Build better relationships with your clients

Ever spent way too much time looking for a file? Maybe you scowered through old email chains, expired sharing links and that laptop that broke last year. Not getting the files you need on time is one of the main reasons creative projects take longer than expected. It makes it hard to plan, eats into our profits and creates a worse experience for both you and the client. Organising files takes a lot of time, so we built Kayla to do it for you.

We decided to build Kayla to help make our branding agency work better. When we saw that other creatives had the same problems as us, we decided to make Kayla available to everyone.

What is Kayla?

Kayla is a content collection tool where you send requests for the files you need from clients and collaborators. We automatically send a reminder if files are late, organise and store your files and have a portal for you to share files with your team.

Just like you use a tool to send invoices and automatically remind your clients when they are late with a payment, Kayla makes sure you have everything you need, when you need it, without you having to chase down files or send reminders.

Since we created Kayla to make our own agency run smoother, we have used the platform from day 1 so I wanted to share some insider tips that have helped us get the most from Kayla. I hope it helps you too!

Include clients right from the beginning

When you plan out what files to request, start right at the beginning of the project and ask your clients what they already have, need to create or what they would like you to source for them. This quick conversation will help you plan, but it will also prepare your clients and make them more likely to complete the requests on time.

Pick a good structure

Does it make more sense to send a request per stage of the project, per person or per deliverable? Have a think about how much content is needed for each and make sure you pick a structure where each request does not have too many files. You want to be able to get a clear overview. For example, if you need 50 images for a brochure, perhaps sending a request per chapter makes more sense. This will also make it feel less overwhelming for your contributor.

Keep everything in one place

One trick we found particularly useful is to request files from your team (or yourself using another email) for files representing important milestones of the project - like concepts or finished designs. If a client comes back for more work or edits in a year from now, you can easily access both the client’s files and your own work in one place.