Have you ever found yourself staring at a blank screen, struggling to start a new piece of content?
Or perhaps you’ve felt the frustration of a project veering off course, leaving you with a final product that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
These challenges are all too common in the world of content creation. Fortunately, there’s a powerful tool that can help you navigate these obstacles with ease: the content brief.
A content brief provides a clear path, outlining the essential details and strategic insights needed to create content that hits the mark every time.
In this post, we’ll discuss content briefs in detail and explain how to create one with easy steps.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
1 What is a Content Brief?
A content brief is a detailed document that outlines the key elements and requirements for a piece of content, serving as a roadmap for creators.
It includes essential information such as the content’s objectives, target audience, key messages, format, and any specific guidelines or expectations.
A content brief provides a clear and concise framework that helps ensure that the content aligns with the overall strategy and meets the desired goals.
It facilitates better communication and collaboration among team members, allowing everyone to understand the project’s scope and direction.
For instance, if you’re developing a blog post, the content brief can specify the target audience, such as small business owners, and the main objectives, such as providing actionable marketing tips.
It can also detail the key messages to be conveyed, the desired tone and style, the length of the post, and any specific keywords for SEO purposes.
Similarly, for a social media campaign, the content brief can include the platforms to be used, the type of content (e.g., images, videos, captions), the posting schedule, and the metrics for measuring success.
2 How to Create a Content Brief
Let us now discuss how to create a content brief.
2.1 Write a Working Title
A title is very important for a content brief. Your title should be a clear and focused statement outlining the content’s main topic and purpose.
Begin by pinpointing the primary subject matter or theme of your content brief. This should be a concise description of what the content will be about.
For instance, if your content brief focuses on digital marketing trends for 2024, your core topic can be Digital Marketing Trends for 2024.
Determine the specific angle or aspect of your content’s topic. This helps to differentiate your content and provide a clear direction for the reader. To narrow down the focus, your working title can be Emerging Digital Marketing Trends: What to Expect in 2024.
Depending on the nature of your content, consider adding actionable language that indicates what the reader can expect to learn or achieve from reading the content.
A more action-oriented title can be Mastering Digital Marketing Trends: Strategies for Success in 2024.
Your working title should be clear and specific enough to convey the main idea of the content brief without being overly detailed.
You can use the SEO Title AI tool to generate variations of SEO titles that compel your searchers.
2.2 Choose the Right Target Keyword
Choosing the right target keyword is essential for optimizing a post according to search engine optimization (SEO) best practices.
Start by understanding what the audiences are searching for when they look for information related to creating a content brief.
Search intent can vary, such as informational (seeking knowledge), navigational (looking for a specific website or resource), transactional (intent to make a purchase or take an action), or commercial investigation (researching products or services before making a decision).
Choose a keyword that is directly relevant to the topic of your content brief. It should accurately reflect the content’s topic and match your target audience’s language when searching for information.
You can use the Content AI research feature to perform your research. Make sure you’ve enabled the Content AI module from your WordPress dashboard.
In the Gutenberg Editor, click the Content AI icon in the top-right corner to open the Content AI Panel.
In the Content AI panel, navigate to the Research tab. Here, you can research a focus keyword or enter a new keyword you want to explore.
The panel includes several options:
- Country Selection: Choose the country you’re targeting. This setting allows for granular control, overriding the default global setting configured earlier. Select a country from the drop-down list.
- Credits Availability: Check the total number of credits left. If the credits are incorrect or not displayed, click the refresh button to update the available credits.
- Focus Keyword Field: Enter the keyword you want for your post and click the Research button.
Content AI operates on a credit system. We offer three plans:
For the latest pricing and credit counts, refer to our Content AI Pricing page.
The AI will provide useful data such as word count, link count, heading count, media count, relevant keywords, ad competition, CPC, search volume, related questions, and external links.
Content AI uses stored data without consuming new credits if you research the same keyword again. To get the latest recommendations, click the refresh icon in the Focus Keyword field, which will use an additional 500 credits.
Note: You can purchase more Content AI credits from the pricing section if you run out of Content AI credits.
After hitting the Research button, Rank Math will request the AI server to analyze the keyword. In a few moments, the data will be available inside your Content AI panel.
2.3 Conduct a SERP Analysis
Analyze the search engine results page (SERP) for your target keyword. Note if there are any featured snippets, knowledge graphs, or other rich results that indicate the type of content search engines prefer for that keyword.
For instance, if the top results show listicles or step-by-step guides, consider structuring your content brief post similarly to align with what audiences find valuable.
Enter your target keyword into Google’s search bar and review the first page of results.
Pay attention to:
- Featured Snippets: Look for featured snippets that concisely answer common questions related to creating a content brief. Featured snippets often appear at the top of the search results and can significantly impact click-through rates.
- Types of Content: Note the types of content that appear in the top results. Are they blog posts, guides, videos, or something else? Understanding the dominant content formats can help you create your own content to meet the audience’s expectations better.
- Titles and Meta Descriptions: Analyze the titles and meta descriptions of the top-ranking pages. Note how competitors are framing their content and including the target keyword.
- Content Structure: Review the structure and organization of the top-ranking content. Look for common themes, sections, or steps that are covered. This can guide you in structuring your own content to provide comprehensive coverage of the topic.
Look for opportunities to differentiate your content. Identify gaps or areas where existing content may lack coverage or depth. This can include offering unique insights, including case studies or examples, or presenting the information more engagingly.
Refer to our dedicated tutorial on SERP Analysis and maximize your content’s chances of success on SERPs.
2.4 Create Your Outline
Once you’ve done all the research and analysis, create your tentative outline. Your outline should include:
- A suggested title
- The main H2s
- Important H3s
- Descriptions for each section.
To create an effective outline, you should start by clearly understanding the purpose of your writing and the audience you are addressing.
Also, establish a hierarchical structure for your outline.
Start with broad categories that will serve as the main headings. Under each main heading, create subheadings that are more specific aspects of the topic.
Arrange your points in a logical sequence, ensuring that there is a natural flow from one section to the next.
After drafting your initial outline, review it to ensure completeness and clarity. Check that each section and subsection supports your overall purpose and that there are no gaps or redundancies.
2.5 Make a List of Internal Links to Include
Internal links are hyperlinks that point to other pages within the same website. They help the audience navigate your site more effectively and help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.
Review your existing articles, blog posts, product pages, and other relevant pages to find those that are topically related or offer additional value to your readers.
Next, prioritize the internal links based on their relevance and importance. Not all internal links carry the same weight; some might be more important for your SEO strategy or user engagement. Choose links that will naturally fit into your new content and provide further information or context for your readers.
As you compile your list, ensure that the anchor text for each internal link is descriptive and relevant to the linked page.
3 Content Brief Examples
Let us now discuss a few content brief examples.
3.1 Draft.dev’s Technical Content Template
Karl Hughes operates Draft.dev, a technical content marketing agency. His content brief templates are exceptionally detailed, providing comprehensive guidance to assist a large team of writers in tackling highly technical subjects.
3.2 Daniel Cheung’s Beginner-Friendly Brief Template
Daniel Cheung’s content brief template is ideal for beginners in content marketing. Each section includes a brief description of the required information, making it particularly helpful for teams unfamiliar with completing content briefs.
4 Conclusion
With a well-crafted content brief, you set the foundation for producing high-quality, consistent, and targeted content that meets your business objectives and attracts your audience.
By investing time in creating detailed content briefs, you can deliver your best work, ultimately driving better results for your brand.
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