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📘Agency Operations Playbook

Your agency's operating manual — processes, standards, tool stack, communication norms, and team policies in one place.

by Peopsy

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.
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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