ideaLaunch Blog

We know, we know - but don't skip the planning entirely! From Office OFFline

While the comic above from the Office OFFline Comic Strip has a valid point, flying into a project – be it content marketing, hiring freelance writers or developing a new campaign – without thoughtful written direction or a plan is asking for trouble.

I can’t tell you how valuable it is – for everyone – to have a creative brief in place before a project starts. If you work in or with a marketing agency, briefs are the norm – but when you hire writers or designers on a freelance basis, the important step of the brief can sometimes get skipped in order to get the project rolling right away. I know us writers are amazing, fantastic, beautiful and humble, but mind readers, we are not.

What is a creative brief?
A creative brief is a written outline that reviews the important details of the project and the elements within it. The brief is even often used for potential freelancers and agencies to quote off of.

Who writes it?
The client or business who is hiring freelance writers puts the brief together (of if you’re working with a marketing agency, the account team works with the client to develop the brief). Don’t be afraid to ask your service providers for insight or help, though – especially if you’re a bit unclear on how the final product should turn out. It’s also normal for potential writers, designers or other service providers to come back with questions or ask for clarification after receiving a brief.

Why is a brief helpful?
While there’s some effort required by you at the beginning, in the long run, it can save you time, money and sanity. The brief not only spells out what you need from your different service providers, it can also help you – the client – get a better picture in mind of what you want in the end. Overall, a brief is the best way to get any project started on the right foot. Like they say – failing to plan is like planning to fail.

What is in a creative brief?
Briefs will differ, depending on the type of project or the type of service required, but we’ve put together a template of what’s typically included in a creative brief if you were to hire a freelance writer:

Company Background
Basic notes about the business. Who you are, your specialization, your goals. Try to keep this relevant.

Project Overview
Basic explanation of what is needed, including:

• Type of project (i.e.: writing a website, editing an article, etc.)
• Estimated length or size (i.e.: Seven web pages, 500-word article, etc.)
• Topic / theme / page headings
• Key information (this is especially necessary if the writing is about your company, product or services. Collect all the relevant information about it – if it’s lengthy, you can place it all in another document. Remember, your freelance writer doesn’t know your business as well as you do – do your best to give them the details. If the information all has to be researched by the writer independently, say so.)
• Key messages (are there specific messages that need to be said? List them.)
• Keywords or SEO requirements

Audience
Identification of the key audience(s) the piece is for and the level of writing required (i.e.: North American parents of newborns. Written at a level any high school grad can understand). Include any relevant research you might already have about your audience / consumers.

Communication Goals
Key goals the writer needs to be mindful of, in order or priority. (i.e.: To get people to sign up for our newsletter on internal linking strategy.) Refer people to your key messages if you haven’t already listed them.

Requested Voice
If you have brand guidelines written up regarding the writing style your company uses, include them. If not, think about how you’d like the piece to read (i.e.: Speak in the first person, make the piece conversational and include lots of “you” references).

Proposed Timeline
Key deadlines of both the writer and the client (i.e.: draft submitted by X date, feedback received by Y date).

Proposed Budget
Have a budget in mind? List if for the project. You may also want to include possible extra financial allowances should the project be extended / expanded. You can also leave this for the freelancer to bid on.

Take some time, pull it together and I promise you – your project and relationship with your freelance writer will be far smoother than had you skipped this step in an effort to speed things along.

Tags: hire a writer, outsourcing, planning

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 2:52 pm and is filed under Writers, content creation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.