Are you a content marketer?
Then you must know that creating content that hits the mark every time isn’t always easy. This is where a well-crafted content brief comes into play to guide writers and creators through the entire process.
However, what exactly makes an effective brief for content creating?
What are the key elements to include, and how to create one step by step?
Don’t worry! Here, we’ll give you all the guide and tips, including template examples and the case study.
Overview/summary:
For content marketers, this post provides a comprehensive guide focusing on how to craft an effective content brief. Here, we emphasize the importance of a well-structured brief in guiding the content creation process, continued by outlining the essential elements of a content guide. This article also provides practical steps and tips for developing a brief that enhances content quality and effectiveness, along with case studies and template examples to illustrate these points.
Intro: Why Content Brief Matters?
Some people think a content guide or brief is just a simple set of instructions, but a proper one actually can be more complex than that.
Simply put, a well-prepared brief influences the content produced. It provides direction and sets expectations, making it easier for writers and creators to deliver content that meets your standards.
It also helps maintain consistency across all your content, ensuring that everything from blog posts to social media updates reflects your brand’s voice and message and has the same quality.
In fact, 82.7% of content marketers use briefs for their content making processes. It can give smoother content creation processes, reduced revisions, and better alignment with overall brand strategy.
Key Elements of an Ideal Content Brief
Thus, it is for sure that creating a robust brief is essential for ensuring your content aligns with the given goals and effectively reaches your target audience. So now, let’s explore a detailed look at the key elements of an ideal brief:
- Content Goals
Basically, the goals section defines what you aim to achieve with your content. Whether you want to boost brand awareness, educate your audience, or drive sales, this part of the brief is crucial.
Also, it’s important for the target to be specific. Let’s say the goal is to drive sales, then your content should highlight product features and benefits with persuasive calls to action. So, setting clear objectives helps in measuring the success of your content.
- Target Audience
This one is a must to create content that resonates. So, this section should include detailed information about who will be reading or viewing your content. You can start with demographic details such as age, gender, location, and education level.
In addition to demographics, include psychographic details like interests, values, and behavior. This helps in crafting content that appeals to their preferences and addresses their pain points.
- Core Message
Next element is the core message, which is the central idea you want to communicate through your content. It should be clear and compelling, ensuring that your audience understands the main point.
Also, try including key points that must be addressed to support the core message. These could be benefits, statistics, or unique selling propositions. Ensure that these points are woven throughout the content to reinforce the main message consistently.
- Content Format and Type
Specifying the content format and type really helps in setting clear expectations. Common formats for content marketing usually include blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts.
Remember, each format has its own style and structure, so defining this helps the content creator choose the right approach. It ensures that the content meets the requirements and fits within your publishing platform.
Moreover, you should indicate the desired length or duration. For instance, if you need a blog post, specify whether it should be 1000-1500 words or if a video should be 2-3 minutes long.
- Style and Tone
Next, a good content brief should provide the desired style and tone, and they should align with your brand’s identity and the preferences of your audience. Also, determine whether the tone should be formal, informal, professional, or conversational.
Provide examples of preferred styles and tones if possible, as it helps content creators understand the nuances of how the content should be presented and ensures consistency across different pieces of content.
- Research and References
Including research and references in your brief ensures that the content is accurate and well-informed. So, try to specify any required data, statistics, or sources that should be incorporated.
As a real example, in the intro of this article, we provide the statistics of how many content marketers are using content brief for their work. If your content is about the benefits of a new technology, then try to include recent studies or industry reports.
Most importantly, indicate which sources should be used or avoided. It helps maintain credibility and avoids potential misinformation. You can also provide a list of reputable sources or links to be included for the content creator or writer.
- SEO and Keywords
Of course, you want your content to be visible on the internet, don’t you? Then, don’t forget to implement Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices, including inserting keywords.
The keywords should be related to your topic. Suppose you are writing about digital marketing, then the primary keywords might include “digital marketing strategies”, while secondary ones could be “SEO tips” or “content marketing tips”.
Additionally, outline any other SEO guidelines that need to be followed, such as keyword density or meta descriptions to ensure that the content is optimized for search engines and has a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
- Deadlines and Schedule
For any project, setting deadlines is essential for on-time content delivery. Thus, you also must specify the due date for the first draft, revision stages, and the final submission.
Each company usually has different standards. You might set a deadline for the first draft in one week and the final content in two weeks, or even sooner or later than that, according to your workplace’s standard or your content needs.
Lastly, include the desired publication date or schedule as a guide to plan content releases and ensure that the content is available when needed. Coordinating deadlines with your editorial calendar can help in maintaining a consistent content flow.
Step-by-Step to Create an Effective Content Brief
Now that you know what are the must-to-have elements in a well-made brief for content creating, let’s learn how to create one:
- Analyze Goals and Audience
We have mentioned goals and target audience as two essential components in a brief. So, before you start creating the content guide, always define what you want to achieve first, because each goal will shape the direction of your content.
Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads? Choose one (or more) goals, and focus on providing valuable information that align with that.
Next, understanding our audience is equally important. We’ve explained this either, but always remember to identify who they are, including their demographics (age, gender, location) and psychographics (interests, values).
Knowing their pain points and preferences will help tailor your content to meet their needs. Let’s say your target is young professionals interested in productivity tips, then the content should be concise, actionable, and relevant to their daily challenges.
- Determine Content Format and Type
After setting your goals and audience preferences, decide on the format that best suits them. This could be a comprehensive how-to guide, a listicle, a case study, a simple infographic or a persuasive product review.
For instance, a blog post may be ideal for in-depth analysis, while an infographic might be better for presenting data visually. So choose the format that will most effectively convey your message and engage your audience.
- Develop Key Message
Every content, whatever the type is, should have a clear main message or core idea. This is the central point you want your audience to take away from the content. You can also break down the main message into key points.
But remember, these points should be clear, concise, and structured logically. For example, if you’re writing about a new product, your key points might include its features, benefits, and unique selling proposition, which support the main message.
- Outline Style and Tone
Yes, everyone has a different speaking or writing style and tone. But with a content brief, we can ensure a consistent tone on each content, even if it’s crafted by different people. So, the next step is outlining what style and tone you desire for the content.
The style should reflect your brand’s voice and the preferences of your target audience.
Whether your brand is formal or informal, professional or conversational, make sure the tone aligns. For example, a tech company might use a more technical and formal style, while a lifestyle brand might adopt a casual and friendly tone.
Most importantly: be consistent! Consistency in tone is crucial for brand recognition. If your brand is known for being authoritative and informative, ensure that the tone remains consistent throughout the content.
Conversely, if your brand is more laid-back and humorous, maintain that tone to connect better with your audience.
- Conduct Necessary Research
Research is vital for creating accurate and informative content. Collect data, statistics, and insights relevant to your topic. This could include industry trends, competitor analysis, or customer feedback.
Need an instance? If you’re writing about market trends, try including recent statistics and expert opinions to provide depth and credibility to your content, just what we’ve shown you before.
But, ensure that the information you use comes from reliable sources. Citing reputable references adds authority to your content and helps build trust with your audience.
- Optimize for SEO
For SEO content, there are some extra elements that should be optimized to improve search engine visibility. First, you can conduct keyword research to identify terms and phrases your target audience is searching for.
Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help with keyword research and SEO optimization. Then, include the analysis results on your content brief, such as selected main keyword, supporting keyword, along with the search volume or other data.
Next, provide how long the writing you want to be. Nowadays, search engines like Google prefer long, helpful content with more than 1000-words minimum.
Then, adhere to other SEO practices, such as incorporating keywords in headings, meta descriptions, and throughout the body text. You can read more about our latest step-by-step SEO strategies here.
You can create the meta title, meta description, and structures like H1, H2, H3, H4, and more on the content guide. But there are also some people who leave these sections blank to be filled by the writer or content creator.
- Set Deadlines and Schedule
Finally but just as importantly, set a clear timeline and schedule to ensure that your content creation and publication stay on track. However, please make sure you establish a realistic deadline.
Set deadlines for each stage of the content creation process, from drafting to final approval. For example, if you need a blog post by the end of the month, set interim deadlines for the first draft and review.
As for the content publication scheduling, plan when and where your content will be published. Align your schedule with marketing campaigns or other relevant events to maximize impact.
Want to Create a Better Content Brief? Here’s the Tips!
At this point, all steps above are actually more than enough to help you craft your own content guide. However, for an even more better results, you can follow these extra tips:
- Use a Standard Content Brief Template
Having a standard template is crucial for maintaining consistency and efficiency in your content creation process. You can use spreadsheets, docs, or any automated tool for content guide making available.
A well-structured template helps you ensure that all important elements are included, making it easier for writers or content creators to understand and follow your instructions.
- Include Examples or References of Desired Content
Sometimes, we already give a detailed description of how we want the content to be, but the results still do not meet our expectations. This is where examples of references are needed.
So, trying to provide examples of the content you want can be incredibly helpful for writers. This guidance can range from specific articles that align with your vision, competitor’s content, or even to detailed examples of the tone and style you prefer.
- Allow Some Room for Creativity
While it’s important to provide clear guidelines, sometimes allowing some room for creativity can lead to more engaging and original content. That’s why, you might outline the content structure but allow the writer to choose the best way to present it.
Creative freedom can help writers bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, which can enhance the overall impact of the content.
- Maintain Clear and Open Communication with the Content Team
Effective communication is key to any successful project, especially in content marketing, where there is not only one division involved. There can be writers, marketers, editors, and more stakeholders.
So, keeping the lines of communication open with your content team can help ensure that any questions or clarifications are addressed promptly, which helps avoid delays and misunderstandings.
Case Study and Practical Examples
When crafting an effective content brief, real-world examples provide invaluable insights. Let’s explore the case study and some examples here!
- Case Study
One notable case study is Microsoft’s implementation of an upgraded content briefing process. Microsoft Learn, the company’s hub for training and resources, faced challenges in content creation due to their inefficient intake processes.
Before the upgrade, Microsoft’s Product Marketing team struggled with content creation due to disorganized intake documents and a cumbersome approval process.
They produced two to three blog posts and up to twelve social media posts weekly, but their old methods were slowing them down.
The team had to handle a large volume of content requests and approvals through sheets and email, which was both time-consuming and inefficient. Then, they adopted Opal’s content operations platform and has significantly improved their efficiency.
This automation streamlined the intake process, making it easier to handle requests and approvals. The results were impressive: content production time was cut from three weeks to five days, and approval time dropped by 50%.
This case demonstrates how a well-structured content guide, supported by effective tools, can drastically improve content creation efficiency. But actually, no matter what tools you use, what matters the most is how you create a comprehensive brief.
- Template Examples
Don’t want to create the brief from scratch? Don’t worry, we have some free templates for you to use:
- Content Template by Omniscient Digital
Omniscient Digital’s template focuses on aligning content with audience needs, SEO strategies, and brand voice to ensure that the content is both relevant and optimized for search engines.
Link: Make a file copy here
- Product-focused Content Template by Freshpaint
In this example, Freshpaint’s template is designed for product-centric content, offering a structured approach that includes product overviews and compliance information
Link: Make a file copy here
- ABCD Template by Fio Dossetto
This template by Fio Dossetto (a senior content strategist) provides clear guidance across four key areas: audience, brand, context, and details, making it an excellent choice if you want a structured content creation.
Link: Make a file copy here
- Practical Example
To illustrate how to apply these tips and principles, here’s an example content brief for this very article you’re reading right now:
Topic: how to create an effective content brief
Objective/goal: to educate content marketers and SEO practitioners on crafting an effective content brief, outlining essential components, and providing practical steps and tips for creating a brief that aligns with content goals and audience needs.
Target audiences: content marketers and SEO practitioners
Guideline:
- Content format: blog post
- Sentence: use clear and concise sentences with short paragraphs to enhance readability and comprehension.
- Tone and style: conversational but still professional
- References: https://ahrefs.com/blog/content-briefs/
https://contentoo.com/blog/expert-guide-to-creating-great-content-briefs/
https://thruuu.com/blog/seo-content-brief/
SEO guideline:
- Main keyword: content brief
- Title (H1): The Ultimate Guide to Craft an Effective Content Brief
- Meta description: Need help to create an effective content brief that ensures consistency, quality, and alignment with your marketing goals? Read this guide!
- Suggested word count: minimum 1500 words
Content outline include heading and sub heading which will be discussed in the article.
Conclusion
All things considered, now you know that creating a well-crafted content guide is essential for producing high-quality content that aligns with your brand or company’s goals, while also resonating with your audience.
So, try following the steps and tips outlined in this guide to help you develop briefs that lead to more efficient, effective, and impactful content creation!
Takeaway
Remember, a strong brief sets the foundation for successful content. It ensures that everyone from the content creator to the marketing team is on the same page, which will lead to a smoother and more productive content creation process.
Another closing tip: always check and recheck!
Providing feedback and evaluations on your briefs can lead to more refined and effective content strategies over time. Of course, feel free to add your own opinion here!
Now, if you don’t have time to craft a detailed brief and need to produce high-quality content, Toombooh can provide a comprehensive content brief, along with the content tailored to your marketing goals. Just contact us for consultation.
FAQ
- How to write an effective content brief?
Start by clearly defining the content’s goals and target audience. Outline the core message, specify the content format, and include desired style and tone. Provide relevant research, SEO practices, and lastly, don’t forget to set clear deadlines.
- How do you create effective content?
Effective content is created by understanding your audience’s needs, setting clear objectives, and delivering a focused message. Just implement these step-by-step guides to get a well-made content guide for effective content creation.
- What is a brief in content creation?
A content creation brief is a document that outlines the key details and requirements for producing a piece of content. It typically includes the content’s purpose, target audience, key message, format, style, SEO considerations, and deadlines.
- How to write a good brief?
To write a good brief, ensure all the required elements are there, from the project’s goals to target audiences, tone, schedule, and more. Also, always recheck and provide feedback throughout the process to refine and improve the brief.
