How agencies can run client approvals and content revisions
· 5 min read
In social media agencies, delays rarely come from producing content. They come from waiting for approval. The draft goes out by email, the revision comes back in a chat, and nobody is sure who has the final version. A few simple rules can put the process in order.
Pick one place for approvals
If drafts sit in email, feedback lives in a messaging app and the final version is in a spreadsheet, nobody knows which one is current. For each client, approval should happen in a single place. If a client replies through another channel, carry the answer over to that place.
Separate roles from the start
The person who prepares a draft, the person who sends it for approval and the person who publishes don't have to be the same. In Fourdeck, an editor can create and edit drafts but cannot approve or publish. Approval and publishing stay with the content manager, admin and founder roles. That split prevents content from going out by accident.
Keep each client in its own workspace
Clients' accounts, posts and calendars shouldn't get mixed up. When each client has its own workspace, the risk of scheduling one client's content to the wrong account goes down.
Keep posts awaiting approval visible
A post waiting for approval shouldn't slip past anyone. In Fourdeck, you can move posts into awaiting approval and ask authorised team members to review them. The answer to "where is this one?" is then visible without digging through chat history.
Limit revision rounds and write them down
- State the number of revision rounds in the contract or work plan.
- Ask the client for a single consolidated round of feedback each time.
- Make the changes, send the post back for approval and note briefly what changed.
- Treat the approved version as the only reference.
Agree on approval deadlines in advance
Approval that arrives the day before publishing disrupts the calendar. Agree a deadline with the client, for example two working days before publishing. Also agree in advance what happens if the deadline passes: is the post postponed, or does it go out as it is?