Client Management & Approval Workflows

The Approval Bottleneck

Ask any agency team what slows them down most, and approvals top the list. Content sits in email threads for days. Feedback comes scattered across Slack, text messages, and phone calls. Nobody knows what’s approved and what isn’t.

Designing Your Approval Workflow

Single-Tier Approval

Best for: Small clients with one decision-maker.

Flow: Draft → Internal Review → Client Approval → Schedule

Turnaround target: 24-48 hours from draft to approved.

Multi-Tier Approval

Best for: Enterprise clients with marketing managers and brand teams.

Flow: Draft → Internal Review → Marketing Manager → Brand Team → Schedule

Turnaround target: 3-5 business days.

The Key Principles

1. One platform for all feedback — No email, no Slack, no phone calls for content approvals
2. Contextual comments — Feedback attached to specific pieces of content
3. Clear status tracking — Everyone knows what’s pending, approved, or needs revision
4. Deadline visibility — Clients see when their review is needed by
5. Audit trail — Every action logged for accountability

Client Onboarding Checklist

Standardize this and you’ll cut onboarding time by 75%:

• Brand voice document completed
• Content pillars defined (3-5 per client)
• Platform accounts connected
• Approval workflow configured
• Team members assigned with roles
• Reporting cadence agreed
• First month content calendar drafted
• Client portal access sent

Managing Feedback at Scale

When you have 20+ clients, feedback management becomes its own job. Systematize it:

• Daily review window — Check all pending feedback at a set time, not reactively
• Categorize feedback — Mandatory changes vs. nice-to-haves vs. out of scope
• Template responses — For common feedback patterns
• Escalation path — When feedback contradicts the approved strategy

Measuring Workflow Health

Track these metrics monthly:

• Average approval time — From draft submission to client approval
• Revision rounds — Average number per piece of content
• Client satisfaction — Quick pulse surveys quarterly
• Content output — Posts published per team member per client