How to Write a Great Content Brief
If you really want to engage your event audiences with great content, you need a quality content brief.
A content brief is a document that tells a content creator what they need to know to produce great content. It should answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the project. This ensures that the final output aligns with the strategy and goals of the business.
A great content brief will result in great content. If you want your content team to produce their best work, then you need to give them a great content brief.
Here are ten things that should be included in every content brief.
The Ten Commandments of Content Briefs
1. The client’s business name, industry, and URL
It sounds obvious, and it is for good reason. Make sure your content team knows the company they are creating for and give them information to do a little bit of their own background reading to understand the company and what it does.
2. The target audience
Knowing the target audience will help guide the tone and messaging of the content. Is it a B2B event targeting professionals in a specific industry? Do you offer an eventtech product aimed at CTO's? Or is it a consumer event for families? It matters because the content should speak directly to the event attendee interested in your next product, event, conference or exhibition.
3. The objectives or goals of the project
What do you want to achieve with this event marketing content? Is it increasing event registrations or driving traffic to a specific event website page? Make sure your content team knows the end goal so they can tailor their messaging accordingly and measure success.
4. An overview or summary of the project
Give a high-level overview of the event, product, or conference that is being promoted. This includes event dates and location if applicable or the specific features that you want to address.
5. A list of key messages
What do you want event attendees to remember about your event or eventtech product after reading or viewing the content? Make sure these are included in the brief for the content team to incorporate into their work.
6. The tone or voice that should be used
Should the event marketing content be friendly and approachable or informative and professional? This can also include slang, jargon, or industry terms that should be used or avoided.
7. Any specific requirements for the final product
Is it a blog post, video, social media graphics? How long should it be? What file types and sizes are needed? Are there brand guidelines to follow for colors or logos? This is really helpful so that you don't overspend on your budget asking them to reinvent the wheel when you only needed an Instagram post caption as opposed to 1,000 word article.
8. The deadline for the project
Make sure your content team knows when you need the final product, especially if it needs to be completed before a specific event, for example, or launched at a certain time.
9. Background information or resources
If you have marketing materials like case studies or event websites that can be used as references, include them in the brief so your content team has additional information to draw from.
10. The budget for the project
If you have a budget in mind for what you are willing to spend on event marketing content, make sure the content team knows this upfront so they can plan accordingly and suggest the most effective options to reach your event marketing goals within budget.
Bonus: The 5 deadly sins of Content Briefs
1. Vague or no direction
Your content brief should be clear and concise. If it’s not, your team will have a hard time understanding what you want, and they’ll likely produce subpar work as a result. Be as specific as possible about what you want from your team, and you’ll get better results.
2. No defined target audience
Without a target audience, it’s not easy to produce great content because you won’t know who you’re speaking to. Define your target audience as specifically as possible so that your team can speak directly to them through your content.
3. Unrealistic deadlines
Unrealistic deadlines are one of the leading causes of stress and burnout in the workplace. If you want your team to produce their best work, then you need to give them enough time to do so without putting undue pressure on them. Set realistic deadlines that allow your team to do their best work without sacrificing their mental health in the process.
4. Unclear objectives
Unclear objectives are another common problem with content briefs. If you don’t know what you want from your team or what you want the output to be, then how can they possibly deliver? Be clear about your objectives and expectations from the start so that everyone is on the same page from day one.
5. Too much information
Last but not least, resist the temptation to include too much information in your content brief. Your team doesn’t need an exhaustive list of everything they need to do; they just need enough information to get started.
More isn’t always better; sometimes less is more when it comes to writing great content briefs.
A well-written content brief is essential for success
A well-written content brief is essential if you want your team to produce great work. By including these ten items in every content brief, you can set your team up for success and ensure that you are delivered the content you need to meet your event marketing goals.
Remember, clear and concise direction is key for a successful content brief.
If you want to learn more about creating great content for your event, look at our 2022 article Event Marketer Content tips.