Hiring a social media agency without a clear brief often leads to busy calendars but unclear business value. The agency may not know which audiences matter, who can approve content, how customer messages should be handled or whether paid advertising is included. A useful brief turns those assumptions into decisions before the first post is created.
This social media agency brief for Malta businesses provides a practical structure for appointing an agency or reviewing an existing arrangement. It covers organic content, community management, account access, paid media, measurement and handover. Adapt it to the size and risk profile of your organisation.
1. Summarise the business and commercial objective
Begin with a short explanation of what the business sells, where it operates and why social media is being used. Replace vague aims such as “grow our presence” with an outcome that can guide content and reporting.
- Generate qualified enquiries for a defined service.
- Increase bookings during a specific trading period.
- Support recruitment for particular roles.
- Improve customer education and reduce repeated questions.
- Build awareness among a clearly defined Malta or international audience.
State which outcome has priority. A campaign designed to produce enquiries will need different calls to action, landing pages and measurements from one intended to strengthen employer branding.
2. Define the audience precisely
“People in Malta” is rarely a sufficient audience description. Include location, language, buyer role, common needs, objections and the stage of the decision journey. If the business serves tourists, expatriates or overseas buyers, explain how those segments differ from local customers.
Provide the agency with real customer questions and terminology from sales calls, emails and reviews. This is usually more useful than inventing broad personas. Remove or anonymise personal information before sharing source material.
3. Assign a role to each channel
Do not assume every platform needs the same content or posting frequency. Specify why each channel exists and what a successful action looks like.
| Channel question | Decision to record |
|---|---|
| Who is present? | The audience segment the channel should reach |
| What should it achieve? | Awareness, enquiries, bookings, recruitment or support |
| What format fits? | Short video, educational posts, case studies, updates or conversations |
| Where does traffic go? | Website page, booking tool, message inbox or phone |
| Who responds? | Agency, internal team or named escalation contact |
It is reasonable to exclude a channel when the audience, resources or content do not justify it. A focused plan is better than maintaining inactive or repetitive profiles.
4. Set content pillars and evidence rules
Choose a small set of themes that reflect customer needs and business priorities. Examples include education, product use, behind-the-scenes expertise, customer questions, company updates and service explanations.
The brief should also state what claims require evidence or internal approval. Regulated sectors, health services, financial services and businesses working with children may need additional review. Prohibit invented results, testimonials, qualifications and guarantees. Identify any words, images or topics the agency must not use.
5. Clarify who supplies the raw material
An agency cannot create credible business-specific content indefinitely without access to real information. Agree who will provide photographs, subject-matter input, offers, event dates, product availability and approval of factual details.
- Name the internal content contact.
- Set a recurring date for collecting updates.
- Explain whether the agency can film or photograph on site.
- Confirm permissions for staff, customers and locations appearing in content.
- Specify storage, retention and deletion arrangements for source files.
6. Build a workable approval process
Define the approval sequence, not just the approver. State how far ahead content should be submitted, where comments will be recorded and what happens if the approver does not respond. Identify content that can be published from a pre-approved template and content that always needs individual sign-off.
For time-sensitive posts, include an accelerated route. Avoid approvals scattered across email, messaging apps and verbal conversations because conflicting versions become difficult to trace.
7. Separate organic management from paid advertising
The brief should state whether the scope includes organic publishing, boosted posts, full advertising campaigns or none of these. Paid media requires additional decisions about budget, campaign objectives, audiences, creative testing, landing pages, conversion tracking and reporting.
Clarify whether media spend is paid directly by the business and whether advertising management fees are separate. The business should retain ownership and visibility of its advertising accounts, billing and historical data. If advertising is included, connect the brief to a wider agency proposal review and a documented measurement plan.
8. Give access without surrendering ownership
Use platform access controls rather than sharing personal passwords. The business should retain at least one trusted internal owner with sufficient control to manage access and recover the account.
Meta explains that task access can allow people to manage content, messages, ads or insights through business tools, while full control can include changing access or deleting the Page. Grant only the level needed for the agreed work, review access regularly and remove former staff or suppliers promptly.
- List every profile, Page, business portfolio and advertising account.
- Record the business owner for each asset.
- Use individual access, two-factor authentication and a recovery process.
- Document any scheduling, analytics or design tools connected to the accounts.
- Agree how access will be returned or removed at contract end.
9. Define community management and escalation
Publishing is only part of social-media management. Explain who monitors comments, reviews and direct messages, during which hours and within what response target. Create approved responses for common questions, but define when the agency must stop and escalate.
Escalation categories might include complaints, refund requests, threats, discriminatory content, media enquiries, legal claims, adverse events or questions involving confidential information. Record the named contact and backup for each category. A moderation policy should explain when comments may be hidden, deleted or reported.
10. Address privacy and personal data
Social-media work can involve names, profile information, messages, photographs, leads and advertising audiences. Document what personal data the agency will access, the purpose, retention period, authorised users and security controls. The European Commission’s business guidance emphasises transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation and protection against unauthorised access.
Confirm whether the agency acts as a processor for any activity and whether an appropriate agreement is needed. Review competitions, lead forms, uploaded audience lists, influencer arrangements and content featuring identifiable people with the organisation’s legal or privacy adviser. This checklist is operational guidance, not legal advice.
11. Define the deliverables without rewarding filler
Specify the expected mix of deliverables, but avoid judging performance only by the number of posts. The brief may include content planning, copy, design, short-form video, scheduling, community management, monthly reporting and strategy meetings.
State what is excluded, such as professional photography, influencer fees, media spend, out-of-hours moderation, translations, website changes or event coverage. Clear exclusions prevent surprise costs and unrealistic assumptions.
12. Choose measurements that match the objective
Followers, reach and engagement can describe activity, but they do not automatically demonstrate commercial impact. Match reporting to the original objective.
- Awareness: relevant reach, video completion and audience quality.
- Demand: qualified website visits, enquiries, bookings or calls.
- Community: response time, recurring questions and sentiment themes.
- Recruitment: suitable applications and cost per qualified applicant.
- Customer education: useful content consumption and reduction in repeated support issues.
Agree the source of each metric and who verifies leads or sales. A monthly report should explain what was published, what changed, what was learned and what action is recommended next.
13. Include a handover and exit plan
The brief or contract should cover ownership of final creative work, editable source files, captions, content calendars, audience data and reports. On exit, require a current asset list, removal of agency access and transfer of any approved files. Confirm how long working files will be retained and when personal data will be returned or deleted.
Social media agency brief checklist
- Business objective and priority outcome
- Audience segments, locations and languages
- Role of each selected channel
- Content pillars, evidence rules and prohibited claims
- Internal source-material responsibilities
- Approval route and deadlines
- Organic, paid and excluded services
- Asset ownership and minimum access
- Community-management hours and escalation contacts
- Privacy, permissions and data-handling requirements
- Deliverables, measurement sources and reporting rhythm
- Handover, retention and access-removal process
Turn the brief into a useful working relationship
A good brief does not restrict creativity. It gives the agency enough context to create work that is accurate, on brand and connected to a business result. It also gives both sides a shared reference when priorities, channels or responsibilities change.
Digital Consulting Pros provides social media management for Malta businesses, including content planning, publishing and campaign support. If you need help converting your requirements into a practical scope, contact DCP.
Official resources
- Meta: About Facebook Page access
- Meta: Give, edit or remove Facebook Page access
- European Commission: Data-protection obligations for organisations
- European Commission: Data-processing principles
Featured image: photo by Walls.io on Unsplash.
