Why does the copywriting brief matter?

Freelancers don’t work in-house (that’s why we’re freelancers).

So we don’t have the luxury of getting to know your business from the inside out, absorbing the culture and all the inner workings to produce copy that could’ve come straight from the subconscious of the founder themselves.

The only way to get around this technicality is with a stellar brief.

What’s involved in a great copywriting brief?

The brief should be – despite its diminutive name – long enough that the copywriter really gets to know the heart and soul of the business. We won’t necessarily use the fact that you buy all your employees an advent calendar every December in our copy – but it gives us a clearer picture of what it’s like to work with you, which leads to stronger copy that’s as exciting and distinctive as your business.

The copywriting brief essentials

Even the skimpiest of briefs (ahem) should contain a few key details such as the main products or services, the general demographic of the target audience and the background values and principles of the company. Without these basics it’s going to be difficult to get anything down on paper at all.

But a really great brief goes the extra mile (or hundred).

Even the skimpiest of briefs (ahem) must contain a few key details – But a really great brief goes the extra mile (or hundred).

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The copywriting brief power-up

A brief that gets to the nitty-gritty, digs deep. And that’s the brief that pays off in producing copy that speaks directly to your target client.

A great brief identifies more than your target demographic – it gets to the heart of who you’re talking to (because no-one is actually a woman aged 25-55).

It looks at their dreams and desires, what problem keeps them awake at night – and how you can step in to solve it.

A great brief doesn’t just look at the features of your product – it delves into what those great features really mean for your target customer.

It examines the barriers to sale, scrutinises your competitors, identifies your USP (yes, you do have one!), teases out your brand’s distinct personality, pinpoints tone and style, and analyses SEO keywords.

This sounds lengthy…

This is definitely a case of “a stitch in time…”

Putting the time in at the beginning (and a decent copywriting brief should take a good hour) saves multiple hours of back and forth on revisions afterwards.

Digging deep gets the gold

Just like a house needs a solid foundation, an excellent brief is the strong base that your copy will be built on.

So it pays to make it a good one.

To brief me on your next project, just…