Maisie Lloyd
Maisie is the Digital Content Manager at Intelligency, handling all things creative for the agency. Her experience centres around the production of digital content, pertaining to graphic design, writing copy, and video and audio content.
A content brief is a fundamental document that directly influences the type of content being produced. Whether it’s written copy, graphics, stills or video content, each needs a framework to follow. Underpinning the style, length, messaging, tone and branding. Without a brief, the results achieved can stray from the ideal outcome, usually due to the way different people interpret a basic content outline.
How important is a content brief for individuals producing content for a client or in-house project?
A content brief determines the methodology and approach taken by those executing the final piece of content. The importance of direction when producing in-house or for a client cannot be overstated.
Branding is often the most crucial part of content creation. So, without direction, key points around brand alignment can be missed, resulting in resources like time, money and effort going to waste. And whilst some projects can be executed blindly, most need steering to achieve the desired result.
How to write a content brief
The best approach to crafting a content brief begins with mapping out your desired end-goal. For visual content, this could be outlining a desired aesthetic, while for written content, it needs to identify the main topic of discussion. Identifying what your brief is trying to achieve makes listing arbitrary requirements much easier.
Once you’ve distinguished the purpose of the content, identifying the format is the next step. When producing visual content, this might be a required duration, whereas for written content it’ll be the word count. These details are the framework for the content, they essentially allow the creator to build out the content as required. From there, listing everything that is a mandatory requirement of the content, you can start with a rudimentary list and expand it as the brief becomes more tailored.
Another vital point to home in on is what is a requirement versus guidance. Pinpointing the non-negotiables over preferences allows those interpreting the brief to make judgement calls on certain areas, which may offer more creative flexibility.
If you want to add more value and help guide creatives, providing source material and research inspiration can be particularly helpful. This can also help convey a vision without creating guesswork for those producing content.
What does a content brief need to contain?
The contents of a brief will depend on what it is intended for. For instance, a copywriting brief needs to reference the key topic it’s exploring, as well as any required angles. Other key elements of a copywriting brief include:
- Word count
- Tone of voice
- Messaging
- Keywords
- Outlining the target audience
- The content purpose/ function, i.e., is it to engage new readers, entertain existing readers, or does it serve as content to help bolster rankings by appealing to search engines and generative AI
By contrast, a photography or graphic design brief will include crucial cues around style, feeling and subject matter, along with:
- Dimensions
- Colour palettes
- Composition
- Any editing directions, i.e., colour grading, layering of shapes and textures, logos and text
- A visual hierarchy
One thing to caveat any brief creation with is the fundamental aspect of knowing the intended audience. The creator needs to know who they’re creating for beyond your brand, as it will influence the content that’s developed. Recognising the response, you want the audience to have will then shape the way content is created.
Ready to get more from your content?
From developing content briefs to creating and optimising the finished piece, our team can help ensure your content has a clear purpose and delivers against your business objectives.
