How to brief a freelance content marketeer

It is an easy question to ask but the answer is not as straight forward as the question. Because, of course, it fully depends on what you want the content marketeer to do for you. The information and access they (or I) need differs widely for a blog article or a content strategy. So let’s look at what information is required or desired for a few different services.

A content/copywriting brief

For content and copywriting purposes the information a content marketeer needs is fairly similar. Start with a content type, after all the marketeer needs to know what they are writing. This can vary wildly, as it can be for either on- or offline material, such as brochures, flyers, blog articles, landing pages, product pages, advertorials etc.

Next consider the purpose of the piece of content; what do you want the reader of the piece to do after they have read it? And who is your reader, what audience or persona should the piece speak to? Do not forget to include your brand’s tone of voice guidelines, so that the writer can be sure to match it.

Content marketeers are not encyclopedias, they do not know everything. So if possible, include sources that you trust so that the writer can inform themself properly, this can be people, websites, books, or just your own website. You may also want to include sources that should not be used.

Depending on the type of content that is being written, let the content writer know what the core message should be; what is the one thing that the reader should know or remember after reading it. Also include in your briefing where the content will be published, as the context of the piece can influence how readers respond to it. If there is limited space available make sure to be exact when communicating how many characters there is room for, and if there is no limit you might want to set a minimum length.

Finally, for pieces that are to be published online, include desired keywords and backlinks (and anchor texts) if you have them. If the writer knows what to include from the start they can do so in a natural way in the piece. That always works better than shoehorning them in after the piece has already been written.

A content strategy briefing

If a content marketeer is creating a strategy for your brand, the briefing will need to include both information and access to data. Tell them about your brand, what do you do and why do you it, preferably in written form so they can recheck it throughout the strategy creation process but do not worry about the wording, it can be a list or a sentence. This information forms the very basis of all the strategy that is to come.

If your brand is not shiny and new, give your content marketeer access to existing data. For example, Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. These sources hold a lot of information about your existing audience and how they interact with your website.

Make sure to also inform the content strategist about your competitors. Who does your audience compare your brand to and who are you trying to outperform with your new strategy? Include both direct and indirect competitors; and, if you have them, brands that inspire yours but operate in a different market.

A web content management briefing

The most important part to brief your web content manager on is how to access your website’s CMS, without access they cannot do the job you hired them to do. But that is not all they need to know to get to work. A web content manager will help you to both create new and update existing content, and make sure your website functions properly.

To improve your website’s performance, they will need to know where your website stands. For that the content manager needs data, Google Analytics and Search Console are good places to start. But if you have more, such as heatmaps, make sure to include those in your briefing too.

Finally to update and make new content, your briefing should include your strategy. Preferably, this will be one document containing all of the following information:

• Your target audience and personas

• Your tone of voice guidelines

• Your primary and secondary keywords

• Your company/brand background information

• Your competition research

Every situation is different

Of course, every situation and partnership is unique. And maybe you do not have all the material that could be helpful to your content marketeer. There is nothing wrong with asking them what they need from you, and if you are missing something they might be able to work around it or help you set it up. Do not be surprised or offended if your content marketeer sends you follow up questions, after all good and open communication between parties gives the greatest opportunity for a successful partnership.