Onboard a New Marketing Client: Welcome Email and Kickoff Call

The first week decides whether a client trusts you. A clear welcome email and a structured kickoff call make you look like an agency, even as a freelancer.

1 hour of prep + a 60-minute call

Verified by Hassan Rawther ·

Hassan Rawther is the Founder, Unlearn Academy. Written by the Unlearn Academy team.

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The short answer

To onboard a new marketing client, send a welcome email the day they say yes. Ask for partner access to their ad accounts, user access to analytics and website, a shared folder for assets, and answers to a short questionnaire. Then hold a 60-minute kickoff call covering their business, customers, goals, budget and next steps, and send a written summary.

Before you start

By the end of this SOP

All access granted, assets collected, goals and budget agreed in writing.

Time
1 hour of prep + a 60-minute call
You’ll need
A signed agreement or confirmed scope, your Meta Business ID and Google Ads manager account ID, and a shared Google Drive folder.
Who does this
The freelancer or account manager.
About this SOP: why it matters, where and when

Why it matters: Missing access and unclear goals are the top reasons projects stall in the first month.

Where: Email, Google Drive, and a video call (Google Meet or Zoom).

When: Within 24 hours of a client saying yes.

Stage 1

Send the welcome email

  1. 1

    Subject: “Getting started: your [campaign] (please save this email)”. Include:

    • A short thank-you and what happens next.
    • Meta: add us as a partner using our Business ID (see SOP 062).
    • Google Ads: accept our manager account link request (see SOP 063).
    • GA4 and Google Tag Manager: add our email as a user (container “Publish” permission in GTM, Editor or Analyst for GA4).
    • Ownership check: the client must own the Meta business portfolio, ad account, Page, pixel (dataset) and payment method, and the Google Ads, GA4 and GTM accounts. If an old agency owns the ad account, start a fresh client-owned one.
    • Also ask for: Search Console, Google Business Profile, Merchant Center (if they sell online), domain/DNS and hosting logins via a password manager, WhatsApp Business, and their CRM or lead sheet.
    • Customer lists: receive them by secure upload or a shared Drive folder, never on WhatsApp, and note what you will use them for.
    • Website: create a user account for us. Never send passwords by email or WhatsApp.
    • Link to the shared Drive folder and the onboarding questionnaire.
    • Link to book the kickoff call.
    • Your team and who to contact for what.
  2. 2

    Ask them to upload to the Drive folder: logos, brand colours and fonts, past ads and photos or videos, testimonials, and any customer lists they’re allowed to share.

Stage 2

Run the kickoff call

About 60 minutes. Share the agenda in advance.

  1. 1

    Introductions (5 min): who’s on each side and their role.

  2. 2

    Their business (15 min): history, products or services, best-sellers and why, price points, what makes them different.

  3. 3

    Their customers (10 min): who buys, where they live, how they find the business, average order value.

  4. 4

    Goals and challenges (15 min): the main goal and deadline, what they’ve tried, what worked or didn’t, the biggest obstacle.

  5. 5

    Budget (10 min): current spend, cost per lead or sale if known, monthly budget for this project.

  6. 6

    Next steps (5 min): main contact person, approvals process, timeline, date of the strategy or proposal call, and any access still missing.

Stage 3

Send the summary

  1. 1

    Within 24 hours, email a short summary: goals, budget, main contact, timeline and open items.

  2. 2

    Ask them to reply “confirmed” or correct anything. This is your written record of what was agreed.

    Tip

    Agree scope, deliverables and payment terms in writing before work starts. It protects both of you.

Practice & check

Now do it for real

Reading is not doing. Open your own account and complete this task before you move on.

Practice task (5 min)

Write your own welcome email template and kickoff agenda, then role-play the call with a classmate playing the client.

Prove it

1. How should a client give you access to their Meta ad account?
2. Why send a written summary after the kickoff call?

Two questions. Get both right and this SOP is done.

Common questions

What questions should I ask in a client kickoff call?

Ask about their business and best-sellers, ideal customers, goals and deadlines, past marketing and results, budget, and who approves work.

What access does a digital marketing freelancer need?

Usually partner access to Meta Business Suite, a Google Ads manager link, user access to GA4 and GTM, and a website user account, all without sharing passwords.

Done. That’s a real skill, not a certificate.

Next: SOP 038 — Write a Digital Marketing Proposal for a Client →

Want to do this on real client budgets, with a mentor checking your work? That’s Level 2 at Unlearn. See the Digital Marketing track