You’ve closed the deal, congrats! You celebrate, the entire team gets excited, and then the real work begins.
If you’ve ever jumped into a project without a clear onboarding process, you know how quickly that excitement can turn into late-night emails.
Onboarding new clients is your opportunity to establish clear expectations, highlight value, and address any early concerns. Skip this step or rush through it, and you risk confusion and miscommunication.
In this article, we’ll cover the exact steps that help you welcome clients, set a clear plan, and start the relationship on solid ground.
What Onboarding New Clients Means for Marketing Agencies
For marketing agencies, a new client onboarding process sets the foundation for the entire partnership. It establishes clear expectations, outlines the project scope, and makes sure everyone starts on the same page.
A structured onboarding strategy helps capture key client information, such as communication preferences, existing tools, and the client’s goals.
These details guide the internal team, keep the project timeline realistic, and reduce mistakes during onboarding tasks.
When the client onboarding process runs smoothly, it increases client satisfaction and supports long-term client retention.
Types of Client Onboarding Processes for Marketing Teams
The right onboarding strategy depends on the client’s needs and your agency’s resources. Common approaches include:
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Virtual onboarding: Use video calls, shared documents, and project management platforms to guide clients through the onboarding process without travel. This method suits agencies that rely heavily on digital marketing tools.
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In-person onboarding: Schedule face-to-face onboarding meetings when a product or service requires setup or detailed training sessions. This approach helps clarify the project scope and builds stronger business relationships early.
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Hybrid onboarding: Combine digital and in-person touchpoints. Start with a virtual client onboarding meeting to set clear expectations. After that, follow up with an on-site session to review the project timeline or confirm specific client goals.
Each method provides a structured onboarding experience that aligns with the client’s business and supports a productive working relationship.
The 7-Step Client Onboarding Framework for Agencies
Every agency needs a clear framework to bring new clients on board. Follow these seven steps when bringing on new clients:
1. Start With Welcome and Kickoff Communications
Begin the client onboarding process by sending clear onboarding materials as soon as a customer signs.
These should include contact details for the account manager, a short overview of services, and a calendar invite for the initial meeting.
During that meeting, introduce the team members who will handle the particular project and explain your communication plan. Use the time to confirm goals, clarify timelines, and decide on communication channels.
This is also the moment for gathering client information not covered during the sales process, such as approval workflows or access requirements.
A structured kickoff sets up ongoing communication and improves client satisfaction. It also gives both you and the client a shared view of expectations, which supports timely project completion.
2. Assign Roles, Points of Contact, and Service Agreements
At this stage, define responsibilities so both you and the client know who handles what. Introduce the account manager as the main point of contact and explain how updates will be shared.
Clarify the involvement of any other team members so the client knows who manages each part of the project.
Next, walk through the service agreement. Highlight the scope of work, delivery timelines, and the key information required from the client.
Make clear which assets, approvals, or access details must be provided on time to prevent delays.
This process creates mutual understanding early in the client relationship and supports customer retention. It also shows the client how your agency organizes projects, which sets the stage for a productive future relationship.
3. Run Discovery With a Client Onboarding Questionnaire
Once agreements are finalized, the next step is to collect detailed background information through a client onboarding questionnaire.
This step helps your agency map goals, audience, and resources before marketing campaigns start.
Start with business goals. Ask the client which outcomes they want to achieve and how they plan to measure success. Goals like generating qualified leads or improving conversions provide direction for your team.
Next, focus on the target audience. Request information on their customer segments, buying behaviors, and examples of past campaigns. Pairing this with marketing analytics tools can reveal patterns worth building on.
Access to analytics and historical results is also crucial. Without past data, your team risks repeating mistakes or missing early opportunities. Make these requests part of the client onboarding checklist to avoid delays.
Finally, confirm communication preferences. Ask how often the client wants progress updates and which communication channels they prefer. This prevents confusion later and supports a consistent client onboarding experience.
4. Review Scope, Timelines, and KPIs
Once access and reporting are set, confirm the details of the engagement. Many agencies run into problems when assumptions from the sales process don’t match client expectations. A quick review at this stage prevents confusion later.
Walk through the signed agreement together. Revisit the scope of services, campaign timelines, and the marketing KPIs you’ll track.
For example, a client may think “lead generation” means form fills, while your team is set up to track calls. Clearing that up now avoids disputes down the road.
Set deadlines for campaign launches and reporting milestones. Establishing these timelines early helps clients see what will happen in the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
Agreeing on KPIs during onboarding also keeps the client informed about how success will be measured.
Whether it’s cost per lead, return on ad spend, or engagement rates, getting buy-in upfront prevents setbacks later.
Suggested Reading:
How to Build an Analytics Dashboard to Monitor Key Metrics
5. Hold a Kickoff Meeting
After platforms and reporting are ready, schedule a kickoff meeting with your client. This session sets expectations before campaigns start.
Introduce the account manager and the team members who will manage the project. Assign responsibilities so the client knows who handles strategy, reporting, and daily communication.
Review the scope, timeline, and KPIs discussed earlier. This is the moment to confirm priorities and address any problems in the sales process.
Use the client questionnaire as a reference. Confirm goals, audience details, and budget allocations so your agency has the relevant information needed to move forward.
Establish how communication will be handled. Decide which channels will be used, how often updates will be sent, and the reporting format each client receives.
Conclude by reviewing next steps for both sides. Sending a written summary after the meeting documents agreements and keeps progress on track.
6. Create a Communication and Reporting Plan
A solid onboarding process needs clear communication. Clients want to feel included, not left wondering what’s happening with their campaigns.
Start by agreeing on an update schedule. Weekly progress emails combined with monthly check-ins work for many agencies, but adjust to what the client values most.
Choose the communication channels together. Some clients like the formality of email, while others prefer quick updates through a project management tool. Agreeing early avoids frustration later.
Decide how reporting will be shared. Automated client reporting gives clients access to live data, while client report templates help explain results in context.
Invite client feedback in every update. When clients feel informed and involved, they’re more likely to recommend your agency through word-of-mouth marketing.
7. Use Client Feedback to Improve Onboarding
Onboarding clients should always include structured feedback. Without it, the customer onboarding process risks missing issues that affect satisfaction and retention.
Schedule check-ins during the first 30–90 days. Use these sessions to compare progress with agreed goals and confirm that the client is informed about current priorities.
Collect input through a mix of surveys and open discussions. Surveys provide measurable data, while conversations reveal context that numbers alone can't show.
Evaluate the responses and update your client onboarding checklist when patterns appear. For instance, if clients consistently request campaign performance details, create a standard reporting step.
Using this feedback refines how you approach onboarding clients. Over time, adjustments like these help standardize best practices and improve the overall client onboarding experience.
Make Client Onboarding Easier With TapClicks
Agencies face heavy operational demands when onboarding new clients. Each account involves multiple ad platforms, reporting requirements, and performance metrics. Manual setup in this stage often slows campaigns and increases the chance of errors.
TapClicks Auto-Assign improves this part of marketing operations by automating onboarding tasks:
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Automatic mapping: New client accounts link to reporting templates without manual setup.
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Consistent reporting: Every client receives dashboards built on the same standards, reducing variations across account managers.
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Faster access to data: Metrics, such as spend, clicks, and conversions, appear in dashboards as soon as onboarding is complete.
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Less repetitive tasks: Teams save hours by skipping manual setup and can devote more time to strategy and client communication.
Reducing repetitive tasks during onboarding not only improves client satisfaction but also supports future revenue.
Agencies that launch campaigns faster and provide reliable reporting are more likely to retain clients and extend contracts.
Wow Clients With Consistent Reporting Powered by TapClicks
Want to start client relationships on the right note? First impressions matter, and onboarding is where clients decide if your agency is organized and reliable.
TapClicks helps agencies deliver that structure. Auto-Assign removes repetitive tasks, so your team spends less time on setup and more time on campaigns. Clients see consistent reporting from day one, which builds trust immediately.
The payoff is worth it. A successful onboarding process leads to retention, referrals, and future revenue that expands with every client.
FAQs About Onboarding New Clients
What does it mean to onboard a new client?
Onboarding a new client means walking them through the first steps after signing on. It includes a welcome, sharing expectations, and collecting the information you need to deliver your service.
The goal is to create a clear and organized start that sets the tone for your work together.
What are the seven steps of the client onboarding process?
A seven-step process usually begins with a welcome and a review of agreements. From there, businesses collect client goals, hold an onboarding meeting to align expectations, and share key materials such as project outlines.
They also assign roles, set up systems for tracking progress, and confirm the first steps of the project.
How to onboard new customers?
Onboarding new customers starts with a warm introduction and a clear explanation of what comes next. Companies often provide resources or walkthroughs to help customers understand the product or service.
Setting expectations around communication and timelines is just as important as regular check-ins, which give customers confidence during the early stages.
What is the four-step onboarding process?
A shorter four-step process often begins with a welcome and a quick information-gathering step. This is followed by a kickoff call and confirmation of next steps. It works well for smaller projects that need a structured but fast setup.
