The answer to ‘how long do they normally take’ can be as varied as the different types of projects and unique elements required – especially website design and development. Start by identifying key delivery dates, then build backwards to identify key milestones. Your full service design and marketing firm should know from experience how long projects typically take, and lead the way. The key is to discuss it all at the outset of a project, and make sure both sides agree to comfortable schedules.
In General…
We usually tell clients it will take 5-10 business days to see things like logo, ad or web design concepts once the creative brief is decided upon. We say 10–15 days for bigger projects (like large brochures that also require a lot of copywriting. Then, depending again on the size of the project and nature of revisions (we generally include three rounds) we say 2–5 business days.
Identify Major Deadlines
Some of the projects we take on have hard deadlines like a commitment, an upcoming event, or a due date at a publication. If this is true for you, the first question should be ‘can the firm meet it at all?’ If they can’t you should discuss why with them. There’s a difference between they can’t because of other work and commitments (in which case you could go elsewhere) and it’s just not feasible due to the laws of science (plan b?).
If you have no hard deadline to meet, I strongly recommend creating one. If you keep telling your firm ‘no rush’, they will naturally back-burner it for the hard deadlines that come through and so will you. Meanwhile, the project loses momentum, everyone forgets the creative brief and neither side gets what they need (for you the tools to market and build your business, for us a sense of accomplishment and something we can bill).
Creating a Critical Path
Once you determine the hard or soft due date for the project, it’s really helpful to work backwards and set all main milestones. How long does the prin
ter need to work comfortably? How many people need to test the website client-side and what’s a reasonable amount of time to give them to do that, provide feedback and have it implemented? I always try to give a little buffer. From there you can work backwards in terms of rounds of revisions and feedback, meeting on the other end how long the firm needs to generate creative concepts.
You Will Have Deadlines Too
Then there’s your side. The timeline also needs to include when the firm needs to hear back from you or receive needed materials in order to meet their deadlines. If you know when your attention will be needed, and how much of it, you can schedule it in. If you’ve never been through a website project for example, you may not realize how much time it takes to get information together early on, or test it thoroughly just before launch. Where picking an ad layout may seem simpler, if you need to get the input from hard-to-pin-down higher-ups or a committee, that needs to be worked in.
Ideally, the firm you work with has a process for keeping track of your timelines and holding you accountable, as opposed to just lobbing it into your court and forgetting about it. If not, things can fall through the cracks.
There’s Always a Workaround
Going back to the laws of time and space; occasionally timing just won’t allow for the ideal, but there’s always something that can be done. For example, instead of rushing through a branding process, we may print a very small run of temporary business cards for clients to take to an event. Can the website be up in a reduced form and called a ‘soft-launch’?
We work really hard to meet clients’ tighter deadlines and will not let them down by telling them we can do something we can’t and have pulled off some great creative under pressure. However, we do a much better job when not rushed, and build much better Rapport for them and for us.
Best Planning Practices
Sometimes unexpected opportunities pop up and your firm should do their best to help clients take advantage of them. But, if you involve your firm in everything related to your marketing efforts and discuss upcoming commitments, events, etc. in advance, they can help you not only plan better, but maybe recognize additional opportunities too. A one-year action plan can be a great tool for both sides.
e, they’re turned off. They think it is not important or relevant to their business after-all, or at least not enough to pay so much. ‘We’re B2b, we provide a professional service, not sell products. People find us through word-of-mouth, not Google.’ I used to feel that way myself, but now I’m a convert.
So what this means is, it’s not hard to build a website with good search-ability right from the start, like conversion forms, alt text for images, meta descriptions, etc. but then why not use social media to generate the content to be found? Google is a hungry beast, give it something to gorge on.
feedback. He got so many and such varied responses his head was spinning and couldn’t sleep that night.
take a specific action at the end? That it builds a feeling of trust and stability or makes people feel warm and fuzzy? Use this as a guideline to come up with specific questions. Like, ‘did it make you feel warm and fuzzy?’ Same goes for concerns you have – ‘or did it seem too corporate’.
input. Don’t be reluctant to ask – most people feel privileged that you value their opinion.
As a B2B firm, that calculation may shock you, even at 1 or 2%. This leads to my favourite method of calculating your marketing budget – look at what you spent the last year, or three – you may be surprised. No two companies are alike, so use your own history. This would include all graphic design and web development services, copywriting, printing, electronic and print ad space, sponsorships, internal time writing blogs and the like, pens with your logo on it, domain registration and hosting, mailing services like MailChimp or Constant Contact, etc, etc. – probably more than you realize.
Factor in what you want to add to the mix this year. Even forays into social media aren’t free, though they’re often touted as ‘free marketing’. You may not have to buy ad space but it takes man hours. What’s your strategy? Who would do it? Do you need outside help in executing or setting it up (like an editor or ghost writer for your blog). The ROI on this type of marketing is harder and slower to recognize as relationship building takes time.
Finally, build in a buffer for unexpected opportunities. Many clients decide to participate in a tradeshow or sponsor something and are surprised with an offer of ad space they need to now fill. Or, your professional association suggests you provide branded tchochkes for giveaways at a conference. Maybe you hire new people or plan to move and will need more stationery. If you set aside a little extra, it will give you the breathing room to do it well, which often means professionally.
