I came across a job posting requiring an 'excellent writer with a love for creating great content no matter the brief'.
I read again but still got stuck on the last four words: "...no matter the brief". They were like a brick-wall question mark, and I couldn't get past it.
Here's what I didn't understand: Not all companies provide proper content briefs to their writers. Those that go through the effort of creating one understand the importance of a good brief.
So, if this company gets that, how can the brief not matter?
(Or maybe they meant to say something else and just expressed themselves awkwardly - in which case they really need a good content writer.)
What Is a Content Brief?
A content brief is a document that provides the writer with all the information s/he needs to meet the client's expectations.
Some businesses will provide very detailed briefs, while others believe any capable content writer will produce excellent content when given a topic and some keywords. The truth is, the more precise the brief, the better the chance a writer will get it right the first time.
A Good Content Brief Includes ...
The list contains my own preferences and what I learned from experience. It matches much of what the Content Marketing Institute suggests but depending on the industry there could be variations.
1. Who Is the Client?
When I write for a client, I need to step into the client’s shoes and become their voice. It's essential to understand the business's character and the market in which they operate as if it was my own.
Client info should include:
Type of business
Customers
Size of company
Market position
Core values
Main marketing message
2. Who Is the Target Audience?
Now that I know who the customers are, it’s time to get specific and characterize the persona this piece of content targets. It may be aimed at a specific age group, gender, or a locally defined audience. The piece could be relevant for a particular profession or professional level, a medical condition, a hobby, etc.
Knowing who I need to reach with my content allows me to envision a real person and address them more directly.
3. How Does the Brand Communicate?
This is about style. Large companies usually have a style guide that includes the tone of voice and all language- and design-related guidelines for the different content types. Many will even provide grammar instructions, i.e. how to capitalize headlines, write dates and numbers, etc. to ensure consistency.
Smaller companies that don't have a big content marketing operation will only have a general idea of what they want their content to sound like. It is a combination of the company's personality and the target audience's character.
If the client hasn't defined a voice, I usually pull out my questionnaire and start interviewing the client. Also, I will read the clients' existing content to get a feel for the style.
4. What Is the Purpose of this Content Item?
This is often overlooked, but to me, it is the most important piece of information on which to build my content.
Marketing writing is not about entertaining people with a good read. It’s about achieving a goal. Each item in content marketing needs to fulfill a specific purpose in the journey towards that goal. The purpose of a blog post could be to raise brand awareness. A landing page usually aims at conversion, other pages may be created to build authority or credibility.
I would include keywords in this section because SEO - or getting found on Google - is a purpose.
5. What Is the Core Message?
The core message is closely related to the purpose. If the objective is to build credibility, then the central message of the page is, "You can trust us because…". The message could also be the company's primary marketing message, packed up and crafted for this particular item.
There is often a temptation to load a piece of content with tons of information. That's o.k., as long as it supports the same core message and not multiple or conflicting messages. Trying to convince the reader of too many things at once weakens the content.
6. Which Information Must Be Included?
Determining 'must-have' information helps avoid extra edits. It could be anything and often covers what's evident to the client, but not to the writer. Some examples that I, as a writer, need to know:
Should company information be incorporated, and if so, which?
Should pricing info be included, if yes, which?
What main features of the product to highlight and which not to focus on?
Which product data to present, and how?
Do any regulations apply?
Do I need to include specific warnings?
7. Type of Content With Editorial Instructions
A comprehensive style guide may cover this and include basic templates for a standard white paper, product description, blog post, tweet, or FB post.
A brief should define the length and structure of the piece, whether to include meta titles and description, how to mark headlines with H1, H2, etc., whether to use bullet points and tables, if and where graphics appear, whether to include internal links and any additional 'technical' instructions.
8. What Else?
I find it helpful to add a section for special requests. This is where to jot down requests that are unique to this assignment.
Let’s say the instructions for a particular assignment differ from the style guide, here’s the place to mention it. If the assignment includes multiple pages, the requested submission schedule can be indicated here. The client may assign selected resources, ask to include a specific reference, avoid certain terms, and so on.
In most cases, this section remains empty, but it gets everyone thinking about whether anything else needs mentioning.
The Content Brief Matters
In content agencies, the brief functions as the contract. If the writer doesn't meet the requirements, s/he is not eligible for payment. That's how much it matters.
For me, as a freelancer, I am more worried when there is no brief at all. What happens is, they'll get the content and then say, "oh, I didn't think about this… I should have told you before." Creating the brief together can help prevent extra work and inconveniences later on.