I’ve labored in a whole lot of totally different industries — as a freelancer, as a supervisor of freelancers, as a marketer, as a author — and you understand what by no means modifications? The necessity for content material creators to be crystal clear on their assignments.
One of many easiest methods to realize that is to put in writing content material briefs.
Do not be deceived, although: Despite the fact that a content material transient is easy, it is nonetheless necessary to get it proper.
Desk of Contents
What’s a content material transient?
A content material transient is a brief doc — in case you can maintain it to a web page or two, everyone can be pleased — that’s a information or blueprint for creating content material.
The specifics will fluctuate relying on the sort of content material you’re creating and who the transient is for, nevertheless it ought to anticipate and reply top-level questions on content material, format, communication, and so forth.
For those who handle freelance writers, a content material transient can be a lifesaver for each you and your writers — and that’s solely a slight exaggeration. Your content material briefs will describe precisely what’s anticipated of the author, together with any required subheadings, goal phrase rely, and deadlines.
For those who work on a mission with a number of companions at a number of organizations, a easy content material transient will give everyone a single supply of reality.
Content material Briefs vs. Artistic Briefs
Though they sound related, content material briefs and artistic briefs serve totally different functions. A artistic transient outlines a marketing campaign, and will embody extra intensive messaging, deliverables from a number of contributors, and different particulars that give form to your entire marketing campaign.
A content material transient focuses on a selected piece of content material — my examples beneath are for written content material, however you possibly can use the identical parts to create a content material transient for movies, podcasts, or the rest you’re producing. For those who’re utilizing software program like Content material Hub, a short would be the basis for each bit of content material.
Significance of Content material Briefs
Certain, you possibly can attempt to muddle by means of with out one, however they save extra time than they take to put in writing.
I as soon as labored on a mission with a number of exterior companions, and aside from Slack and Google Docs, no person used the identical organizational instruments, and it induced a whole lot of frustration and confusion.
I pulled collectively a generic content material transient that may very well be iterated on for particular assignments. It included accepted messaging, hyperlinks to all of the paperwork that everyone was engaged on, and main deliverables and deadlines. You possibly can nearly hear the sigh of reduction within the Slack channel.
I used to do some freelance writing, and my favourite consumer was the one which had the most effective content material transient. Writing for a brand new consumer could be intimidating, even for knowledgeable writers, as a result of it’s a must to be taught a brand new fashion information, a brand new voice, and possibly even a wholly new target market.
That individual consumer included a one-page transient with every project. It included the goal phrase rely and the speed, the identify of the publication and its viewers, in addition to hyperlinks to the fashion information and any property, an outline of the project, and the assigning editor and due date. If an interview was required, contact data was supplied.
They have been a dream to freelance for as a result of I by no means wasted time with logistical questions — the expectations have been clear and all the pieces I wanted was at my fingertips.
For those who’re enhancing content material, offering a transparent content material transient will scale back the variety of revisions and rewrites (to not point out frustration!). Let’s speak about how one can strike a stability between detailed and concise.
Parts of a Content material Temporary
The weather of a content material transient will fluctuate relying in your wants, however listed here are what I believe are absolutely the necessities:
Level individual and/or a duty matrix
Communication protocols, resembling a Slack channel
Clear description of the mission or project, together with target market and phrase rely
Hyperlinks to property, messaging, fashion and/or model guides, and some other related shared paperwork
Deliverables and deadlines
You may additionally embody:
Once I’ve labored on advertising and marketing multi-partner podcasts, I’ve discovered it useful to incorporate a number of bullet factors of accepted messaging, noting who has accepted on behalf of every companion.
Some stakeholders could have sure necessities for a way their firm or group is described, and your writers and content material entrepreneurs will want that data.
Preserve it easy:
Professional tip: Particularly when working with exterior companions, it’s typically price repeating necessary model particulars which can be in your fashion information. Don’t get too slowed down right here — the fashion information exists for a motive — however stakeholders will admire having this data at hand.
For those who’re writing content material briefs for freelancers, you’ll wish to be sure that they’ve entry to any info they could want through the course of their project — fashion or model pointers, Slack channels, who to contact with questions, and any context for the project.
Let’s dig into “clear description of the project,” since that may include a whole lot of necessary particulars to your author(s), resembling:
Goal. Inform the author what the content material aim is; possibly it’s a weblog submit to handle demand for a sure key phrase, or possibly you want advert copy and quite a lot of CTAs for a brand new product.
web optimization/key phrases. What does your author must learn about goal key phrases? Are there any key phrases or matters that they need to keep away from to forestall content material cannibalization?
Material consultants and sourcing. In our courageous new E-E-A-Tified world, firsthand expertise is extra necessary than ever. In case your author is anticipated to conduct SME interviews, embody that within the transient. You might also ask that they supply hyperlinks to some other sources they’ve used to help with any mild fact-checking.
Required subheadings and different technical specs. For those who’ve carried out your key phrase analysis, it’s possible you’ll have already got H2 or H3 subheadings in thoughts. This can even assist the author perceive the way you need the content material organized. Your author can also be anticipated to supply meta descriptions, alt textual content for pictures, or social media copy.
Different formatting necessities. If a doc must be formatted in a sure approach, clarify how (ideally with an instance or template). For those who can solely settle for (or in case you desire) a sure file sort, embody that — don’t assume that everyone is utilizing Google Workspace or Microsoft Phrase simply since you are.
Sharing/entry necessities. Everyone knows the frustration of seeing “Entry denied.” Set everyone up for achievement by together with data on who to share information with.
How and the place to file the finished project. Does your workflow require tagging sure individuals in an Asana card? Do writers e mail you once they’ve accomplished an project?
Naming conventions. If any of the deliverables, together with property, must comply with a selected filename conference, lay that out in your content material transient.
Put up-assignment expectations. If writers ought to count on to listen to from an editor, allow them to know that forward of time — freelancers particularly might want to price range time for this. And in case you handle a big roster of freelancers, it may be useful to incorporate any reminders in regards to the fee and invoicing necessities.
Easy methods to Write a Content material Temporary
Let’s make a template: Utilizing your phrase processor of selection, create a one-page doc with a two-column desk. Within the left-hand column, write out the fundamental parts: level individual and/or duty matrix, communication protocols, project description, property, and deadlines and deliverables.
That is private choice, however I wish to record the communication data within the prime left header of the transient, together with the related Slack channel — I repeat this data when I’ve to create different docs for stakeholders, so everyone will get used to having it entrance and middle.
It instantly solutions the highest questions: Who’s in cost? Who wants to supply approval? The place did you inform me that Google Drive was? Why didn’t anyone inform me there was a Slack channel for this mission?
Even when this data feels redundant, it may be particularly useful for brand spanking new freelancers or new hires, so I counsel making it a part of your template. Freelancers typically have a number of (or extra) purchasers, all of whom might need totally different necessities and codecs, and this can save them a while and sanity.
Your transient may begin off like this:
Professional tip: You’ll word that I’ve included the time and time zone within the due date — I contemplate this important info. Particularly within the age of distributed workforces, the place staff and freelancers could also be in numerous time zones, together with this can save everyone a headache and set your author up for achievement.
Earlier than you flesh out any particulars within the project description, contemplate who your content material transient is for. Freelance writers will doubtless want extra hyperlinks and extra context than in-house writers, who have already got the corporate fashion information bookmarked (proper? Proper?).
Chances are you’ll discover it helpful to create two templates, one for in-house writers and one for freelancers, so you’ll be able to present your entrepreneurs with essentially the most concise transient. As an example, freelancers could not want data on KPIs; in-house writers who add their very own work to the CMS gained’t want a folder for deliverables.
What’s absolutely the minimal info a author must efficiently full an project? It’s tempting to incorporate hyperlinks to all the pieces associated to the mission, however don’t overload your writers with pointless context.
It’ll be helpful at this stage to speak to them, whether or not they’re in-house or freelance, and discover out what they discover most useful.
You’ll want to explain the project, its function, and its viewers:
Professional tip: For freelancers, contemplate all the time together with a hyperlink to your fashion information. That approach it’s all the time helpful. And a easy “thanks” is all the time a pleasant contact.
In case your content material has a whole lot of particular necessities for conversion technique, web optimization, key phrases, and the like, embody these in a desk in order that they’re simple to parse.
Once I labored as a contract author, I discovered this extremely useful. It’s a small factor, however having the ability to see all this data in the identical format with every project makes it a lot simpler to get began on assignments.
Data that’s typically included in HubSpot assignments is the month-to-month search quantity, any required CTAs, and web optimization and conversion methods:
Write Your First Content material Temporary
When you’ve constructed a template (or two) that fits your wants, content material briefs gained’t take you a lot time in any respect to fill out. And whether or not you’re working with in-house content material creators, freelancers, and/or exterior stakeholders, having a single supply of knowledge will make everyone’s job simpler and extra environment friendly.