What is a Copywriting Brief Template?

A copywriting brief is usually a Google doc or Word doc (or equivalent) with a few points or questions and a space to answer them. If you plan to work with multiple copywriters permanently, consider creating a standard template to save time.

A copywriting brief is an integral part of any written project. It makes the process more efficient for both parties and helps define the details of the project.

Ultimately, this leaves less room for error and fewer nasty surprises. Additionally, writing down ideas is a great way to flesh out precisely what you want from your copywriting project. Finally, it may help you learn more about your business itself.

Some freelance writers charge their client by the hour, while others charge per revision. So, you can save money (and time) if you get the first finished piece right. This is where the perfect copywriting brief comes into play.

Basically, if a writer understands precisely what you’re trying to convey, they’re well-prepared to provide content that engages, informs, and most importantly, converts them.

How Long must a Brief be?

Nothing prevents you from writing a 10-page brief, but a bloated and confusing copywriting brief often leads to rethinking project goals and requested assets before moving to production. Remember to indicate that you should.

If your brief is getting too long or just seems like too much information, link to other resources instead of cutting and pasting huge blocks of text into your brief. We all know that it is difficult to understand anything when there is too much information in front of us.

Basic details of a Copywriting Brief

A copy assignment should include everything a writer needs to know to deliver copy that meets

the project’s goals. That means the assets you want to write, marketing or conversion goals you

set for that project, deadlines, audience information, etc. Keep in mind that what you include in your brief may vary from project to project. For quick, uncomplicated projects, a simple one-page briefing is usually sufficient.

You’ll find that complex “multi-asset, multi-deadline, multi-stakeholder” projects require lengthy and detailed briefings. For this reason, it’s considered a good idea to have a copywriting briefing template on file that you can easily modify.

Add or edit based on the scope of your project. To help you create your own copywriting brief, here is a long list of everything you want to include in your brief.

Elements of a Copywriting Brief Template

Learn how to write a copywriting brief here.

1. Nature of content

First, tell the author what you want to write. Is it an article, blog post, web content, or a set of product or category page descriptions for an e-commerce site?

2. Word limit

Some have a strict 500-word limit, and others are willing to hire a copywriter to handle it. Always indicate if this affects payment.

3. Topic of the writeup

Well what’s the point? A topic might be fashion if you need to promote a new range of women’s clothing or health if you want to share insights on a medical surgery blog. If you want content that is higher than the general readership, indicate if you prefer a copywriter with industry-specific knowledge.

4. Context of the project and tone of voice

Is this part of a larger project? Are you already creating similar content in-house or with other writers? Writers don’t know how this copywriting job will fit into your overall content marketing campaign.

Please explain in detail if it fits and give examples if necessary. Also, don’t forget to let us know where this content will appear.

5. Information about the company

Getting your spirit and tone right depends on the writer knowing as much as possible about you. Let them know if you’re a startup, rebranding in a particular area, or have a niche. How do you communicate with your customers? Are you humorous, personal and friendly, or professional and formal?

6. Details about the target audience

Any information you can provide about your customer’s demographics is helpful. This includes data we obtain and customer profiles you may have created as part of your business or marketing plans.

7. Call to Action

Remember why you want to write content. Is the call to action linking to a contact page, getting customers to take advantage of your offer, or signing up for your newsletter?

8. Keywords

In the age of Google, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can mean the difference between creating one Page or getting lost in a web niche. Let the author know which search terms (including localizations or variables) you want to have.

9. Inclusion of pics

Please note that not all freelance copywriters offer services to provide images for other multimedia content. Include details about the image type, quality, size, and orientation you are looking for.

10. Explain the task

Concepts can be specified here. For example, if you want the creator to publish a particular event, you should provide the creator with helpful information or a link to a resource. Do you have the desired layout? Provide a style guide to follow.

Additional information

This is where you can get specific. Are there any terrible-sounding phrases you don’t want copywriters to use? Mention them here. You can also specify the required formatting, such as HTML, and the number of words and characters in the section (relevant if you need to write a meta description or run out of space). Where do you want the keywords to appear, and what is the density of the keywords? Should I include external links?

Other Essential Contractual Elements in the Brief

Fee terms: This is What most copywriters are interested in: How much profit will this project make? And you will also want to know when and how you will be paid.

Deadline: Specify the time frame in which the work will be delivered. You should also agree with the copywriter on what the circumstances will be regarding remedies. For example, am I entitled to “free” edits? Will I have to pay more for each revision?

Supply of creative brief: If you contact a freelance copywriter, you may find that they already have copywriting templates on their website that you can download and fill out. However, not all copywriters can do this, and you may have to write your own. That doesn’t mean you have to dive deep with a very detailed briefing. Before you put the details down on paper, start with a speculative email to see if the author is interested in your project.

Conclusion

A good Copywriting Brief Template is defined by its details. Writers should be able to look at the task description and understand what is expected. The brief should also provide writers with the resources, tools, or knowledge needed to complete the job. The more detailed the briefing, the less ambiguous the work will make, and the more manageable the project will be for the author.

Here is a free Copywriting Brief Template