I’ve labored in lots of totally different industries — as a freelancer, as a supervisor of freelancers, as a marketer, as a author — and you already know what by no means adjustments? The necessity for content material creators to be crystal clear on their assignments.
One of many easiest methods to attain that is to jot down content material briefs.
Do not be deceived, although: Although a content material transient is easy, it is nonetheless essential to get it proper.
Desk of Contents
What’s a content material transient?
A content material transient is a brief doc — if you happen to can hold it to a web page or two, all people will probably be comfortable — 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.
When you handle freelance writers, a content material transient will probably 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.
When you work on a venture with a number of companions at a number of organizations, a easy content material transient will give all people a single supply of reality.
Content material Briefs vs. Artistic Briefs
Though they sound comparable, content material briefs and creative briefs serve totally different functions. A inventive transient outlines a marketing campaign, and will embody extra in depth messaging, deliverables from a number of contributors, and different particulars that give form to all the marketing campaign.
A content material transient focuses on a particular piece of content material — my examples under 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. When you’re utilizing software program like Content Hub, a short would be the basis for each bit of content material.
Significance of Content material Briefs
Certain, you may attempt to muddle via with out one, however they save extra time than they take to jot down.
I as soon as labored on a venture with a number of exterior companions, and apart from Slack and Google Docs, no one used the identical organizational instruments, and it prompted lots of frustration and confusion.
I pulled collectively a generic content material transient that could possibly 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 might virtually hear the sigh of aid within the Slack channel.
I used to do some freelance writing, and my favourite shopper was the one which had the very best content material transient. Writing for a brand new shopper may be intimidating, even for knowledgeable writers, as a result of it’s important to be taught a brand new type information, a brand new voice, and perhaps even a wholly new target market.
That specific shopper included a one-page transient with every task. It included the goal phrase rely and the speed, the identify of the publication and its viewers, in addition to hyperlinks to the type information and any property, an outline of the task, and the assigning editor and due date. If an interview was required, contact information was offered.
They had been a dream to freelance for as a result of I by no means wasted time with logistical questions — the expectations had been clear and all the pieces I wanted was at my fingertips.
When you’re enhancing content material, offering a transparent content material transient will cut back the variety of revisions and rewrites (to not point out frustration!). Let’s discuss methods to strike a stability between detailed and concise.
Components of a Content material Temporary
The weather of a content material transient will fluctuate relying in your wants, however listed here are what I feel are absolutely the necessities:
- Level individual and/or a responsibility matrix
- Communication protocols, resembling a Slack channel
- Clear description of the venture or task, together with target market and phrase rely
- Hyperlinks to property, messaging, type and/or model guides, and some other related shared paperwork
- Deliverables and deadlines
You may also embody:
After 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 might have sure necessities for the way their firm or group is described, and your writers and content material entrepreneurs will want that information.
Maintain it easy:
Professional tip: Particularly when working with exterior companions, it’s typically value repeating essential model particulars which might be in your type information. Don’t get too slowed down right here — the type information exists for a purpose — however stakeholders will recognize having this information at hand.
When you’re writing content material briefs for freelancers, you’ll wish to ensure that they’ve entry to any info they may want throughout the course of their task — type or brand guidelines, Slack channels, who to contact with questions, and any context for the task.
Let’s dig into “clear description of the task,” since that may include lots of essential particulars to your author(s), resembling:
- Objective. Inform the author what the content material objective is; perhaps it’s a weblog submit to deal with demand for a sure key phrase, or perhaps you want advert copy and quite a lot of CTAs for a brand new product.
- SEO/key phrases. What does your author must find out 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 brave new E-E-A-Tified world, firsthand expertise is extra essential than ever. In case your author is predicted 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. When you’ve executed your key phrase analysis, you could 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 may be anticipated to offer 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). When you can solely settle for (or if you happen to choose) 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 all people up for achievement by together with information on who to share recordsdata with.
- How and the place to file the finished task. Does your workflow require tagging sure folks in an Asana card? Do writers e mail you after they’ve accomplished an task?
- Naming conventions. If any of the deliverables, together with property, must comply with a particular filename conference, lay that out in your content material transient.
- Put up-assignment expectations. If writers ought to anticipate to listen to from an editor, allow them to know that forward of time — freelancers specifically might want to price range time for this. And if you happen to handle a big roster of freelancers, it may be useful to incorporate any reminders in regards to the charge and invoicing necessities.
The right way to Write a Content material Temporary
Let’s make a template: Utilizing your phrase processor of alternative, create a one-page doc with a two-column desk. Within the left-hand column, write out the essential parts: level individual and/or duty matrix, communication protocols, task description, property, and deadlines and deliverables.
That is private choice, however I prefer to listing the communication information within the prime left header of the transient, together with the related Slack channel — I repeat this information when I’ve to create different docs for stakeholders, so all people will get used to having it entrance and middle.
It instantly solutions the highest questions: Who’s in cost? Who wants to offer approval? The place did you inform me that Google Drive was? Why didn’t anyone inform me there was a Slack channel for this venture?
Even when this information feels redundant, it may be particularly useful for brand spanking new freelancers or new hires, so I recommend making it a part of your template. Freelancers typically have a number of (or extra) shoppers, all of whom might need totally different necessities and codecs, and it will save them a while and sanity.
Your transient would possibly begin off like this:
Professional tip: You’ll notice that I’ve included the time and time zone within the due date — I take into account this important info. Particularly within the age of distributed workforces, the place staff and freelancers could also be in numerous time zones, together with it will save all people a headache and set your author up for achievement.
Earlier than you flesh out any particulars within the task description, take into account who your content material transient is for. Freelance writers will probably want extra hyperlinks and extra context than in-house writers, who have already got the corporate type 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 possibly can present your entrepreneurs with essentially the most concise transient. For example, freelancers might not want information 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 task? It’s tempting to incorporate hyperlinks to all the pieces associated to the venture, 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 task, its goal, and its viewers:
Professional tip: For freelancers, take into account all the time together with a hyperlink to your type information. That approach it’s all the time useful. And a easy “thanks” is all the time a pleasant contact.
In case your content material has lots of particular necessities for conversion technique, search engine optimisation, key phrases, and the like, embody these in a desk in order that they’re simple to parse.
After I labored as a contract author, I discovered this extremely useful. It’s a small factor, however with the ability to see all this information in the identical format with every task makes it a lot simpler to get began on assignments.
Information that’s typically included in HubSpot assignments is the month-to-month search quantity, any required CTAs, and search engine optimisation 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 data will make all people’s job simpler and extra environment friendly.
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