Need ad creative ideas—how should we manage the workflow with a freelance designer?

The designer is right. A graphic designer isn't a copywriter or a marketing strategist. If you need ideas, browse competitor ad libraries, take screenshots of 5 ads you like, and send them over saying "combine this one's typography with that one's color palette for our product." It speeds things up immediately.

We outsource about 20 creatives a month in the apparel space. We had the exact same friction with our freelancer early on. Now, on the 25th of every month, I sit down and write out bullet points for the next month's 10 creative concepts. Our revision count dropped from four rounds to one per asset, and our ROAS improved noticeably.

To settle the workflow, make sure your contract includes these 3 clauses: 1) Brief format: Copy and core hooks are supplied by the client. 2) Revision cap: Maximum of 2 minor revisions once the initial draft is approved. 3) IP transfer: The fee includes perpetual digital and social media commercial usage rights for all final assets.

telling a designer "just come up with wahtever make it sell" never works. brainstorming angles is your job making it look good is theirs. you gotta get used to writing proper briefs, no way around it.

You pay a graphic designer freelance rates and expect them to act like a creative director, market researcher and copywriter all at once. If the designer is telling you "this won't sell," they're already meddling way too much in your business and you're having them write copy on top of it. Separate the roles.

we solved this problem with a weekly half-hour brainstorming session. i walk them through customer complaints and top-selling products, and they tell me how we can make that pop visually... we set up a shared board together and they design whatever they pick from it but once communication clicks the tenson disappears.

how much time does it actually take you to gather the ad copy and visual references for the designer? speaking for myself, sometimes prepping the brief feels like it takes longer than the actual design work; is there a practical way to speed this up?

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. When listing, put proof that the product actually works at the very top.

Quick summary for newcomers: A partnership without a payment schedule locks up at the first split.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I agree with this. Mistakes made on the ad creative ideas side are usually reversible but expensive.

Hope this helps.

I have a question, don't want to go off-topic though. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

We've heard this a lot, but it never happened like that for us. Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's right.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

Saved. Do a small three-month project before talking stocks, so you see each other.

Any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently. If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

I went through the same thing two years ago. The biggest time-waster for us was not knowing who had the final say.

When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles. Hope this helps.

if you're going this route, sort this out first. the biggest time-waster for us was not knowing who had the final say.

this is my opinion I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

There's a trap here let me mention it. Valuation methods for exits must be defined by formula; "market value" isn't enough.

If IP assignment to the company isnt written from the start, it cant be collected later. tbh proven by experience.

We need to take it step by step. Do a small three-month project before talking stocks, so you see each other.

Any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Let me share my experience. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.