How to brief a content writer, and free templates

Nupur Mittal
Jul 26, 2025
4 min read

The quality of the content brief almost always shapes the quality of the final piece. If you hand over a generic brief filled with bullet points and a bunch of links, you’ll set the writer up for failure. A strong brief, on the other hand, gives writers the right context, sets clear expectations, and offers the right direction so that they create content that hits the mark.

Whether you’re a senior writer handing off an assignment, a new editor figuring out how to guide a freelancer, or a manager trying to scale content production, this guide will help you create briefs that actually work.

Let’s break down key elements that make up a brief your writers would love.

Start by clarifying the goal of the piece

Communicate the intent behind creating the piece. Be explicit about the reason this content exists.

Is the goal to secure visibility in the AI Overview section and drive organic traffic?
Is it to generate signups?
Is it to place our brand as the go-to solution for problem X?

Whatever the purpose, it needs to be clear and singular. Multiple competing goals will only make the writer’s job harder, and the final piece might seem all over the place.

Describe the audience

Make sure the writer understands who they are speaking to, but not so much that they are wading through unnecessary details.

The best way to do this is to add the following sections:

Role or job title of the target audience: This gives the writer enough specificity to carry out their own research and start building an understanding of the reader’s world.
Pain points: Link to sales demo calls, customer interviews, or support tickets to help them use the right language.
Audience’s familiarity level: Describe if the piece is for someone with deep domain expertise or a beginner, as it’ll influence the writer’s tone, depth, and approach to the piece.

💡 Pro Tip: Add a short section on who the audience is NOT.

By clarifying who not to target, you help the writer narrow their focus and avoid generalizations. It’s a small addition that can save you from major rewrites later.

For example, if your target audience is heads of growth at B2B SaaS companies, you might add, ‘This piece is not for early-stage founders, junior marketers, or general tech enthusiasts.’

Share relevant product information

Give writers the product details upfront.

Call out key features that should be included based on the topic.
Link to feature pages, customer stories, or add snippets from real customer or sales conversations.
Add your take on how the product should be positioned in the piece.

This context helps writers weave the product naturally into the narrative. It’s especially important for product-led content or bottom-of-the-funnel pieces where precision matters.

In a brief on SendGrid alternatives, Fio D. added unique points to help the writer position Postmark as a great SendGrid alternative. By doing so, she eliminated any room for assumption, which makes BOFU pieces shine through.

Don’t forget about our beloved SEO section

Give your writer enough context about the topic, intent, competitive signals, and links. Keep this section brief by including only enough information to understand what role this piece plays in the overall strategy.

Here are five things that’ll help you set the right one.

Primary/Focus keyword: The main term the piece should target
Secondary keywords: Long-term and contextual keywords to use
Search intent: What the reader is likely looking for when they type this in
Competing articles: A few example links with quick notes on what they cover, and any gaps your piece should fill
Internal links: Relevant pages that the piece should link back to

This section does not need to be overly detailed. Treat it like an additional layer of context instead of the backbone of the brief.

Include the logistical details

Add basic details such as author name, due date, image folder link, meta title, and meta description. Collecting these upfront will save you time and avoid delays during the publishing process.

Add a directional outline

Outlines have always been subject to debate among content folks. They can reduce confusion about a piece’s structure, but they can also backfire if you’re not careful. If you plan every single heading, subheading, and content within them, you might have written the article by yourself. On the other hand, if you don’t give any outline at all, the writer might feel lost, unsure how deep to go or how to structure the piece.

A good outline strikes the right balance. It gives the writer a structural understanding of how to approach the topic without getting boxed in. Jot down a rough structure with possible subheadings, which we call H2 and H3s. Then, jot down your thought process and invite the writer to think critically about a specific section.

Brinda Gulati , a freelance SaaS and ecommerce writer, does this brilliantly. She adds open-ended questions to invite writers to think critically with her. This approach is much more collaborative than prescriptive, allowing writers to look beyond the status quo and sprinkle up fresh insights.

Build your content briefs today

It might sound cliché, but there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for writing the perfect brief.

The best briefs are the ones that consistently lead to the outcomes you want.

And, your brief structure is bound to change as your content priorities change or your team grows.

That said, the elements I’ve shared here are the building blocks of a helpful brief. They create just enough structure to guide the writer without stripping away the space for judgment, creativity, or critical thinking.

To get started, here’s a ready-to-use content brief template for you.

And, I’ll end this piece by sharing some of my favorite content brief templates.