How to write a briefing that results in the perfect text

When it comes to the creation of content, search engine optimised texts (SEO texts), for example, clear and efficient com­mu­nic­a­tion between clients and agents is essential for a suc­cess­ful col­lab­or­a­tion. The means of this com­mu­nic­a­tion is often the so-called copy­writer or editor briefing, which gives the writer a precise detailing of what is expected. In addition to the topic and the desired keywords, the editor briefing also lays out the desired content, ref­er­ences, media, and other com­pon­ents of the requested text. In addition, the client can specify the general style of the text by identi­fy­ing the target audience, for example.

The desired content of the com­mis­sioned text must be clearly com­mu­nic­ated to avoid mis­un­der­stand­ings between client and writer. It’s important to find the right balance: if the briefing is too short or too vague, this can lead to a product that doesn’t meet the client’s ex­pect­a­tions. However, when the briefing goes into too much detail, it can have an in­hib­it­ory effect, re­strict­ing the writer’s editorial freedom.

A good text briefing should be written thor­oughly and de­lib­er­ately. The client’s remit is to prepare a briefing as precisely as possible, just as the writer is obliged to create a text that meets the specified re­quire­ments. To follow is a step-by-step guide on how to write a briefing with various examples.

Text briefings can vary depending on the type of text, the client, and re­quire­ments. Some are extensive and complex, others re­l­at­ively simple. While some briefings provide concrete content, stylistic, and technical spe­cific­a­tions con­tain­ing points such as media to be in­teg­rated or sources to be ref­er­enced, others rely on only a few key points. However, all briefings have some essential points in common, e.g. the topic, the content, and the type of text. The table below lists and briefly explains all possible com­pon­ents of an editor briefing with optional points in par­en­theses.

Once you’ve prepared the structure, i.e. your briefing points, you can begin writing the briefing. Note the following:

• The KISS principle (“keep it short and simple”): provide the necessary in­form­a­tion directly and un­am­bigu­ously. Ideally, your copy­writer briefing should be easy to un­der­stand in just a few seconds.
• Use line breaks or bullet points to separate briefing points for clearer reading. Avoid large blocks of text to make it easier for the writer to get a quick overview of the briefing.
• Tone is important when writing a briefing. Try and phrase spe­cific­a­tions as requests and avoid overuse of the im­per­at­ive. Otherwise it comes across as au­thor­it­ari­an, which can be de­mo­tiv­at­ing.
• Many writers deliver their best work under cir­cum­stances where they are given some level of creative freedom. This makes it all the more important not to dictate too many details of the com­mis­sioned text. Only mention important re­quire­ments regarding content and structure. At the end of the day, the editor briefing isn’t so much a guide, per se, but rather a col­lec­tion of guidelines.

The following template is useful for con­cen­trat­ing on the essential in­form­a­tion for your com­mis­sioned text and will help you in writing the briefing in the form of bullet points.

Article topic:

Text type:

Category:

Word count:

Deadline:

Content:

Structure:

Media:

Style:

Target audience:

Take the following order as an example. The writer should write an article comparing the best dating apps. SEO analysis has shown that a “Top 10” format makes sense. We think that one screen­shot of each app offers the reader added value and in our research, we found that gender ratio and pricing models are very important in dating apps, so we want to highlight this in­form­a­tion. The following editor briefing has been made according to these specs using the above template:

Article topic: Top 10 Dating Apps

Text type: Guide, Top 10 List

Category: Apps, Lifestyle

Word count: 3,000 – 5,000

Deadline: 30 April, 2018

Content: Compare the best dating apps and present them one by one in countdown form, sorted by quality. It is up to you to select the top 10.

Please refer to the following points in the in­di­vidu­al apps: price model, gender ratio, method, match making, and personal profile.

Please also briefly specify the com­pat­ible operating systems for each app and whether there is a desktop or web app.

You are also welcome to address regional dif­fer­ences (for example, certain apps seem to be more popular in some cities than others).

Structure: H1: “Top 10 Dating Apps.” Use a sub­head­ing for each app with the name of the re­spect­ive app. Please summarise with a table showing the com­par­is­on criteria at the end of the article.

Media: Include a screen­shot of each app, please.

Style: Casual and con­ver­sa­tion­al. Ad­dress­ing the reader is ok.

Target audience: Under 30s

Copy­writer briefings are commonly written in bullet point lists like these; however, briefings in con­tinu­ous text are still quite popular. The advantage of these is that they feel more personal than just a list of important points. Depending on the number of spe­cific­a­tions, a con­tinu­ous text also makes more sense, e.g. if the author has a lot of flex­ib­il­ity and fewer fixed para­met­ers need to be com­mu­nic­ated.

Dear writer,

Please create an article on the topic of dating apps, present­ing the 10 best dating apps in a top 10 countdown (ending with first place). The selection and eval­u­ation of the apps is up to you. The over­rid­ing question is: What is the best dating app?

The question of cost is paramount to many readers. Are the apps still effective if you don't want to spend money? How expensive are the paid versions? In addition, there are often regional dif­fer­ences, as some apps are more popular in certain cities than in others – please address this. It would also be nice if you could describe the three main features with screen­shots. Dating apps often differ in their user ex­per­i­ence depending on gender – you are welcome to discuss this.

Because our target audience is mainly young people under 30 years of age, the tone should be ap­pro­pri­ately relaxed. You are welcome to address the reader and assume that he or she is single.

At the end of the article, please summarise with a table in which you can quickly compare the cost of each app.

We need the article by 30 April. It should be about 3,000 words. The following keywords appear most fre­quently in searches, so should be included: “dating apps,” “the best dating apps,” and “apps for singles.”

We hope you find all the in­form­a­tion you need for a suc­cess­ful article. If there is anything that is not clear in the briefing, don’t hesitate to ask.

All the best,

John Public

Text Com­mis­sion­ing Co., Inc.

One you’ve written the text briefing, read it through for errors and, if necessary, have it proofread by a second person. Texts that don’t meet ex­pect­a­tions often result from mis­lead­ing or in­com­plete briefings, so it’s in your own interest to avoid un­ne­ces­sary mistakes. A good editor briefing saves both the writer and the client frus­trat­ing and time-consuming rewriting.

• Check that the most important in­struc­tions are included. Sometimes it helps to keep the “w” questions in mind: what should be written, how, why and for whom?
• On the other hand, consider whether the in­struc­tions contained are all mean­ing­ful or important. Too many in­struc­tions can be in­hib­it­ing or re­strict­ive.
• Put your briefing to the test: pass it to a colleague and ask them if they un­der­stand the as­sign­ment and know exactly what they need to do. Is there any unclear or confusing in­form­a­tion? Are any in­struc­tions missing or is there too much in­form­a­tion? This enables you to obtain valuable feedback on the clarity of your briefing.
• Also check the keyword list again. Are the keywords all spelled correctly and do they make sense? Too many keyword re­quire­ments can force the writer to include awkward phrases. It’s best to stick to three to five keywords and always reflect on them before including. With SEO, quality is more important than quantity.
• Compare your briefing with other suc­cess­ful and/or even un­suc­cess­ful writer briefings, e.g. briefings written by col­leagues. What worked in the past, what didn’t? If the writer you’re com­mis­sion­ing has already received briefings from you or your col­leagues, using old briefings can provide a helpful ori­ent­a­tion.

In many cases, it’s helpful to talk to the writer or editorial team about the briefings. If you ask your copy­writers for feedback on previous briefings, you’ll be able to write them much more ef­fect­ively. As a rule, once a certain briefing structure is es­tab­lished, you only have to change in­di­vidu­al points for each article. The perfect copy­writer briefing is the result of good com­mu­nic­a­tion between the com­mis­sion­er and the agency.

Ask the writer or editorial team for regular feedback on the following:

• Are the briefings easy to un­der­stand? Does each writer know what to do?
• Are there any requests on the writer’s side for future briefings? Is more or less spe­cific­a­tion helpful?
• If there have been unclear or con­tra­dict­ory briefings, ask for examples of what created confusion. Comparing these to briefings that were well received is the best way to identify mistakes to avoid in the future.