Content Brief

Content Brief Builder

When to Use This Skill

• Hiring a freelance writer and need to communicate expectations
• Outsourcing blog posts, articles, or web copy
• Building a content production system with multiple writers
• Getting inconsistent results from writers due to vague briefs
• Want to create a reusable brief template for recurring content

Core Principle

A GREAT BRIEF MAKES GREAT WRITING INEVITABLE. If you have to heavily edit the first draft, the brief failed — not the writer.

Workflow

Step 1: Define the Content

Ask the user:

1. What type of content? (blog post, landing page, email, guide)
2. What's the topic or working title?
3. Who's the target reader?
4. What's the primary keyword (for SEO)?
5. What should the reader do after reading? (CTA)
6. Any competing articles to beat or reference?

Minimum needed: questions 1, 2, and 3.

Step 2: Build the Brief

Include every section below:

1. Overview

• Content type and working title
• Target word count
• Due date (if applicable)
• Target keyword + 3-5 secondary keywords

2. Audience

• Who they are (role, experience level)
• What they already know about this topic
• What they need to learn or decide

3. Tone & Voice

• Brand voice description (e.g., "expert but approachable, like explaining to a smart friend")
• Words to use / words to avoid
• Point of view (first person, second person, third person)

4. Structure

• Required sections / outline
• H2 and H3 heading suggestions
• Specific elements to include (stats, quotes, examples, CTAs)

5. SEO Requirements

• Primary keyword and target placement (title, H1, first 100 words, H2s)
• Secondary keywords to weave in naturally
• Internal links to include
• Meta description guidance

6. Examples & References

• 2-3 links to articles that match the desired quality/style
• What's good about each reference (and what to do differently)

7. What NOT to Do

• Common mistakes for this topic
• Off-topic tangents to avoid
• Competitor claims to not repeat

8. Delivery Format

• File format (Google Doc, Markdown, Word)
• Image/visual requirements
• Header formatting expectations

Step 3: Deliver

Format the brief as a clean, shareable document the user can hand directly to a writer.

Examples

Example 1: Blog Post Brief for a SaaS Company

CONTENT BRIEF — Blog Post

TITLE: How to Choose Project Management Software for a Remote Team
WORD COUNT: 1,800-2,200 words
FORMAT: Google Doc with H2/H3 headers

TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Operations managers or founders at companies with 10-50 remote employees
- Currently using spreadsheets or basic tools (Trello, Asana free tier)
- Evaluating whether to upgrade to a paid PM tool
- Technical comfort: moderate (not developers, but not afraid of software)

TONE:
- Expert but conversational — like a knowledgeable friend giving advice
- Second person ("you") throughout
- Confident but not salesy — we're educating, not pitching
- DO use: "Here's the thing," "In practice," "What most teams miss"
- DON'T use: "Leverage," "Synergy," "Best-in-class," "Game-changing"

PRIMARY KEYWORD: "project management software for remote teams"
SECONDARY KEYWORDS: remote team collaboration tools, best PM software
for distributed teams, remote project tracking

STRUCTURE:
H1: How to Choose Project Management Software for a Remote Team
H2: Why Remote Teams Need Different PM Software
H2: 7 Features That Actually Matter (And 3 That Don't)
  H3: Async communication tools
  H3: Time zone visibility
  H3: Workload balancing
  H3: File sharing and documentation
  H3: Mobile access
  H3: Reporting and dashboards
  H3: Integration with existing tools
  H3: Features that sound good but don't matter (gamification,
      built-in chat, AI summaries)
H2: How to Evaluate: A 3-Step Process
H2: Our Recommendation
H2: Common Mistakes to Avoid

SEO:
- Primary keyword in: title, H1, first 100 words, at least one H2
- Meta description: "Choosing PM software for a remote team? Here's
  the 7 features that actually matter, 3 that don't, and a step-by-step
  evaluation process."
- Internal links: link to /features/remote-teams and /case-studies/remote

REFERENCES:
- monday.com/blog/project-management/remote-teams — good structure
  but too product-focused. We want more educational, less salesy.
- zapier.com/blog/best-project-management-software — good comparison
  format but too listicle-style. We want more depth per point.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Don't just list tools with pricing. This is a "how to choose" guide.
- Don't assume the reader is technical. Explain integrations in plain terms.
- Don't mention our product until the recommendation section.

CTA: "Start a free trial" button at the end + inline CTA after the
evaluation section.

DELIVERY: Google Doc shared to editor@company.com by Friday COB.

Example 2: Email Newsletter Brief

CONTENT BRIEF — Weekly Newsletter Issue

SUBJECT: "The 3-minute pricing audit"
WORD COUNT: 400-600 words
FORMAT: Plain text in Google Doc (will be formatted in ConvertKit)

TARGET AUDIENCE:
- Freelancers and solopreneurs charging hourly or project rates
- Feeling underpriced but unsure how to raise rates
- Read the newsletter for quick, actionable business advice

TONE:
- Direct, punchy, slightly irreverent
- First person — write as the founder
- Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences max)
- Use line breaks liberally

STRUCTURE:
1. Hook (1-2 sentences that create curiosity)
2. The problem (why most freelancers underprice — 2-3 paragraphs)
3. The 3-minute audit (3 numbered steps the reader does right now)
4. Quick example showing before/after pricing
5. CTA: Reply with your current rate for personalized feedback

REFERENCES:
- Previous issue "Why $50/hour is killing your business" — match this
  energy and pacing. Direct link in our archive.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Don't write a pricing guide. This is a quick audit, not a course.
- Don't use bullet points — this newsletter uses short paragraphs only.
- Don't end with "Hope this helps!" — end with a specific CTA.

Recovery & Fallbacks

• User doesn't have target keywords: Suggest 3 keywords based on the topic and let them pick. Include a note in the brief that keywords are tentative.
• User can't describe their brand voice: Ask for 3 pieces of existing content they like. Analyze and describe the voice for them.
• Writer delivers off-brief: The brief likely had a gap. Review which section was unclear and update the brief template for next time.
• User needs a brief template, not a one-off brief: Create a reusable template with placeholders that they can fill in for each new piece.

Constraints

• EVERY brief must include audience, tone, and structure — these three prevent 90% of revision cycles
• Include specific examples of good AND bad approaches
• Keep briefs under 2 pages — long briefs don't get read
• Include word count range, not a fixed number (e.g., 1,800-2,200, not 2,000)
• Always specify what NOT to do — writers need guardrails, not just goals