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220803 5Things to not leave out

5 Things You Should Never Leave Out of a Marketing Contract

by Olivia Baker

You can also read this article in German, Spanish and Italian.

Not sure where to start with a marketing agreement? Check out our overview of the most important things to include in your contract.

When it comes to marketing contracts—or any contract, really—it’s challenging to know what information you should or shouldn’t include, especially if you’re an individual contractor without a big team working behind you.

Whatever your situation, we’ve got you covered. We’ve rounded up the top five things you should never forget about when preparing your marketing contract—let’s dive straight in!

1. Parties’ Information

 

This might seem like an obvious thing to include in your contract, but without the full legal names of all parties involved, you won’t get very far. It’s also not unheard of for these details to be overlooked or to have typing or spelling mistakes, so it’s always a good idea to double check. Your marketing contract should also contain additional information, such as addresses—particularly for organizations, such as the hiring company or contractor agency.

2. Scope of Work

 

It’s important to be as upfront as possible in your contract to avoid any misunderstandings or disputes about your work and what’s going to be expected of you. This section can include a timeline, which explains how long the project or contract is expected to last, as well as any task-specific deadlines (if applicable).

Project details, such as the tasks and responsibilities you’re going to take on within the project, could also be outlined here. It also doesn’t hurt to go into further depth by agreeing on deliverables and baselines that will measure the success of your contributions from the get-go.

3. Payment Information

 

Always make sure that they include the salary or budget in your marketing contract. Once the agreement’s been signed by both parties, it ensures that you’ll be paid the agreed amount for your work and efforts.

Including additional details like the payment schedule that highlights when payments should be received and will be processed, as well as fees for late payments or extra work, can also go a long way in ensuring you receive payments in a timely manner.

For additional information on this, head to our article: What To Include in Your Contract To Get Paid on Time.

4. Ownership

 

You’re creating and providing the work and material, but who actually owns it—you or the company you’re contracted with? Set out the terms and conditions for how the work you do for the organization will be protected and who will own the copyright on your creations. Alternatively, this can be defined in a separate “Intellectual Property Agreement.”

5. Termination

 

Define the notice periods required if either party wants to end the agreement early—for example, the employee and the employer must provide a month’s notice. However, either side can overrule this process if there’s a breach in contract, such as refusal to pay or sharing confidential information, so it’s not uncommon to include a list of acceptable reasons for early termination.

To avoid unnecessary termination, a marketing contract can also include a section on dispute resolution. This outlines the process for resolving disagreements about the work between employer and employee through a fair and professional approach.

Anything Else?

 

Now that you know your marketing contract contains all the necessary information, all you need to do is sign it!

After all this work, you don’t want to spend days waiting for the final, signed agreement by posting or even emailing it between signees. We’d suggest saving time—and money—by opting for Smallpdf eSign. As a free and secure e-signature tool, both parties can sign the agreement within minutes, so you have one less thing to worry about!

That brings us to the end—congrats on your new marketing contract! If you found this article helpful, head to the Smallpdf Business Blog for more!

Olivia Baker
Olivia Baker
Content Writer