Master Services Agreement for Digital Marketing Agencies: What to Include (Customizable Template)

Consulting Agreement
Hiring
Content Creators
Startups
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Introduction

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, having a clear Master Services Agreement (MSA) is vital for ensuring smooth operations across various project phases. This legal framework helps outline expectations, approvals, and handoffs between you and your clients. Not only does this create a foundation for integrity in your work, but it also fosters trust. If you are ready to create a solid agreement, Customize your Master Services Agreement now.

Legal Terms: What Matters Most for Digital Marketing Agencies

IP Ownership

  • The work product you create should generally remain your intellectual property until payment is fully made. This ensures you are compensated for your efforts.
  • It’s crucial that your clients do not use your work in a way that feeds it into AI models or similar services. Protect your creative work by making this explicitly clear.
  • Consider retaining source files rather than transferring outright ownership upon client request, allowing clients only the rights to use the work as outlined.

Revision Limits, Acceptance, and Payment Milestones

  • Establish limits on the number of revisions you will make for each phase of the project. This helps set clear expectations and avoids endless changes.
  • Define acceptance criteria to determine when a phase is complete. This can be based on specific deliverables or client feedback.
  • Incorporate a milestone payment schedule tied to the completion of specific tasks. This ensures that you are compensated regularly throughout the project.

Scope Creep and Change Orders

  • Clearly outline what constitutes a change order, ensuring that any changes to the original work scope trigger a formal process.
  • Provide guidelines on how pricing will be affected by change orders, as well as how they may impact deadlines.

Other Helpful Clauses for Digital Marketing Agencies

  • Portfolio Rights: Include a clause allowing you to showcase your work in your portfolio. This can be valuable for attracting future clients.
  • Limitation of Liability: Limit your exposure by specifying the extent of your liability to clients, which can be particularly significant in a digital marketing context.

How Counsel Club Helps

Counsel Club re-imagines legal for startups, freelancers, and creative entrepreneurs. Our platform allows you to search for lawyer-drafted forms for startups, freelancers, content creators, and other creative entrepreneurs. Our platform guides you through modifications, both to the contract and the scope of work. Counsel Club has the most sophisticated drafting tool on the market, and it was designed and developed by lawyers. If you want more help, reach out to a Counsel Club lawyer through our Concierge program. Our legal agent, Amicus, was trained on proprietary legal data to be your best legal assistant. Finally, legal for today, that is fast, protective, and cost effective.

Questions to Ask Amicus

  • What are the best practices for handling IP rights in my Master Services Agreement?
  • How can I set up reasonable revision limits that respect my workflow?
  • What should I include to prevent scope creep effectively?

Closing CTA

Now that you understand the essential components of a Master Services Agreement for your digital marketing agency, it’s time to create your own. Pair this agreement with Statements of Work (SOWs) to ensure all details are covered. Ready to get started? Customize your Master Services Agreement now.

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