Working with the right copywriter can sometimes feel like having a word wizard in your back pocket – but unfortunately we can’t read minds. No matter how magical your copywriter seems to be, they still need some guidance before diving into your project. The best way to give that guidance? A copy brief.
A well-structured copy brief helps your copywriter get it right on the first draft, saves time going back and forth with clarifying questions, and ensures your copy is in line with your goals from the very first line.
But what do you need to include in a copy brief? How much detail do you need to provide? And the most commonly asked question – if I have to do so much work for the brief, why do I need a copywriter at all?
What to Include in a Copywriting Brief
Everybody writes briefs a little differently, so there is no exact formula for what to include in a copywriting brief, but we like to break our briefs down into four sections: Project Overview, Key Messages, Reference Material, and Housekeeping.
Many copywriting brief templates will also include sections for detailed target audience and messaging breakdowns, but we prefer to gather that information separately, since it doesn’t change as much from project to project. You can check out this podcast episode to learn more about what we recommend for a messaging guide.
Project Overview
Before we start writing we need to know what we are writing, why we are writing it, and who is going to be reading it. Starting your brief with a clear project overview will ensure that every word is written with purpose and speaks to the right audience.
For example, the project overview for this blog post is:
What: Blog post
Why: Educate clients and prospects on how to write an effective copy brief
Who: Existing clients who need help writing their briefs and prospective clients considering The Copy Queue
Setting the stage with these three elements helps your copywriter work efficiently and write effectively from the start.
Key Messages & Call-to-Action
The project overview gives a birds-eye view of the content you want written, but the key messages section is where the details come in. What does your copywriter need to include in this piece?
This can look like:
- Important takeaways that you want the reader to leave with;
- Industry-specific insights that your copywriter may not have access to;
- Company-specific perspective and thought leadership that you want to include to make sure your content stands out.
This is also a great place to share any common objections, questions, or feedback you get from your clients or customers so that your copywriter can write with them in mind. Addressing these questions directly in the copy will help your messaging resonate with your target audience – so do your copywriter a favor and include them in your brief!
Key messages for this post:
- A good copy brief lays the foundation for a good final product and can help bridge the gap between the client’s expert knowledge and the copywriter’s wordsmithing expertise
- Messaging strategy can be included in a copy brief, but it doesn’t have to be repeated for every project
- Copywriters are magical – but we aren’t mind readers 😉
Call to Action
What do you want your readers to do when they finish reading your piece? Do you want them to book a call? Visit a webpage? Sign up for a freebie? Whatever the CTA is you need to name it and ideally provide the link 😉
References
References can help your copywriter understand what you do want and what you don’t want to see reflected in your copy. A good copywriter will research and comb through your site to reference any relevant existing content, but if you have something specific in mind that you want featured – or a piece of content that is outdated and shouldn’t be referenced –it’s helpful to share it up front.
References can look like:
- Existing blog posts, web pages, or social media posts from your brand that cover the same or similar topic;
- Competitor content that you think is done well/like the formatting of;
- Competitor content that you think is done poorly/don’t like the formatting of; or
- Interesting articles or other resources that have a perspective you want to share.
References for this post:
- Client briefs that we loved – what made them so helpful?
- Client briefs that missed the mark – why did they fall flat?
- Questions we find ourselves asking clients when we skip the briefing process – what information is often overlooked?
We’re not linking our references (for obvious reasons) but when you share yours in a brief be sure to include links where applicable.
Housekeeping
The bulk of the content being written in the brief comes from the points above, but these little housekeeping questions are vital to ensuring the project starts off on the right track and stays there through the end.
Formatting & Design
Typically copy drives design, so if you don’t have any preferences here, we are happy to make design suggestions as we write. If we’re being real? You probably have some idea for how you’d like your content formatted – so let us know from the start?
Details like:
- Will the end product be plain text (like an email) or fully designed?
- Are we writing web copy with an existing template or other limitations in mind?
- How long are you expecting the piece to be?
Many times these questions are answered through the process of completing the project overview and reference portions of the brief, but if you have something specific in mind it is always helpful to share it here so there is no confusion when we start to write.
SEO (sometimes)
Search Engine Optimization is a whole can of worms that I simply will not be opening for this blog post. If you are submitting a brief for an email, social media post, or other, non-searchable piece of copy – congrats! You don’t need to worry about SEO either.
If you are submitting a brief for website copy, sales page, or blog posts however, SEO is a vital part of the writing process. My friend Jade over at Hello SEO has an abundance of knowledge when it comes to the strategy behind SEO, but when it comes to including it in your copy brief, here’s what we need to know:
- Are there any keywords you would like to target for this project? Include primary, secondary, and long-tail keywords if applicable.
- Are there any internal links you want us to include?
- Do you need us to write a meta description?
Final Thoughts
When writing a content brief, you can always add more information than requested, but if you want a quick and dirty guide to writing a content brief that will make your copywriter fall in love with you – you’re in the right place.
A well-written copy brief isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about giving your writer the clarity they need to deliver copy that works. Whether you’re hiring a freelancer, managing your copy in-house, or enjoying unlimited copy support inside The Copy Queue, investing a few minutes in a detailed brief will save you time, revisions, and frustration.
Finished with your brief and looking for a copy team to finish the job? Join The Copy Queue today and let us handle the words while you focus on what you do best.
