How to Write a Content Brief [Template + Examples]

I’ve labored in quite a lot of completely different industries — as a freelancer, as a supervisor of freelancers, as a marketer, as a author — and you realize what by no means modifications? The necessity for content material creators to be crystal clear on their assignments.

A smiling woman looks at a laptop. A thought bubble contains a content brief.

One of many easiest methods to realize that is to put in writing content material briefs.

Do not be deceived, although: Though a content material temporary is straightforward, it is nonetheless vital to get it proper.

Desk of Contents

What’s a content material temporary?

A content material temporary is a brief doc — for those who can preserve it to a web page or two, everyone will likely be completely satisfied — that’s a information or blueprint for creating content material.

The specifics will differ relying on the type of content material you’re creating and who the temporary is for, however it ought to anticipate and reply top-level questions on content material, format, communication, and so forth.

In case you handle freelance writers, a content material temporary will likely be a lifesaver for each you and your writers — and that’s solely a slight exaggeration. Your content material briefs will describe precisely what’s anticipated of the author, together with any required subheadings, goal phrase depend, and deadlines.

In case you work on a venture with a number of companions at a number of organizations, a easy content material temporary will give everyone a single supply of reality.

Content material Briefs vs. Inventive Briefs

Though they sound comparable, content material briefs and creative briefs serve completely different functions. A inventive temporary outlines a marketing campaign, and should embrace extra intensive messaging, deliverables from a number of contributors, and different particulars that give form to your complete marketing campaign.

A content material temporary focuses on a particular piece of content material — my examples beneath are for written content material, however you would use the identical components to create a content material temporary for movies, podcasts, or anything you’re producing. In case you’re utilizing software program like Content Hub, a short would be the basis for each bit of content material.

Significance of Content material Briefs

Positive, you may attempt to muddle by with out one, however they save extra time than they take to put in writing.

I as soon as labored on a venture with a number of exterior companions, and aside from Slack and Google Docs, no person used the identical organizational instruments, and it precipitated quite a lot of frustration and confusion.

I pulled collectively a generic content material temporary that could possibly be iterated on for particular assignments. It included accepted messaging, hyperlinks to all of the paperwork that everyone was engaged on, and main deliverables and deadlines. You possibly can virtually hear the sigh of aid within the Slack channel.

I used to do some freelance writing, and my favourite shopper was the one which had the most effective content material temporary. Writing for a brand new shopper could be intimidating, even for knowledgeable writers, as a result of you need to be taught a brand new model information, a brand new voice, and perhaps even a wholly new audience.

That specific shopper included a one-page temporary with every task. It included the goal phrase depend and the speed, the identify of the publication and its viewers, in addition to hyperlinks to the model information and any property, an outline of the task, and the assigning editor and due date. If an interview was required, contact information was supplied.

They had been a dream to freelance for as a result of I by no means wasted time with logistical questions — the expectations had been clear and every little thing I wanted was at my fingertips.

In case you’re enhancing content material, offering a transparent content material temporary will cut back the variety of revisions and rewrites (to not point out frustration!). Let’s speak about the right way to strike a stability between detailed and concise.

Parts of a Content material Temporary

The weather of a content material temporary will differ relying in your wants, however listed below are what I feel are absolutely the necessities:

Level individual and/or a responsibility matrix
Communication protocols, similar to a Slack channel
Clear description of the venture or task, together with audience and phrase depend
Hyperlinks to property, messaging, model and/or model guides, and another related shared paperwork
Deliverables and deadlines

You may also embrace:

Once I’ve labored on advertising and marketing multi-partner podcasts, I’ve discovered it useful to incorporate a number of bullet factors of accepted messaging, noting who has accepted on behalf of every associate.

Some stakeholders might have sure necessities for a way their firm or group is described, and your writers and content material entrepreneurs will want that information.

Hold it easy:

Professional tip: Particularly when working with exterior companions, it’s usually price repeating vital model particulars which might be in your model information. Don’t get too slowed down right here — the model information exists for a purpose — however stakeholders will admire having this information at hand.

In case you’re writing content material briefs for freelancers, you’ll wish to be certain they’ve entry to any info they could want through the course of their task — model or brand guidelines, Slack channels, who to contact with questions, and any context for the task.

Let’s dig into “clear description of the task,” since that may comprise quite a lot of vital particulars to your author(s), similar to:

Function. Inform the author what the content material aim is; perhaps it’s a weblog put up to handle demand for a sure key phrase, or perhaps you want advert copy and quite a lot of CTAs for a brand new product.
SEO/key phrases. What does your author have to learn about goal key phrases? Are there any key phrases or matters that they need to keep away from to forestall content material cannibalization?
Subject material consultants and sourcing. In our brave new E-E-A-Tified world, firsthand expertise is extra vital than ever. In case your author is anticipated to conduct SME interviews, embrace that within the temporary. You may additionally ask that they supply hyperlinks to another sources they’ve used to help with any gentle fact-checking.
Required subheadings and different technical specs. In case you’ve completed your key phrase analysis, it’s possible you’ll have already got H2 or H3 subheadings in thoughts. This may even assist the author perceive the way you need the content material organized. Your author might also be anticipated to offer meta descriptions, alt textual content for photos, or social media copy.
Different formatting necessities. If a doc must be formatted in a sure means, clarify how (ideally with an instance or template). In case you can solely settle for (or for those who favor) a sure file kind, embrace that — don’t assume that everyone is utilizing Google Workspace or Microsoft Phrase simply since you are.
Sharing/entry necessities. Everyone knows the frustration of seeing “Entry denied.” Set everyone up for achievement by together with information on who to share information with.
How and the place to file the finished task. Does your workflow require tagging sure folks in an Asana card? Do writers electronic mail you once they’ve accomplished an task?
Naming conventions. If any of the deliverables, together with property, have to observe a particular filename conference, lay that out in your content material temporary.
Publish-assignment expectations. If writers ought to count on to listen to from an editor, allow them to know that forward of time — freelancers specifically might want to finances time for this. And for those who handle a big roster of freelancers, it may be useful to incorporate any reminders in regards to the price and invoicing necessities.

How you can Write a Content material Temporary

Let’s make a template: Utilizing your phrase processor of selection, create a one-page doc with a two-column desk. Within the left-hand column, write out the fundamental components: level individual and/or accountability matrix, communication protocols, task description, property, and deadlines and deliverables.

That is private desire, however I wish to record the communication information within the high left header of the temporary, together with the related Slack channel — I repeat this information when I’ve to create different docs for stakeholders, so everyone will get used to having it entrance and middle.

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It instantly solutions the highest questions: Who’s in cost? Who wants to offer approval? The place did you inform me that Google Drive was? Why didn’t anyone inform me there was a Slack channel for this venture?

Even when this information feels redundant, it may be particularly useful for brand spanking new freelancers or new hires, so I counsel making it a part of your template. Freelancers usually have a number of (or extra) purchasers, all of whom might need completely different necessities and codecs, and this may save them a while and sanity.

Your temporary may begin off like this:

Professional tip: You’ll observe that I’ve included the time and time zone within the due date — I take into account this important info. Particularly within the age of distributed workforces, the place staff and freelancers could also be in numerous time zones, together with this may save everyone a headache and set your author up for achievement.

Earlier than you flesh out any particulars within the task description, take into account who your content material temporary is for. Freelance writers will possible want extra hyperlinks and extra context than in-house writers, who have already got the corporate model information bookmarked (proper? Proper?).

Chances are you’ll discover it helpful to create two templates, one for in-house writers and one for freelancers, so you’ll be able to present your entrepreneurs with probably the most concise temporary. As an illustration, freelancers might not want information on KPIs; in-house writers who add their very own work to the CMS received’t want a folder for deliverables.

What’s absolutely the minimal info a author must efficiently full an task? It’s tempting to incorporate hyperlinks to every little thing associated to the venture, however don’t overload your writers with pointless context.

It’ll be helpful at this stage to speak to them, whether or not they’re in-house or freelance, and discover out what they discover most useful.

You’ll want to explain the task, its function, and its viewers:

Professional tip: For freelancers, take into account all the time together with a hyperlink to your model information. That means it’s all the time helpful. And a easy “thanks” is all the time a pleasant contact.

In case your content material has quite a lot of particular necessities for conversion technique, website positioning, key phrases, and the like, embrace these in a desk so that they’re straightforward to parse.

Once I labored as a contract author, I discovered this extremely useful. It’s a small factor, however having the ability to see all this information in the identical format with every task makes it a lot simpler to get began on assignments.

Information that’s usually included in HubSpot assignments is the month-to-month search quantity, any required CTAs, and website positioning and conversion methods:

Write Your First Content material Temporary

When you’ve constructed a template (or two) that fits your wants, content material briefs received’t take you a lot time in any respect to fill out. And whether or not you’re working with in-house content material creators, freelancers, and/or exterior stakeholders, having a single supply of knowledge will make everyone’s job simpler and extra environment friendly.