Agency Operations Playbook
The Agency Operations Playbook below is free to preview and install in Zealos. Your agency's operating manual — processes, standards, tool stack, communication norms, and team policies in one place.
Pages in this template
- 📘Overview
- ✅Quality & Standards
- 🤝Team Norms
Preview: Overview
Agency Operations Playbook
This playbook is a living document. It should be updated whenever processes change, tools are added, or team norms evolve. Assign an owner to review it quarterly.
Our Mission
[Your agency mission statement — e.g., "We help ambitious brands grow through creative, data-driven marketing that delivers measurable business results. We build long-term partnerships, not short-term campaigns."]
Team Structure
Role | Name | Reports To | Key Responsibilities | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Agency Principal / Founder | [Name] | — | Vision, strategy, key client relationships, business development | Client-facing 30%, operations 70% |
Director of Operations | [Name] | Principal | Resource allocation, process optimization, tool management, hiring | Full-time operations |
Account Director | [Name] | Principal | Senior client relationships, team leadership, strategic oversight | Manages 3-4 accounts |
Account Manager | [Name] | Account Director | Day-to-day client communication, project management, reporting | Manages 4-6 accounts |
Senior Strategist | [Name] | Account Director | Channel strategy, campaign planning, performance analysis | 60-70% billable |
Content Lead | [Name] | Senior Strategist | Content strategy, editorial calendar, copy QA, writer management | 70-80% billable |
Senior Designer | [Name] | Account Director | Visual identity, creative direction, design team oversight | 60-70% billable |
Developer | [Name] | Director of Ops | Landing pages, tracking, technical SEO, website builds | 75-85% billable |
Media Buyer | [Name] | Senior Strategist | Paid search, paid social, programmatic, budget management | 80% billable |
Junior Coordinator | [Name] | Account Manager | Social scheduling, reporting support, admin, research | 70% billable |
High-Level Process Flow
Every client engagement follows this lifecycle. Each phase has defined activities, tools, owners, and SLAs.
Phase | Key Activities | Tools | Owner | SLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Discovery & Sales | Prospect research, discovery call, proposal, SOW | CRM, Zealos, Google Slides | Account Director | 48 hrs proposal turnaround after discovery |
2. Onboarding | Kickoff meeting, brand intake, access setup, audit | Zealos, Slack, shared drive | Account Manager | Complete within 2 weeks of signing |
3. Strategy | Audit analysis, strategy development, roadmap creation | Analytics tools, Zealos | Senior Strategist | Strategy deck delivered within 3 weeks of kickoff |
4. Execution | Content creation, campaign setup, design, development | Platform tools, project management | Team leads | Per deliverable — see Quality & Standards page |
5. Review & QA | Internal review, client approval, revisions | Zealos, Slack, email | Account Manager | 24-hr internal review, 48-hr client review |
6. Reporting | Data collection, analysis, report writing, presentation | GA4, platform dashboards, Zealos | Strategist | Monthly report delivered by 5th of each month |
7. Optimization | Performance analysis, testing, strategy refinement | A/B testing tools, analytics | Senior Strategist | Ongoing — optimization log updated weekly |
8. Growth & Renewal | QBR, expansion proposals, contract renewal | Zealos, Google Slides | Account Director | QBR deck delivered 5 days before meeting |
Tool Stack
Tool | Purpose | Owner | Cost / Month | Renewal Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Zealos | Client management, notes, pages, communication hub | Director of Ops | $[XX] | [Date] |
Google Workspace | Email, docs, sheets, slides, drive | Director of Ops | $[XX] | [Date] |
Slack | Internal communication, client channels | Director of Ops | $[XX] | [Date] |
Figma | Design, prototyping, creative collaboration | Senior Designer | $[XX] | [Date] |
SEMrush / Ahrefs | SEO research, competitor analysis, rank tracking | Senior Strategist | $[XX] | [Date] |
Google Ads | Paid search and display campaign management | Media Buyer | Client ad spend | N/A |
Meta Business Suite | Facebook and Instagram ad management | Media Buyer | Client ad spend | N/A |
Canva (Team) | Quick graphics, social media creative, templates | Content Lead | $[XX] | [Date] |
Google Analytics (GA4) | Website analytics, conversion tracking | Developer | Free | N/A |
Loom | Video walkthroughs, async communication, client updates | All | $[XX] | [Date] |
LastPass / 1Password | Credential management and sharing | Director of Ops | $[XX] | [Date] |
Communication Standards
Channel | Use For | Expected Response Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Slack (internal) | Quick questions, team coordination, updates | Within 2 hours during business hours | Use threads. Don't DM when it should be in a channel. |
Slack (client channel) | Day-to-day client communication, quick questions | Within 4 hours during business hours | Keep it professional. Major updates should still go via email. |
Formal communication, reports, proposals, approvals | Within 24 hours (business days) | Always cc the account manager. Use clear subject lines. | |
Video Call (Zoom/Meet) | Scheduled meetings, presentations, workshops | Scheduled in advance | Send agenda 24 hours before. Send recap within 24 hours after. |
Loom | Async walkthroughs, feedback, explanations | Record as needed | Keep under 5 minutes. Include in relevant Slack/email thread. |
Phone | Urgent matters only | Pick up or return within 1 hour | If calling a client, send a follow-up email confirming key points. |
Zealos | Client notes, strategy docs, project pages | Update in real-time | Single source of truth for client context and deliverables. |
Never discuss client-sensitive information in public Slack channels. Use private client channels or DMs for anything involving strategy, pricing, or internal opinions about the client.
About this template
Stop answering the same questions over and over. This three-page operations playbook documents everything your agency needs to run smoothly — from high-level process flows and tool stack documentation to deliverable quality standards, file naming conventions, and team norms like PTO policies and escalation procedures. It's the playbook you wish existed when you started, built so every new hire can get up to speed fast and every team member knows how things work.
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