{"id":2788,"date":"2022-09-01T17:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T21:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/?p=2788"},"modified":"2023-04-13T17:17:35","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T21:17:35","slug":"a-brief-ha-chat-about-content-briefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/blog\/a-brief-ha-chat-about-content-briefs\/","title":{"rendered":"Field Notes #009: A Brief (ha!) Chat About Content Briefs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A good chunk of our jobs as marketers (or any function, really) involves communicating content ideas to those who can bring them to life. This applies whether you work with in-house strategists, agencies like Omniscient Digital, or freelance writers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where content briefs come into play. They bridge the gap between skill and product, audience, and market knowledge. But great content briefs can\u2019t compensate for poor writing skills, just as the most talented writers can’t do much (read: drive not only traffic but also conversions <\/em>and revenue<\/em>) without solid client and product knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was a freelance writer (pre-content briefing), my clients provided a keyword or general topic\u2014or asked that I identify and pitch my own. B2B content marketing doesn\u2019t really work this way anymore, and I have mixed feelings about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, that working style gave me creative freedom and helped me rapidly grow as a content marketer\u2014I quickly learned what set my content apart from others and how to guarantee myself more work (and higher rates).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there was a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth due to the lack of context. Had my clients better communicated their expectations and the product information I lacked as a contractor, our lives would have been easier for sure<\/em>. I would’ve also been able to tie my work to growth metrics beyond traffic and engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So there\u2019s a part of me that\u2019s happy content briefs are commonplace. The other part of me wonders if longer, more in-depth content briefs have contributed to the rise of copycat content and the homogeneity of page one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I digress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, now that I\u2019m assigning briefs, I understand the importance of providing writers with strategic guardrails that don\u2019t<\/em> eliminate the space to exercise creative and editorial judgment. Achieving this balance has been tough but necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content briefs are especially important for our work with clients, given that our writers don\u2019t always have a direct line. Content briefs also help writers understand where they can say\u00a0no<\/em>. Depending on how a piece is goaled, targeted, and written, the lack of a content brief can mean endless possibilities. (This isn\u2019t always a good thing, especially if you\u2019re working with a new writer or one you don\u2019t yet trust.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, content briefs take time to build, but time invested in briefing an article can save days<\/em> of changing content, requesting product information, or rebuilding the entire article narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few helpful tips for writing content briefs that I’ve learned through trial and error:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Treat your content brief as a one-stop shop for each assignment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to include some extra reminders and information so that when writers open their brief, they have everything they need (sans topic research and expert interviews) to do their best work\u2014and not ping you in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This includes an SEO checklist, a roundup of helpful resource links, and important client information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Leverage your brief for some promotional copy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My years of being a writer have taught me that once I\u2019m in the \u201cbubble\u201d of a topic, it\u2019s much easier to pull out the compelling and interesting threads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the writer\u2019s permission (as they may charge more for this), include prompts for LinkedIn posts, Twitter threads, and even Quora questions for them to answer within your brief. It may be as simple as repurposing the best paragraphs, but it’ll be much easier for them to complete while writing the article instead of you going back and doing it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don’t forget the content elements that convert<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Briefs have the power to transform a piece of content into a marketing asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guidance on internal and external linking, what conversion assets to promote, what feature or use case pages are relevant, and how the topic ties into your core product or service will help your writer know how to wield their writing to encourage a certain behavior or action from your reader. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4.\u00a0Iterate<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content briefs are living documents. Omniscient Digital (and our super<\/em> resilient content team) has seen six different versions of our content briefs. I\u2019ve updated and improved each one based on feedback from writers, patterns in editing, and new ideas we’ve had about our production process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t hesitate to change your briefs\u2014and ask your writers along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, download our content brief template here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n