Companies often assign writing tasks to outsourced content creators. They often receive content that is not up to the mark, no matter how much they try to give instructions. This problem can be solved with creative briefs. 

Brian Tracy, a time management expert who is world-famous for his time-saving techniques, insists that planning can help you save around 25%.

This means that every 10 minutes spent upfront on a content piece to your marketing campaign will save you over an hour in the completion of it. You can save even more money by properly planning a content piece to be assigned to external content producers.

• There will be no need to explain further.

• Poor writers will be eliminated.

• This will allow you to get the result you want and save tons on proofreading or revising drafts by writers.

This article will discuss the elements that should be included in briefs and offer practical tips on how to communicate with content creators outsourced.

What is a Creative Brief?

A creative brief describes the strategy for your project. It includes details like scope, goals, and timeline.

Creative briefs are essential for content creators:

A creative brief is also a set of instructions that a writer uses to help them draft their piece of content (e.g., a blog post, white paper, or landing page). ).

This is ‘s brief for guest writers from Clutch. Clutch is a B2B rating and reviews platform.

When outsourced specialists need specific content, product marketing, and SEO departments usually write creative briefs. In-house content teams may also be able to create briefs for freelancers or guest writers they hire to assist with multiple content initiatives.

A Brief Template is Essential for Outsourced Writers

Without a detailed brief, your company runs the risk of receiving content that isn’t up to your standards. These drafts may require additional resources to be revised by you, which will take more time and cost more.

Poorly written instructions can frustrate responsible content creators.

They might not be able to understand your needs, may bother you with additional questions, or even refuse to accept suggestions once they have finished writing the draft.

This could be a short template that you would fill out each time you assign a task to a content creator.

It will help you:

• Clarify your content requirements to avoid any further queries from writers

• Avoid miscommunications with writers and claims about their work quality

• You can achieve the desired result without any need to make drastic edits

• Eliminate poor writers

• Revisions can be done quickly and efficiently.

In your Creative Brief, Include These Elements

These are the main criteria that should be included in a creative brief.

•  Topic suggestions
•  Format
•  Target audience
•  Word count
•  Keywords
•  Issues to Cover
•  Links
•  Competition
•  Visuals
•  Examples
•  Intended outcome
•  Deadlines

1. Topic Suggestions

Give a topic to the content creator.

An ideal alternative would be to provide a title, but let the writer choose from a variety of titles.

Experienced content creators might know how to raise your idea and provide powerful, strategic topics that will help you maximize your assets.

Don’t limit your options here. You can choose the final title.

2. Format

In the content brief, mention the format of the asset you have been assigned.

It could be a case study or tutorial, a list/how-to post, a landing page for E-commerce, or even a blog post.

This information can help writers structure their content most effectively.

3. Target Audience

When assigning content assets, mention who the target audience is.

The writer must understand the audience for his or her article. This will allow you to decide the tone, vocabulary, topics, calls to action, examples, and other details.

If possible, share the buyer persona with a writer. If possible, you can also mention their history, pain points, and how they hope to benefit from your content.

4. Word Count

You should specify how many words you expect a content creator will submit. This is a crucial element when it comes to SEO writing and Google algorithms. The optimal length for your article to have higher rankings.

5. Keywords

Do keyword research on the content piece you are going to assign. Give the writer primary and secondary keywords to include. Your writer’s background will determine the details of your creative brief.

When assigning a freelance writer without any SEO experience, make sure to mention the primary and secondary keywords and describe where you will use them.

You can provide search volume information for each keyword when you assign a task to SEO agencies or professional SEO writers so that content creators know which one to use.

6. Similar Issues to Cover

You might find related topics while keyword research is being done for a content article. It’s okay to let a writer know.

A bullet-point outline may be provided for content makers to follow step by step. You can be sure they will cover all your needs and get the final draft quicker.

This approach can be problematic for in-house writers at some content marketing companies in Las Vegas. They might find it too restrictive and limit their creativity.

If you are unsure, give them a list of topics that you would like to see in the content. Then let them decide how and where.

7. If you have any, please include the links

You can ask a writer for specific links to your content.

You can list the links you want to use. You can also mention the need for “at most five external links to reputable sources,” “at least three links to our blog articles,” or any other guidelines.

8. If possible, avoid competition

Outsourced content creators may not be familiar with your competitors’ websites or your policies.

You can provide a list of resources that they should avoid if you don’t want any mention of competition in the content.

These should be included in a confirmation email.

9. Instructions for Visuals

The information regarding visuals should be included in your creative brief for external content producers:

• Minimum number of images you should include

• What visuals should you use? Stock photos, screenshots, and videos, featured images, etc.

• Format (PNG, JPEG)

• How to create visuals: Insert them into a draft, email them separately as attachments, and provide a link for the Google Doc folder.

When giving instructions for visuals, be as specific as you can.       

10. Here are some examples to refer

Please share some examples of your favorite published content, along with brief descriptions of why you like them.

• Tone of voice
• Structure
• informativeness
• The use of statistics and research

Take into account your past content, examples of direct competitors, and any other pieces that are related to your niche.

This information will allow content creators to better understand your expectations and deliver them correctly the first time.

11. Intended Result

This is a crucial element that marketers often overlook in creative briefs. What is your goal for the content piece you have assigned? Are you looking to build relationships with customers, gain new followers or encourage your readers to purchase from you?

Writers should be able to understand the purpose of each content piece.

They will be able to understand how to promote your product/service, optimize it, and which CTA to use to get better results.

12. Deadline and Contacts       

In your content brief, mention a due date for the writer to schedule time and deliver a draft in the time you need.

Set realistic deadlines and be realistic. As much as possible, give a deadline that is flexible to a writer. Ask for an estimate of the due date.

You can also add contacts and names to help content creator if they have any questions.

A creative brief template

Keep all of the elements above in mind and include them in your creative brief template.

Tips to Make Outsourced Writers Work More Effectively

Here are some tips to make your collaboration with outside specialists more efficient. Consider the following:

• Create and format a creative short according to the instructions. Use subheadings and lists to identify the most important elements. You can also organize your brief on a table or table.

• Create briefs in Google Docs, and encourage authors to submit drafts within the same document. This will help you save time when revising. It will save time revising.

• Respect the expertise of a content creator: Do not force them to use keywords “a specific number of times.” Don’t treat writers as if you don’t understand their product, audience, or marketing processes. You should create a stellar brief to give the writer all the information they need to deliver stellar results.

With all this information in your pocket, it would be foolish to underestimate the importance of creative briefs for efficient content creation. Your chances of getting a better result are higher if your brief is more detailed.

It is not easy to write a creative brief.

To ensure you get what you want when working with freelance content creators, it is important to create a professional brief.

It can be daunting and time-consuming to create a brief with all these elements. It is a good idea to use a template that has already been created and then fills in the details for each task.