How to Give Better Feedback to Your Marketing Team

If you work with a creative or marketing team, giving feedback is part of the job. But giving good feedback? That’s a skill. And one that’s hard to learn, especially when most people have never been shown what good feedback actually looks like.

I get it. You’re busy. You scan something quickly and drop a comment like, “Is this right for the reader?” Or you write, “Feels like it’s missing something.” Maybe you say, “This color’s a bit off.” These kinds of comments are common—and come from a good place. But they leave your team stuck playing detective.

What reader? What’s missing? What exactly seems off? Too bold? Not brand-aligned? Are we supposed to explore new options?

You can see how vague feedback slows everything down. It adds rounds of revision, drains creative energy, and frankly, it’s one of the reasons agency teams and in-house creatives burn out.

So let’s make things easier for everyone involved.

Why Bad Feedback Is Expensive

Every time feedback is unclear, the creative team isn’t just solving a problem—they’re trying to figure out what the problem actually is. That investigative work takes time and mental energy that could be better spent moving the work forward.

Vague communication leads to significantly higher cognitive load, and that can impact physical wellbeing and work performance. A higher cognitive load means your team is spending more energy decoding ambiguous feedback than applying their creativity and expertise. And when this happens over and over across multiple projects, that energy drain adds up.

Your team wants to deliver great work. But they can’t do that if they’re not sure what “great” means to you. When feedback lacks clarity, things slow down. Friction creeps in, timelines stretch, and projects lose momentum. It’s frustrating on both sides. And eventually, it leads to burnout or work that simply misses the mark.

If you’re working with an agency or an hourly freelancer, the stakes go up. Every ambiguous comment can mean more emails, more alignment calls, and yes, more hours billed. What should’ve been two quick rounds becomes four or five, and now everyone’s frustrated, behind schedule, and wondering how things got so complicated. 

What Good Feedback Looks Like

Let’s look at how clear, specific feedback changes everything. Done well, feedback should help align expectations, narrow the creative path, and make the work better, faster.

Instead of a vague comment like “Is this right for the reader?”, say something like: “This paragraph leans pretty technical, but our audience is mostly non-technical marketing managers. Can we simplify the language a bit?” That simple reframe gives clarity on who we’re talking to and what kind of tone will resonate.

If you find yourself saying “Feels like it’s missing something,” pause and get specific. Try: “This section could be stronger with a quick proof point—maybe a quick stat on user growth or engagement?” Now your team knows exactly what kind of addition you’re looking for and where to focus their effort.

Saying “This color’s a bit off” might feel like a helpful direction, but it's too open-ended. A better version: “Our primary brand color feels too intense against the background. Could we test a tone from the secondary palette?” That’s not just feedback—it’s a design brief in a sentence.

And then there’s the classic: “Can we make this feel more... you know, like, cool?” It's the creative equivalent of tossing a basketball from the parking lot and hoping it lands in the net. Instead, go for something like: “Can we adjust the tone here to feel more conversational and modern—less corporate? Maybe more like what we’d post on LinkedIn?” Specificity makes a huge difference.

See the pattern? Useful feedback offers context, rationale, and direction. It's not a critique. It’s a shared tool for collaboration.

A More Thoughtful Framework: CARE

Here’s a simple way to gut-check your feedback before hitting send: Use the CARE method. It’s a tool our team uses internally—and one that works across design, content, and strategy.

Clear: Does the person reading this understand exactly what I’m referring to? Am I being as specific as possible about what I want changed?

Actionable: Have I suggested a next step or framed a clear question they can respond to?

Relevant: Am I tying my feedback back to the project’s goals, audience, or brand principles? (If not, am I introducing personal preference instead of strategic feedback?)

Empathetic: Am I assuming good intent and writing this as a collaborator, not a critic? Am I leaving room for discussion and not dictating a fix?

Most people don’t give bad feedback because they’re careless. They give it because they’re moving fast or they haven’t been taught how. CARE helps you pause and reflect before sending a comment that might lead to more confusion than clarity.

We’re on the Same Team

Your marketing and creative partners want to make great work—for you, with you. And the fastest way to do that is through strong, constructive collaboration.

Giving good feedback doesn’t make you picky or controlling. It means you’re reducing friction, increasing alignment, and building momentum. When feedback is clear, thoughtful, and tied to business goals, the process gets easier for everyone. And the output gets better.

Do you have feedback on this post? Vague, specific, or something in between? Let’s talk.