How to Write the Perfect SOP for Your Agency

Key takeaways

Use four parts for every SOP: recording, steps, cadence and checklist.
Record the same task three times, because conditions vary each time you do it.
Talk through what you are doing and why while you record.
Write steps in fine detail, as if the reader has never seen the task before.
Store every SOP in one shared place that is organised by department and role.

What is an SOP and why does an agency need one?

A standard operating procedure (SOP) exists for one purpose: to let a process be repeated without your direct involvement. If a task only works when you are in the room, you do not have a process yet.

The method in this guide is the four Cs approach to writing playbooks, taken from a well known book on buying back your time as a founder. The book covers it in the chapter on playbooks, which are simply SOPs under another name. We use the same method inside Fluxomate and hand it to the agencies we work with.

How do you create an SOP? The four Cs

Each SOP is built from four components. Using all four is what makes the result clearer and more useful than the vague documents most agencies end up with.

Camcorder: record yourself doing the task.
Course: write the steps as a list.
Cadence: state how often the task happens.
Checklist: list the items that must be ticked off before the task is complete.

The camcorder method: record the task three times

Record yourself carrying out the task. Do it three separate times for each task inside the SOP. Every time you do a task, conditions change slightly, so three recordings capture the variations and the mistakes that can happen. When someone is stuck on a particular scenario, they can find it in a recording instead of coming to you with questions.

This works best for software tasks, where you can share your screen. Add one habit: talk while you record. Say what you are doing, how you are doing it and why. The reason behind each action makes life much easier for the person reading the SOP later.

The course method: write detailed steps

For each task, write a bullet list of the actions someone has to take. The original method suggests high level steps only, such as check the report, send the report, update the project management tool.

We prefer much more detail. Instead of check the report, write: open the reporting tool, open the client portal, check the client report for mistakes, download a PDF of the report, open the email app with the work email, send the template email with the PDF attached. The aim is to write it as if the reader has never done the task before. Most of your team will be able to follow a high level version, but clear steps remove any room for confusion.

Which style you choose is a matter of preference. Try both and keep the one that works better in your agency.

The cadence method: say when the task happens

Cadence is how often a task occurs. Some tasks happen once a month. Some happen only when they are required. Some happen every time a new client joins. Put this in the SOP so the person doing the work knows when they need to complete it.

The checklist method: define done

The checklist is different from the steps. It lists the non negotiable items that must be ticked off before the task can be marked complete. Pilots use the same idea: before take off they work through a long list of items, including the instruments outside the plane. When every box is ticked, the task is finished. This keeps everyone clear on what needs to be done and prevents misunderstandings.

Why bother? Consistency, efficiency and training

Without an SOP, every employee completes a task in their own way. That is fine if everyone has the same skill, drive and experience, but they rarely do, so quality varies from person to person. With an SOP, the main output of the work (a media buy, a script, a funnel) stays the same whoever does it, while people can still add their own skill on top.

Efficiency comes next. You are removed from low level tasks, which frees you for hiring, partnerships and conversations with high value clients. Delays fall, because someone with a question can open the SOP instead of interrupting a senior colleague.

Training is the third benefit. Instead of a new hire spending a week asking a veteran employee questions, they get access to the SOP library and only go to the veteran with what is left. They start producing the quality your team and clients expect sooner. Team onboarding matters as much as client onboarding, and SOPs are part of it. Onboarding itself can be an SOP made up of several tasks, running from one page to around ten depending on the difficulty of the process.

Three tools that make SOP writing faster

None of these tools is new. They simply keep the work of creating SOPs small.

A natural next step is an AI assistant for each department that uses its SOPs as a knowledge base. If someone needs help with a task, they can ask the assistant instead of searching or interrupting a colleague.

Loom for the camcorder step. It records your screen, microphone and camera with a couple of clicks. Zoom or any recording software also works.
Scribe for the course step. Start it, complete the task on your computer, and it captures screenshots and writes the steps for you. It suits computer tasks such as signing up for an account or connecting a pixel to an ad account.
Notion for storage. Categorise SOPs by department and share them with the right people. Asana or an internal portal would also work. What matters is one clear, shareable place.

Questions people ask

What are the four Cs of an SOP?

Camcorder (record the task), course (write the steps), cadence (how often the task happens) and checklist (the non negotiable items to tick off before the task is complete). Using all four makes an SOP clear enough to be followed without help.

How many times should I record a task for an SOP?

Three times for each task. Conditions differ slightly every time you do a task, so three recordings capture variations and likely mistakes. Talk through what you are doing and why as you record.

Should SOP steps be high level or detailed?

It is a preference. The original method uses high level steps. We write very detailed steps, as if the reader has never seen the task, to avoid confusion. Try both and keep what works for your team.

What is the difference between the steps and the checklist?

The steps explain how to do the task, in order. The checklist is the short list of non negotiable items that must all be ticked before the task is marked finished.

Where should I store my agency SOPs?

Somewhere easy to share by role and easy to organise by department. Notion works well for us, and tools such as Asana or an internal portal can do the same job.