Beyond Templates: Here's A Fresh Approach to Content Briefs Creation
Content Strategist
Content briefs are convenient but can often kill creativity and strategy, especially when they’re templated. But what if there’s a better way?
In this article, we’ll shake things up and explore how to breathe new life into your content briefs, which, after all, are often the starting point of your entire content strategy!
Ready to break free? Let’s jump in.
Table of Contents
What are Content Briefs?
Content briefs act like roadmaps that guide writers, designers, and marketers to create great content that hits the mark every time. They’re detailed game plans that outline everything from the target audience, goal, key messaging, SEO keywords, and content structure.
However, they’re not just a checklist of must-haves.
A good content brief should capture the essence of what you’re trying to achieve without being boring or “formulaic”. In fact, the best ones break the mold and let creativity in. They allow you to explore new angles while keeping you focused on your goals.
Why should you use a content brief?
First off, they save you a ton of headaches.
Without a brief, you’re basically shooting in the dark. You might end up with content that misses the mark, doesn't align with your brand, or falls flat with your audience. A good brief keeps everyone on the same page – from writers to designers to stakeholders.
Content briefs can also boost your ROI. They help you create content that actually performs. When you've got a clear direction, you're more likely to hit those KPIs, whether it's boosting organic traffic, generating leads, or increasing conversions.
Plus, briefs speed up the whole content creation process. If done well, they eliminate the need for endless revision or poor communication with writers and clients. You’ll get it right the first time, saving tons of time and money.
The 5 essential components of a good content brief
Most content specialists can create a content brief. But how do you make sure it’s actually useful and not just another process you spend hours on without any real benefit?
We’ve got a set of criteria that separates the good briefs from the great ones. Let’s explore them.
1st component - Audience-centric storytelling
Audience-centric storytelling is the first step of building a great content brief, and it starts with in-depth persona development. You analyze demographic data, conduct interviews, and study behavioral patterns to create detailed audience profiles. These profiles include job roles, industry challenges, preferred content formats, and even specific pain points like budget constraints or time pressures.
Next, you’ll map these personas onto the audience's journey.
This involves breaking down the buying process into stages like awareness, consideration, and decision (think of them like stages of the marketing funnel, which we’ll explore more in-depth below).
For each stage,you should identify key questions the audience is asking and the content types that best address these questions. For example, in the awareness stage, you might focus on educational blog posts that address industry trends. In the consideration stage, you could prioritize case studies or comparison guides.
2nd component - Data-driven insights
And here comes the second component, data-driven insights.
What we want here is to stop relying on gut feelings or past experiences. We want to think outside the box and try to integrate real-time analytics into every brief we create.
But what does this mean?
We can pull data from various sources—website traffic, social media engagement, search trends, and even customer feedback. We look at the types of people checking out our website and try to tailor our briefs and intent accordingly.
You could also use AI to brainstorm different audience pain points and needs. For example, Yahini uses its own AI model trained by content strategists to create data-driven content briefs.
3rd component - Agile adaptation
The 3rd criterion refers to keeping your content brief dynamic and responsive. Your brief isn’t set in stone, it should evolve with your content strategy.
And it all starts from the ground up. Start by implementing feedback loops at every stage of the content creation process. Writers, editors, and even your audience (actually, the insights you get from them) should provide input that's immediately incorporated into the brief.
You might adjust tone, tweak messaging, or pivot topics based on real-world performance and feedback.
4th component - Funnel stage
When building a content brief, know what stage of the funnel your audience is at, whether Top of Funnel (TOFU), Middle of Funnel (MOFU), or Bottom of Funnel (BOFU).
For TOFU, focus on awareness and education. The briefs should emphasize broad, informative content that addresses general pain points or industry trends. We're not pushing for a sale here – we're establishing authority and building trust.
MOFU briefs get more specific. You're dealing with an audience that's aware of their problem and considering solutions. The content needs to showcase your unique value proposition. Include comparison guides, case studies, or detailed how-to content.
And BOFU briefs are all about conversion. You're targeting people ready to make a decision. The content briefs here focus on overcoming final objections, providing detailed product information, and including clear calls-to-action. We might specify content like product demos, free trials, or customer testimonials.
5th component - User intent
And now, the final component – knowing and targeting your content for the right user intent.
This is a critical factor that goes beyond funnel stages, and it’s all about understanding the specific goal a user has when they interact with your content. This could be informational (seeking knowledge), navigational (looking for a specific page or site), commercial (researching products), or transactional (ready to buy).
The key is to match your content format and depth to the user's intent. This might mean creating multiple pieces of content on the same topic, each tailored to a different intent.
Point is, a successful content brief has user intent in mind, and its structure reflects that.
Changing your mindset when it comes to content briefs
We now have the 5 pillars to great content briefs, but how do we move beyond the standard approach and sprinkle in a bit of creativity and “uniqueness”?
Too often, we treat content briefs like a checklist, ticking off boxes without really engaging our brains. But here's the truth: great content doesn't come from following a template. It comes from understanding your audience, your goals, and the unique value you bring to the table.
We need to encourage critical thinking over a checkbox mentality.
Instead of asking "What keywords should we use?", ask "Why would our audience care about this topic?" Instead of "What's our word count?", consider "How can we provide the most value in the most efficient way?" This shift in thinking transforms your brief from a set of instructions into a strategic document.
Your brief should provide a clear framework, but within that framework, there needs to be room for innovation and original thinking. Encourage your team to challenge assumptions, propose new angles, and think outside the box. A good brief should inspire, not constrain.
Remember, the goal of a content brief isn't to dictate every detail. It's to provide a clear direction while leaving room for the expertise and creativity of your content creators.
The “Brief-less experiment”
But can you move forward and create content without having a brief?
Now, of course this makes sense if you’re a one-person team working on a single website. But what if you’re working with a team or juggling multiple clients who want to see a draft before you move on to creation?
Let’s talk a bit about the “Brief-less” experiment.
It's a radical idea but one that's worth exploring. Some companies have found that removing rigid briefs can lead to more creative, authentic content.
But this doesn't mean you're working without any guidance. Instead of formal briefs, you might use collaborative brainstorming sessions. Teams can bounce ideas off each other, challenge assumptions, and develop concepts organically.
Another alternative is the "minimal brief" approach. Instead of a detailed document, provide just a few key points - the core message, target audience, and main goal. This gives content creators a direction without boxing them in.
It’s time to rethink everything you know about content briefs
We've explored how to move beyond rigid templates and checkbox mentalities to create dynamic, strategic briefs that truly drive content success.
We’ve challenged the status quo (and loved it!) and encouraged a shift form fill-in-the-blanks to critical thinking.
Try to embrace these principles in your brief creation and see where they take you!
And, if you need a helping hand…
… Yahini offers you the strategic advice you need to create a content strategy from the ground up. Its AI has been trained by seasoned content strategists, providing you with expert-level content briefs right at your fingertips.
Ditch the generic outlines! Sign up now.
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