A content brief is an essential tool for creating content. The content strategist creates the content brief and serves as a summary for the author. Content brief helps the writer to write high-quality content. The author produces targeted content using the content brief. The purpose of content varies depending on the business. The information in the content brief file includes target audience, content goals, content tone, intended style, key topic, keywords (main and secondary), SEO techniques and content optimization, content structure, and content format. In addition, recipes are included in the content brief.
One of the most important and main elements in the content brief is the target audience’s information. By knowing the target audience, content producers can move within the framework with rules. In other words, after audience analysis, the tone and style of the content can be determined. The audio, video, or text content produced must align with the audience’s needs. In content production, it is important to use keywords (both main and secondary) and follow SEO and website optimization. Adherence to keywords and SEO in content production will make the content and website more visible.
Consider that basic content after ranking will promote the website. That being said, the content brief is a valuable resource for content creators. The output of the content production order must match the user’s expectations mentioned in the content brief.
What is content production?
Content creation is so called the process of gathering information and preparing it purposefully to respond to one or more concerns of internet users.
You can think of content creation as the process of making a popular dish. In this process, you must first have the raw material (research and investigation about the content topic), then add your strategies and ideas. Your purpose for creating content should be like a well-dissolved seasoning in the content. Then, we make the final product available to the target audience online to send them in the desired direction.
In other words, you can prove your capabilities and expertise through content production. The content you produce helps people and the online community learn more about your business, your brand, and your products. Content helps you attract people, create a concern for them, and draw them to your brand by providing a solution to the concern. It’s the content that drives visitors to your website and page, and it’s the content that makes you money.
To produce content, we need ideas and topics that match the needs and concerns of our buyers. In the next step, in order to better understand these ideas or topics, we add visual and textual effects to it.
Don’t forget one thing: content creation is not just about writing textual content but includes different content types. We will talk more about them in the next sections.
The importance of content brief in producing high-quality content
It was mentioned earlier that writing and preparing the content brief is like a road map that gives the content producers a line of thought. On the other hand, the content brief plays a role in checking the final content, so the final content is checked with the content brief to measure its conformity. If the final content is in harmony with the content brief, it means that the goals and expectations of the user have been met. Among the reasons for the importance of the content brief in producing high-quality content the following can be mentioned:
1- More transparency
Among the importance of the content brief in content production, we can mention the clarification of the work of the content producer. The goals and expectations of the user are fully and clearly described in the content brief. As a rule, the result of the clarity of the content brief can be seen in the final product.
2- Saving time and resources
The importance of a content brief is evident in preventing unnecessary revision and rewriting. The content prepared based on the content brief minimizes the need for revision and rewriting and saves time and resources.
3- Improving the quality of content
It was mentioned earlier that the content that is produced based on the content brief is according to the user’s wishes, and its quality is acceptable to the user.
4- Facilitating cooperation between content producers and business owners
The importance of the content brief is to start the collaboration between content producers and online business owners. The parties are already aware of your goals and expectations, and the basis of the work is clear.
What is the purpose of writing a content brief?
So far, the content brief is a communication tool between the employer and the content producer. The employer’s message reaches the content producer in the form of a text file (Excel or Word). The content of the brief file should be simple, fluent, transparent, accurate, and comprehensive. The purpose of writing a content brief is to effectively convey the message of the employer to the content producer. The text, video, or audio content producer produces the highest quality content according to the content brief. Keep in mind that the employer must prepare the beef file carefully so that the employer does not get into trouble with the content producer after creating the content.
Checking the features of the content brief
1- Clear goals
One of the features of the content brief is the clarity of the employer’s goals. The goals that are defined show the content producers the path to success.
2- Target audience
In order to produce content in digital marketing, it is very important to know the audience or audience. You should know the interests and tastes of your audience and produce and publish valuable content according to them. As a rule, the content that is in harmony with the tastes and interests of the audience is considered.
3- Business recipes
Every business has a set of specific recipes. These recipes should be mentioned in the content brief. These recipes include brand tone, content style, brand message, content format, and content format. Recipes specify a way for the content output to be consistent with the brand.
4- Content type and format
One of the features of the content brief is determining the type of content and its format. The content can be prepared in the form of text, video, or audio and published in the virtual space.
5- Keywords
The employer must specify the main and secondary keywords in the content brief. The selection of keywords should be based on Google search engines and then presented to the content producer.
6- Delivery time
One of the features of the content brief is determining the content delivery deadline. The employer can plan by specifying the project’s delivery time and managing his time at this time. On the other hand, the content producer can manage his time and send the content at a certain time so that it reaches the user on time.
How to write a content brief?
1- Project Overview
How to write a content brief? To answer this question, it is necessary to specify the overview of the project that includes the brand’s goals. In addition to brand goals, information such as audience, content tone, content style, and recipes should be mentioned.
2- Background information
In the sample content brief, you can get the background information. Background information is about textual, visual, or audio content. Background information includes research methodology, data, and statistics.
3- Key messages
In this part of the content brief, the messages to be included in the content should be specified. Key messages include key points and guidance on how to communicate them.
4- Content Specifications
Any information and specifications that are necessary for textual, visual, and audio content should be prepared and set in the content brief.
5- The shape of the content
The form of the content is a combination of the style and tone of the content, which is determined after audience analysis. The user includes instructions in the form of content and passes them to the content producer (writer or graphic artist).
6- Time table
Key milestones and deadlines should be mentioned in the timeline. If the employer has a limit, he can mention it in the timetable section. Project timelines are available in different types of briefs.
7- Budget
The employer must provide information about the project budget in designing the content brief. If there is a penalty, reward, or limitation in the cost of the project, it should be mentioned in this section.