Let’s make a template: Using your word processor of choice, create a one-page doc with a two-column table. In the left-hand column, write out the basic elements: point person and/or responsibility matrix, communication protocols, assignment description, assets, and deadlines and deliverables.
This is personal preference, but I like to list the communication info in the top left header of the brief, including the relevant Slack channel — I repeat this info when I have to create other docs for stakeholders, so everybody gets used to having it front and center.
It immediately answers the top questions:
Who’s in charge? Who needs to provide approval? Where did you tell me that Google Drive was? Why didn’t anybody tell me there was a Slack channel for this project?
Even if this info feels redundant, it can be especially helpful for new freelancers or new hires, so I suggest making it part of your template. Freelancers often have several (or more) clients, all of whom might have different requirements and formats, and this will save them some time and sanity.
Your brief might start off like this:
Pro tip: You’ll note that I’ve included iraq telegram data the time and time zone in the due date — I consider this essential information. Especially in the age of distributed workforces, where employees and freelancers may be in different time zones, including this will save everybody a headache and set your writer up for success.
Before you flesh out any details in the assignment description, consider who your content brief is for. Freelance writers will likely need more links and more context than in-house writers, who already have the company style guide bookmarked (right? Right?).
You may find it useful to create two templates, one for in-house writers and one for freelancers, so you can provide your marketers with the most concise brief. For instance, freelancers may not need info on KPIs; in-house writers who upload their own work to the CMS won’t need a folder for deliverables.
What’s the absolute minimum information a writer needs to successfully complete an assignment? It’s tempting to include links to everything related to the project, but don’t overload your writers with unnecessary context.
It’ll be useful at this stage to talk to them, whether they’re in-house or freelance, and find out what they find most helpful.
You’ll need to describe the assignment, its purpose, and its audience:
Pro tip: For freelancers, consider always including a link to your style guide. That way it’s always handy. And a simple “thank you” is always a nice touch.
If your content has a lot of specific requirements for conversion strategy, SEO, keywords, and the like, include those in a table so they’re easy to parse.
When I worked as a freelance writer, I christmas images generated with artificial intelligence found this incredibly helpful. It’s a small thing, but being able to see all this info in the same format with each assignment makes it much easier to get started on assignments.
Info that’s often included in HubSpot assignments is the monthly search volume, any required CTAs, and SEO and conversion strategies:
Write Your First Content Brief
Once you’ve built a united kingdom cell number template (or two) that suits your needs, content briefs won’t take you much time at all to fill out. And whether you’re working with in-house content creators, freelancers, and/or external stakeholders, having a single source of information will make everybody’s job easier and more efficient.
