A Guide on How to Brief a Copywriter

So, you’ve got some words to sort out. And, now you have to find the words to tell someone like me what words you need sorting out? Ok, I see why understanding how to brief a copywriter can feel like a teeny, tiny minefield. 

But I’m here to tell you that your brief doesn’t need to be beautiful, it just needs enough inform ation to help your writer of choice get the job done. 

For homepages that tell the reader their search is over, or blogs that make you forget all about that fresh cup of coffee, I’m here to tell you how to get a few ducks in a row so we can get into the good stuff. 

What is a copywriting brief?

A copywriting brief is simply a document that explains your writing project. It should have what you need, who it’s for, what it should achieve and the practical details involved. See? Easy. 

It gives your copywriter a starting point for research, questions and ideas and also to be sure that the finished copy does the job it’s supposed to. It also gives everyone on the team something to refer back to throughout the project.

There’s no special format necessary as it’s about the information not how impressively you’ve presented it. A word document, or even a set of bullet points in an email - I should be clear here; one email, rather than a string of replies, pretty please - is grand. 

What to include in a copywriting brief

1. Your business and the project background

It’s not just because I’m nosy, as a copywriter I want to know what your business does and why you need this project now. Are you launching something new? Changing directions? Realising that AI placeholder copy isn’t cutting it because it doesn’t sound like you?

Explain to your writer what’s working, what isn’t and what made you finally give in and find some professional help. Share your existing website and any relevant background material, but be sure to understand the bits that matter. A folder with 47 staff onboarding documents for a customer-facing sales page is an adventurous way to begin a  working relationship but it won’t help in this case.

2. What you need written and where it’s going to live

Be as specific as you can about the deliverables; is it five website pages, a welcome email, three articles or a whole brochure?

If you’re truly still deciding what you need, that’s absolutely fine. Just say so. Any copywriter worth their salt is happy to shape the scope of work. Truthfully, it’s preferable to committing to something that could become unmanageable. 

Where you can, include relevant formats, page plans, design layouts and any fixed character limits. If the copy needs to fit an existing design, your writer really needs to see it. 

And, for your own sanity, don’t engage your writer in the ‘does copy inform design or does design inform the copy?’ debate. 

3. Who are you talking to

‘Everyone’ is a difficult person to write for.

In fact, and I’ll hold your hand while I say this, not ‘everyone’ is even going to find you or need you. You’re truly not for everyone.

Describe your key audience, the ones whose attention you’re trying to hold in today’s time-poor economy. Are you challenging something they think they already know? What do they care about? What might stop them buying from, or getting in touch with you? 

Their questions and/or reservations can be way better intel then a simplified demographic. ‘Small business owners managing their own marketing services’ gives a writer more to work with than ‘professionals aged 25–55’.

4. What do you want the reader to do?

What we really need to know is what you want to happen after someone reads your shiny new copy. 

Choose the main action or outcome for each piece. It truly doesn’t matter if you want them to book a consultation, buy a product, subscribe to your newsletter or understand a complicated service - a writer needs a purpose. ‘Make it more engaging’ is pretty open to interpretation, whereas ‘help visitors understand our service and encourage them to book an introductory call’ gives the writing a more breezy path.

5. Your key message and the evidence behind it

It’s inevitable that what you’re offering is likely available elsewhere, and that’s fine. SoIn that case, what’s the most important thing the reader needs to understand and why should they believe you?

Share the benefits of your offer, what makes it different and the facts that support your claims. Customer feedback, product specifications, research and evidence are all useful tools - which you’ll see in the work I did with Pocari Sweat. 

If something needs careful wording, flag it. Legal requirements, regulated claims and mandatory disclaimers are much easier to accommodate at the beginning than after everyone has fallen in love with a potentially misleading headline.

6. Tone of voice, useful examples & SEO needs

If you have brand guidelines, wonderful! Send them over. If you don’t, that’s cool. Relevant examples are a big help.

Show your writer copy you like and explain why. Is it direct? Warm? Dryly funny? Equally, absolutely share anything that feels completely wrong for your business. This was a key starting point in my work with Saltmoore. 

You certainly don’t need to become an SEO specialist before contacting a writer but there’s nothing more heartbreaking than having to break up lovely copy with keyword stuffing. If you have keyword research or an SEO-led brief, be sure to include it. Of course, you can hire specific SEO copywriters who are worth their weight in gold if they can understand the current clusterfudge that is AI vs search engines. 

Also, meet yourself where you are as your existing collateral can be quite revealing. Sometimes the voice you’re looking for is already there when you’re talking naturally to customers.

And, I’m sorry but it has to be said, no writer is going to make you sound like Innocent. Soz. 

8. Budget, deadlines, feedback and sign-off

To get the best out of everyone’s time and energy, be upfront with your budget or available range, your preferred deadline and/or any fixed dates. This helps establish what’s achievable before work starts.

Name the main contact, explain who needs to approve the copy, and if several people are involved, agree how feedback will be brought together.

It helps us to confirm what the fee includes. Remember you’re not necessarily just paying for a bit of writing in a document; factor in research, meetings, deliverables, revision rounds and subsequent amends. A clear process leaves more room for the best part, which for nerds like me, is the writing itself.

TL:DR - do the kids still say that? - use these prompts in a word document as a starting point:

The business: What do you do, and what should the writer know?

The project: What needs writing, and where will it live?

The background: Why is this necessary now?

The audience: Who is it for? What do they need, question or worry about?

The objective: What should readers understand or feel compelled to do next?

The message: What matters most, and what’s the evidence to support it?

The voice: Include examples and preferences on how you want it to sound?

The materials: What existing copy, research, SEO information or guidelines can you share?

The boundaries: Are there fixed layouts, claims, word limits or legal requirements we need to know about?

The practicalities: What’s the budget, deadline and approval process?

But, Farelli, what if I don’t have all the answers yet?

That’s absolutely fine. And actually, I’ve completed sizable projects with little more than ramblings and warm regards to go on. 

Working out what you need, or what you don’t, is part of the project, and that’s why a good chat often reveals things a briefing form won’t.

If you’re ready to get started then tell me what you know, where you’re stuck and what you’d like to change. I’ll take it from there, friendo.