How to Brief a Writer: A Template That Gets Better Results

The single biggest predictor of whether a writing project goes smoothly is the quality of the brief. Poor briefs produce generic drafts, multiple revision rounds, and frustrated writers. A good brief produces a tight first draft that needs minimal correction. Here's what one looks like.

What most briefs leave out

Before getting to the template, it's worth naming the things that most clients omit — because they're the things writers most need:

The specific audience. "Our customers" is not an audience. "Mid-level procurement managers at manufacturing companies who are evaluating software for the first time" is an audience.
What the reader should do or think after reading. Content without a clear objective produces writing that covers a topic without accomplishing anything.
What not to say. Competitors not to mention, claims that legal has flagged, topics that are off-brand. Writers can't avoid landmines they don't know exist.
Examples of writing they like. Tone is extremely hard to specify abstractly. Three examples of content with the right voice communicate more than a paragraph of tone descriptors.

The brief template

1. Content type and length

What are you commissioning? A 1,200-word blog post, a 400-word product description, a 2,500-word technical guide, a 150-word email subject line and body? Be specific. "An article" is not enough.

2. Working title or topic

This doesn't have to be the final headline, but give the writer a starting point. "Something about data labeling" is too vague. "A guide to the five main annotation types for ML teams who are scoping their first labeling project" gives them a direction.

3. Target audience (specific)

Describe the reader in concrete terms:

Role and seniority
Industry or sector
What they already know about the topic (so the writer doesn't over-explain)
What they don't know that this piece should teach them
What they're trying to accomplish

4. Primary objective

What should the reader think, feel, or do after reading? Options include:

Understand a concept they didn't before
Trust your brand as an authority on a topic
Click through to a product page or sign-up form
Share the article with a colleague
Make a specific decision or take a specific action

5. Key points to cover

List 3–6 specific things the piece must address. This is not the structure of the article — the writer will figure that out — but a list of topics that must appear. Example: "Must include: why accuracy matters more than speed for legal transcription; what 99% accuracy actually means in practice; how to evaluate a transcription vendor."

6. Tone and voice

Describe the tone in terms of extremes: "More like X, less like Y." Then provide 2–3 examples of content that nails the voice you want (can be competitor content, articles you admire, your own best past content).

7. What to avoid

List specific competitors not to mention by name, claims that are legally sensitive, topics that are off-brand or out of scope, and any jargon that your audience dislikes.

8. SEO requirements (if applicable)

If the piece is for search, include the primary keyword, any secondary keywords, and the search intent the piece is targeting. Note if there's a specific meta description or title tag format required.

9. Deadline and format

When do you need the first draft? What format should it arrive in — Google Doc, DOCX, plain text? Are there heading or formatting conventions to follow?

10. Point of contact for questions

Writers who can ask clarifying questions produce better first drafts. Name the person who can answer questions about the brief and indicate the best way to reach them.

How long should a brief be?

For a standard 1,000–1,500 word blog post, a complete brief is typically one to two pages. For a longer technical piece or a piece where tone is particularly important, it might be three. If you're spending less than 20 minutes writing a brief for a piece that will take a writer 4–6 hours, you're underinvesting — and it will show in the output.

A quick checklist

✅ Content type and length specified
✅ Specific audience described
✅ Clear primary objective
✅ 3–6 key points the piece must address
✅ Tone described with examples
✅ Explicit list of what to avoid
✅ SEO requirements included if relevant
✅ Deadline, format, and contact specified

Send a brief like this and your first draft will land significantly closer to what you need. Scriptring's writing service is available for articles, blogs, summaries, and long-form content — matched to writers with experience in your industry.