How to brief a content writer (+ template)

When it comes to working with a content writer—or really any creative freelancer, for that matter—the quality of the brief has a direct impact on the success of your project.

Here are some things to think about when briefing a content writer.

Why are content briefs so important?

When I was working as a communications advisor in a global food and nutrition ingredient company, I loved briefing writers, website developers, and graphic designers at the start of our projects.

I know it can be tempting to rush the briefing stage, especially when you are managing multiple intense deadlines.

But the content brief is really where you lay the foundation for a successful collaboration, and it pays off dividends in the quality of the project.

Here are a few of the benefits.

1. Save time and effort

Yes, invest some time now by giving clear direction, to save yourself time and effort at a later stage.

It is much more efficient to start the project on the right track and to make minor adjustments down the line, than have to completely backtrack and start again.

2. Get clear on what you want to achieve

Get all parties on the same page about what you want to achieve with the piece of written content, both as part of your business strategy and for the reader.

What will change for your audience as a result of reading this content?

Once you are clear on your objectives, it is much easier to review and approve content, as well as measure success later.

3. Motivate your team

This is really why I loved briefing writers and other creatives in my former roles.

The content briefing stage is essential for bringing external partners up to speed on what you want to achieve—which allows them to get excited to help you!

Clarity + excitement = results.

Get everyone on the same page with a good content brief.

How do you prepare a brief for a content writer?

There is no one, single way to prepare a successful brief for a content writer.

Depending on the writer’s familiarity with your organization, you may choose to use a comprehensive content brief, like the template I have linked below, or to send the writer a short email about the project.

You could write your content brief to prepare to make your request to a writer, getting your own thoughts clear on the project in advance. Or, you could prepare the content brief together with your writer on a project kick-off call.

What’s important is to have a clear agreement between you, the content writer, and important stakeholders and content reviewers about what the content will be about, who will be reading the content, in what format the content will appear, and other relevant information such as SEO data.

What should be included in a content brief?

At a minimum, the content brief should include the following information:

1. Overview of the topic

Give your writer a head start on the research phase by explaining what you want the content to be about, and what you hope to achieve with the project.

What are the specific angles your want to take, or views your want to get across to your audience? And how does this compare within your field?

You may want to explain which competitors you have, and what they are publishing on the topic.

2. Audience information

Your reader should always be front-and-center in your mind when creating new content.

Information about your target audience, such as the types of roles they have or organizations they belong to, is key.

So is information about the audience’s current level of information on the topic, as well as questions the readers are likely to have before absorbing your article or report.

3. Article style

Provide your content writer with information on the type of content you envision, including the wordcount, the style of writing, and how the content will appear visually—for example, on your website or part of a printed report.

This allows the writer to tailor the content for you and provide all the necessary content, such as pull-quotes or image captions.

4. SEO data

If your content is going to be published online, giving your content writer SEO data allows them to tailor the content to your digital marketing objectives.

Include things like target keywords and secondary key words, as well as a suggested headline if you have one.

An SEO strategist can help you prepare this part of your brief, or your content writer may be able to perform basic keyword research for you.

Download the Good Story content brief template

Convinced that a content brief can help you streamline your projects and improve your content success rate?

Feel free to download the Good Story content brief template to help you.

If you are looking for a content writer with the experience to tailor content to your marketing and communication objectives, I may know someone for you.

(Pssst…It’s me! Drop me a line!)