that says “we need more marketing” leaves an agency guessing. It might propose a website, advertising, social media, or a brand refresh. Those are very different assignments. Before asking for proposals, write a brief that makes the business problem clear enough to discuss.
One or two pages can be enough. The purpose is to give everyone the same starting information, not to prescribe every creative decision in advance.
Describe the change the business needs
Start with an observable problem. Perhaps qualified inquiries are falling, customers misunderstand a service, or the sales team cannot explain a new offer with the current website. Include the audience and the action you want that audience to take.
Distinguish what you know from what you suspect. “Our mobile form fails when an attachment is added” is a finding. “Our branding is why inquiries dropped” is a hypothesis unless it has been tested. That distinction helps an agency investigate the cause rather than decorate an assumption.
State the practical constraints
Include a budget range, a target date, required integrations, and any assets that must be retained. Explain whether the budget covers media spend, production, outside software, and ongoing support. Identify dependencies such as a product launch, legal review, or photography that has not been scheduled.
List who will provide content and who can approve it. Five people may need to contribute, but one person should be responsible for resolving conflicting feedback. Without that authority, a project can spend weeks revisiting decisions that were already discussed.
Ask proposals to answer the same questions
Request scope, exclusions, assumptions, schedule, fees, recurring costs, and a measurement plan. Ask how changes will be approved and priced. Comparable answers make it easier to evaluate the proposal as a business agreement instead of choosing the most elaborate presentation.
Leave room for the agency to challenge the initial solution. You may request a redesign and learn that repairing the intake process should happen first. That is a useful conversation when it is supported by evidence.
A good brief reduces avoidable uncertainty. It helps both sides spend the first meeting discussing priorities and tradeoffs, rather than reconstructing basic facts that could have been shared in advance.