{"id":19190,"date":"2022-08-30T10:30:56","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T10:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/seo\/https-www-nobraineragency-co-uk-blog-content-marketing-how-to-write-a-content-brief-right-results-first-time\/"},"modified":"2023-11-22T12:15:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T12:15:48","slug":"how-to-write-content-brief-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/seo\/how-to-write-content-brief-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"How to write a content brief that gets the right results first time"},"content":{"rendered":"
Delegating content creation to others, whether it\u2019s the in-house team or outsourced elsewhere, can sometimes be a frustrating experience – often going back and forth until the content you want\/need has been brought to life. <\/strong><\/p>\n It’s time consuming and not really in anyone\u2019s best interests. Whether it\u2019s written content, videos, graphics or ad copy, how you communicate what you want the end product to be plays a huge role in the chances of getting it right first time.<\/p>\n We look at how to write a content brief that doesn\u2019t take you an absolute age to do, but still effectively gets across all the information that the creator needs to deliver the piece you\u2019re after first time. Yes, it is possible!<\/p>\n What we’ll cover:<\/strong><\/p>\n Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all content brief template that works for every kind of content and campaign.<\/p>\n There are so many variables and some fundamental differences between types of content and what the intended use is, that a content brief template that took all of these into consideration would be a dozen pages long and no one would be able to take it all in.<\/p>\n Content briefs shouldn\u2019t take hours to put together every time, but there is some thought that needs to be put into exactly what the creator needs from you to be able to produce what you want. Ideally, a content brief shouldn\u2019t be more than a couple of pages in length AT MOST.<\/p>\n With that in mind, it will usually make sense for you to develop a content brief template for each kind of content that you regularly need someone to create e.g. one for videos, one for infographics, one for blog posts, one for page content etc. There will be some crossover in the types of info that these briefs contain, but having dedicated templates is usually significantly quicker than trying to adapt a universal content brief template every time.<\/p>\n Whatever the content type, the brief will need to have some vital information for the creator, so this needs to be included on any dedicated brief type too. It will involve answering questions such as:<\/p>\n Some content might need to fit a specific set of dimensions, word count, dpi for images etc.<\/p>\n You already know the action you want the audience to perform after consuming the content but how do you want to do this e.g. \u2018buy now\u2019 button, \u2018read more\u2019 link, \u2018sign up\u2019 button etc?<\/p>\n Are their any existing templates you need to choose from, or if it’s something new – offer some inspiration and guidance to the creator on the type of call to action content that will nudge users on to the next part of the journey.<\/p>\n HubSpot have some great examples of CTA’s that work<\/a>, or there’s the Content Marketing Institute, who’s also pulled together a list of CTA best practices<\/a> and examples.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t assume that the creator knows anything about your brand, competitors or industry. If there are red lines then make sure you outline them and make it clear how the brand does things e.g.<\/p>\n This is an unskippable step.<\/strong><\/p>\n Even the most original idea has some inspiration from somewhere, and at the very least, providing some guidance as to the look and feel that you\u2019re trying to achieve with the content is essential. Include screenshots as well as links to content and videos – anything that’s relevant!<\/p>\n Giving a writer, videographer or designer a completely open brief in this area generally isn\u2019t doing them any favours at all. If there\u2019s content already out there that contains some of the elements you want but not all, reviewing and highlighting this gives a great starting point for them to build on.<\/p>\n This makes it clear what you’re looking to achieve – and reduces the back-and-forth significantly.<\/strong><\/p>\n Assuming that the content will be optimised for search, so that people can easily find it when using search engines, you\u2019ll want to ensure that the brief incorporates:<\/p>\n Some designers can also write content, but it\u2019s not usual to expect every designer to be able to. So, you\u2019ll not only need to provide guidance on the way that you want the design to look, you\u2019ll also need to include:<\/p>\n There are so many variables when it comes to video that writing a strong brief is more important than ever. Your brief should include:<\/p>\n Keeping your brief, whatever the kind of content, to a concise and clear document isn\u2019t easy. But it can make a huge difference to the finished product and make getting to that point as stress-free as possible for all involved.<\/p>\n Check out our content brief template<\/a> that’ll get you started!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Is there a perfect content brief template?<\/h2>\n
Universal content brief elements<\/h2>\n
<\/a>What is the purpose of the content?<\/h3>\n
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Who is it for?<\/h3>\n
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What do you want the content to say?<\/h3>\n
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Where will the content go?<\/h3>\n
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Is there a set structure or layout needed for the intended purpose?<\/h3>\n
What is the call to action?<\/h3>\n
Are there brand guidelines?<\/h3>\n
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Can you provide examples of similar content?<\/h3>\n
Other elements to include in a written content brief<\/h2>\n
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Other elements to include in a visual design brief<\/h2>\n
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Other elements to include in a video brief<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nFree content brief template<\/h2>\n