Copywriting Brief
In this article I want to talk about the copywriting brief: the holy grail of any copywriting project.
You are looking for a copywriter to create your content because:
- You don’t have the time
- You don’t have the skills or knowledge to write effectively for the web
- You want a professional website in looks and content
But looking for a writer doesn’t mean doing a quick Google search, picking one from the results and then emailing them saying, “I need new web content for my business. Can you do it?” and expecting them to create something fantastic.
The brief your copywriter needs must be comprehensive.
It’s not enough to send them a list of your competitors and ask them to write in the same style.
You want to be different from your competitors, so creating the same old type of content will not make you stand out.
Plus, your content must reflect you and your business, and that can only happen if you take the time to brief your writer correctly.
What must a copywriting brief contain?
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Details about your business
They are going to want to know all about you and your business.
What are your values?
Why you do what you do and how you do it.
What is your unique selling proposition?
Where you do business.
How your business builds relationships with its customers.
What’s unique about your business? That means what do you do that no one else does?
The history of your business.
What customer service levels do you offer?
Do you offer any guarantees?
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Details about your products/services
What do you offer your customers regarding products and services?
What do they do?
Why do your customers need your product/service?
What is the primary benefit of your product/service?
What do they offer that your competitors don’t?
Why should they buy your product/service?
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Details about your customers
Who are they?
What are they like?
Why do they need your product/service?
Why should they buy from you rather than another supplier?
What would prevent them from buying from you?
How will their life be improved by buying from you?
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Details about your project
What type of project is it?
What is the project’s scope (if a website, what pages are needed, if a brochure, how many pages, etc.)?
What is your primary conversion objective?
What is your preference for tone of voice?
A copywriting brief will make or break a project
And that’s just for starters.
The first draft of the copy produced by your writer will only be as good as the brief you provide them. Don’t forget that they come to the project without prior knowledge of your business, so you must give them all the information they need.
Before you think, ‘In that case, I won’t bother hiring a professional.” It’s far better to get someone from the outside to write about your business.
Why?
Because they won’t assume the reader knows anything. They will maintain plain English so anyone can understand what you do and why. In other words, they will see your business as your customers see it and will, therefore, create content that answers all the questions they may have.
On top of that, a professional copywriter also understands marketing and how to write for the web.
So, if you want to hire a copywriter, you’ll also have to put some work in.
Give them all the information they need and trust their judgement. They’ve been writing for a long time and know what they’re doing.
Sally Ormond, freelance copywriter