An SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, is a documented process that outlines the steps and procedures required to complete a task or process.
It is a set of instructions that provides a clear and concise explanation of how to perform a specific task or activity. SOPs are used in many industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and construction, but are also very useful in the service sector.
In the service sector, SOPs can be used to standardize processes such as customer service, order processing, but also production. They help to ensure that customers receive consistent and high-quality service, which hopefully leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. SOPs can also help to reduce errors and improve efficiency.
These are all fancy all fancy ways to describe checklists you can use to do your job, or they can assist your employees to do the same.
I run a Facebook agency and use SOPs. So should you! This sound like a good idea, but also a time-consuming idea. And what if things change? The SOPs must be adjusted to have value. Yes, this is correct, but hang on...
Let us take a look at a PDF example for better understanding; in this case, an SOP concerning:
SOP 049: Implementing and Analyzing Heatmaps on your Website
As You see this SOP is quite comprehensive - 22 pages from ClickMinded (not affiliated). ClickMinded produces SOPs for general use, but especially for agencies.
Your own SOP doesn’t need to be so large I recommend keeping things short.
By establishing procedures for production processes, a company can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure that clients receive high-quality service.
So I should describe every process at my company? No, just the important ones. You have hired well-educated people, no reason to explain the obvious, that would be a waste of time. But there are important processes, which you want to follow, right? Make a list of the 10 most important ones, and use a template to describe them.
So How to get ahead…
A pro tip for kicking off: Create a free “Notion.so” and use the SOP template (not affiliated). That is what I do. A great way to get started.
In conclusion, the use of SOPs helps my marketing agency to streamline operations, improve client satisfaction, and achieve better results. You can do the same.
