As a content marketer or team leader, you’ve likely dealt with the struggle of receiving inconsistent or poorly constructed initial drafts from your team of writers.

While the drafts might be grammatically sound and polished in terms of language use, the time and energy spent editing can be considerable if the drafts fail to meet client requirements, lack the essential keywords, or are incongruent with competitors.

Creating content for your website or blog involves adhering to the three Cs: Content, Convenience, and Conversion. To craft content that is engaging and accessible, you must pay heed to your audience’s preferences and necessities.

If you find yourself dedicating numerous hours to revisions, it’s crucial to arm your writers with a comprehensive content brief that articulates how to develop content appropriately.

What is a Content Brief

A content brief, creative brief, or content outline is a strategic document detailing the specifics and objectives of a content project. This brief serves as a guide for writers, editors, designers, and others involved in content creation, ensuring everyone is aligned and the final outcome meets your expectations.

A well-crafted brief should encapsulate the target audience, tone, style, and project goals. It might also encompass specific topics to be addressed or preferred types of content.

Creating a valuable content brief is an art. Overloading your writers with information could overwhelm them, and they might feel their creative freedom is compromised, which could negatively impact their motivation and the quality of their work.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) also plays a crucial role in content creation. While experienced writers may have some SEO knowledge, it’s crucial to specify how you want your content to be optimized in the content brief.

The Essential Elements of an Effective Content Brief

Creating a solid content brief involves more than just jotting down a few points. It requires a thoughtful approach to ensure your content meets its goals. Here’s a detailed guide on the essential components of an effective content brief:

Understand and Define Your Audience: Knowing your audience is the first step in any content creation process. It sets the tone for the entire piece and informs the style, tone, and language to be used.
Establish Clear Objectives: What do you hope to achieve with this content? Whether it’s to drive conversions, increase brand awareness, or educate your audience, clearly defining your objectives helps align your team’s efforts and keeps your content focused.
Decide on the Tone and Style: The tone and style of your content should align with your brand voice and resonate with your audience. Provide clear guidelines on this to ensure consistency across all content pieces.
Outline Keywords and Intent: Identify the keywords to focus on, and clearly state the intent of the article. This is crucial for SEO and for setting the direction of the content.
Specify Structure and Format: Offer clear instructions on how the content should be structured. This includes guidance on paragraph lengths, use of headers, bullet points, lists, and more. Remember, a well-structured article not only improves readability but also boosts SEO.
List Down Subtopics: To ensure the content covers the topic comprehensively, provide a list of subtopics or subheadings. This not only gives a clear direction to the writer but also aids in content organization.
Incorporate CTAs: Guide your writer on where and how to include CTAs in the content. Whether it’s to direct readers to a product page or invite them to subscribe to a newsletter, a well-placed CTA can significantly enhance engagement and conversions.
Include Links: Specify any internal or external links that should be included in the content. This not only adds credibility to your content but also aids in your SEO efforts.
Provide an On-page SEO ‘cheat sheet’: Lastly, provide a brief on-page SEO guide. This should include instructions on title optimization, meta description writing, header formatting, keyword usage, and image optimization.

Remember: The goal is to create a comprehensive guide, not a restrictive manual. Allow room for creativity and flexibility. After all, content creation is as much an art as it is a science. Embrace the process and witness the transformative power of well-crafted content briefs in action.

Content Brief Template Example

Project Title: The Ultimate Guide to Baking Artisan Bread at Home

Meta Description: Dive into the rewarding world of home-baked artisan bread with our comprehensive guide. Learn everything from selecting ingredients to shaping loaves and baking to perfection.

Project Objective: The primary goal is to educate readers on how to bake artisan bread at home and foster a love for the art of baking. The secondary goal is to promote our brand’s artisan bread baking kit and increase its sales.

Target Audience: Individuals who enjoy cooking and are interested in learning how to bake bread at home. Likely age range is 30-60 years old, evenly distributed between genders, and they value homemade, quality food.

Tone and Style: Warm, engaging, and informative. Use clear, step-by-step instructions and ensure that technical terms are adequately explained.

Primary Keyword: Artisan bread baking at home Secondary Keywords: Homemade bread recipe, bread baking tips, sourdough bread, whole grain bread, bread baking equipment

Content Structure:

Introduction (H1): Discuss the joy and benefits of baking bread at home. Use the primary keyword early in the section.
Why Bake at Home? (H2): Discuss the benefits of home-baked bread—flavor, health benefits, sense of accomplishment, etc.
Bread Baking Basics (H2): Discuss the basic ingredients and equipment needed for baking bread at home.
- Selecting Ingredients (H3)
- Essential Bread Baking Equipment (H3)
Understanding the Bread Baking Process (H2): Explain the process from start to finish, including kneading, proofing, shaping, and baking.
Your First Loaf – A Simple Bread Recipe (H2): A detailed, step-by-step guide to baking a simple loaf of bread at home.
Exploring Different Types of Bread (H2): Introduce different types of bread that readers can try baking at home.
Common Bread Baking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (H2)
Conclusion (H2): Encourage readers to start baking and exploring the world of homemade bread.

Call to Actions (CTAs):

Within the content: Soft CTAs such as “Check out our artisan bread baking kit for all your bread baking needs.”
At the end: Strong CTA like “Ready to start your bread baking journey? Our artisan bread baking kit has everything you need to get started. Order yours today!”

Links to Include:

Internal Links: Link to our other blog posts like “The Art of Sourdough: A Beginner’s Guide” and “Whole Grain Breads: Why They’re Good for You.”
External Links: Use reliable sources for facts and data, such as studies on the benefits of homemade food or expert baking tips from renowned chefs or bakers.

SEO Guidelines:

Include the primary keyword in the title, within the first 100 words, and 2-3 times throughout the content.
Use secondary keywords at least once in the content.
Use proper header tags (H1 for title, H2 for main sections, and H3 for sub-sections).
If images are used, include the primary keyword in the file name and alt text.
Write a meta description that includes the primary keyword and is between 150-160 characters.

Content Type: Detailed blog post

Content Length: Around 2,500 words

Deadline: [Insert Deadline]

Conclusion

To ensure you get exactly what you want, you’ll need to create a compelling and strategic content brief. Your content brief should be your team’s one source of truth.

Anyone participating in the content creation process must have access to it and be able to use it as a foundation for creating consistent, effective, timely, and accurate material.

The greatest content briefs dispel any uncertainties or ambiguity and serve as a checklist for writers who want to produce high-quality, engaging material.