When thinking about which content brief works for you, it helps to see some examples in action.
In the content marketing brief examples below, the format of the brief is nearly identical, but the fields are filled out differently depending on what type of content is being requested — whether that’s a blog post, landing page, or product description.
Modify these general outlines as needed to create a content brief that’s tailored to your web content and audience.
1. Content Brief for a Blog Post
Let’s start with a content brief for a blog post.
This example includes a content brief for a fictional fitness blog that informs readers about various types of smartwatches.
In this scenario, the content manager or marketing agency drafting the brief knows the audience is interested in an active lifestyle and is tech-savvy.
The blog post is expected to offer general information about fitness and smartwatches and compare some affiliate products.
| Project Title |
1000-word article, “Which Smartwatch Features Do You Really Need?” |
| URL |
[Example URL] |
| Purpose/Objective |
Inform and engage, increase time on page, and direct click-throughs to the featured affiliate products. |
| Target Audience |
Readers are ages 40 to 65, interested in fitness, seeking to increase their activity level and maintain or improve health. |
| Customer Stage |
Awareness-to-considering |
| Call to Action |
Learn More (about each product) |
| Key Messaging |
Be smart about your smartwatch. Smartwatches are great, but find the one that suits your lifestyle and budget with our guide. |
| Tone, Style and POV |
Trustworthy, informative, and not too casual. Simple, precise vocabulary, no jargon. List benefits, not just features. |
| Images |
Use royalty-free, generic images. People at a gym or running, clearly wearing a smartwatch. |
| URLs |
Link to affiliate sites and the specific models we are comparing:
Model 1 [URL], Model 2 [URL], Model 3 [URL]
Link to authoritative sources on health and fitness:
[Example Source URL]
|
| Background Information and Notes |
This article will appear in the November newsletter alongside a sales-focused article, “Treat Yourself to Tech this Holiday.” |
| AI Guidelines |
This blog post should be entirely original, AI use isn’t permitted. |
2. Content Brief for a Landing Page
The next example provides an outline for drafting a landing page content brief
In this scenario, the fictional SaaS company is a content creation software brand, and the marketing manager is requesting a new landing page to promote a webinar.
The webinar content is related to marketing best practices and is intended to drive participants to subscribe to the company’s content software, incorporating an awareness of the user’s search intent.
The company has run this webinar before, so the manager includes information for the writer about where to find previous versions of the page content.
| Project Title |
Content creation webinar landing page for a SaaS company. |
| URL |
[Example URL] |
| Purpose/Objective |
Push webinar sign-ups for [Company Name], an online class that details how to use our software to transform your blog. |
| Target Audience |
Content managers, marketing managers and CMOs of small to mid-sized businesses with low-performing blogs who could benefit from high-quality, SEO-optimized content. |
| Customer Stage |
Subscribers to [Company Name]’s weekly newsletter. Be aware of our services and potentially consider them. |
| Call to Action |
Claim your FREE webinar seat! |
| Key Messaging |
Transform your blog with [Company Name].
Highlights: Learn how to save time and money, increase conversions, and rank higher. |
| Tone, Style and POV |
Confident tone. See our style guide [LINK] for specifics. This is B2B marketing, so use a “we know what your business needs” type POV (point of view). |
| Images |
Use assets the designer created [LINK TO FILES]. |
| Competitor URLs |
N/A |
| Background Information |
Webinar ran last winter. See files on the team site under “101 Webinar- Winter 2023.” |
| AI Guidelines |
This landing page should be entirely original, AI use isn’t permitted. |
| Notes |
“Hear what our customers have to say.” Include reviews and testimonials. See the project file on the team site. |
3. Content Brief for a Product Description
In our final example, let’s take a look at e-commerce content marketing with a product description content brief.
In this scenario, the content brief is for a fictionalized version of an e-commerce brand releasing a new smartwatch.
| Project Title |
Product Description for [New Smartwatch] |
| URL |
For sales page: [Example URL] |
| Purpose/Objective |
Drive upgrade sales for the [Smartwatch Name] |
| Target Audience |
Ages 20 to 55, active lifestyle, looking for an upgrade, iOS users. Owners of [Smartwatch Name] watches and other smartwatches purchased from our site in the past five years. |
| Customer Stage |
Current and previous customers |
| Call to Action |
Trade-in and Upgrade |
| Key Messaging |
Thin smartwatches have never been so functional and affordable. Now is the time for an upgrade - newer, thinner, and more water-resistant. Sleeker look and increased functionality. |
| Tone, Style and POV |
Friendly tone for loyal customers. “We know you are active and love the latest tech, so we’re sharing great news.” |
| Images |
Use images from the product photoshoot [LINK TO FILES] |
| Competitor URLs |
See [URL1] and [URL2] for competitors models |
| Background Information |
The product description will appear in the December newsletter emailed to a targeted customer list. |
| AI Guidelines |
This product description should be entirely original, AI use isn’t permitted. |
| Notes |
The campaign headline is [Example Campaign Name] to correlate with the main features of the new watch. |
Clarify AI Guidelines When Drafting Content Briefs
These content brief examples offer a comprehensive array of tips and guidelines for the writer or writing team to build on. They also offer clear guidelines on whether AI is permitted or not (in these scenarios each brief highlighted that the content should be original and human-written).
The rise of AI or artificial intelligence has had a number of impacts on content marketing. So, it’s best practice to be clear right at the beginning and note your brand’s policy on AI use for each project. That way, everyone is on the same page.
Read our tips on how to incorporate AI guidelines into writing contracts and check out our best-in-class AI detector for more information.
How To Design Your Content Brief Template
Create a content brief that works for you and your team. Variations on the tables above can also be used for social media posts, video scripts, and any other content you produce for clients.
If you need some help thinking about how to start a content brief, here is a helpful exercise:
- Begin with a blank table.
- Find an example of content you love: blog article, product description, landing page, etc.
- Deconstruct it into the typical elements of a content brief using the examples above.
- What is the title? Who is the audience? Key message? And so on.
- Label the left column with those elements: Title, Audience, Key Message, etc.
- Fill in the right column with the “answers” you find in the content you are studying.
You’ve just created what the content brief might have looked like for that piece of writing. Now, you can apply what you’ve learned to your projects.
Final Thoughts
Getting started is challenging, but once you commit to using a content brief, you’ll be so glad you did! From start to finish, everyone in the content creation process benefits from a well-constructed and consistently-used content brief.
Get more top content marketing tips to elevate your content:
