How can you create a content brief that guides influencers to relevant and engaging content?

1 Why you need a content brief

A content brief is not only a tool to communicate your expectations to influencers, but also a way to stimulate them to create content that resonates with your audience. It helps you define objectives and KPIs, identify your target audience and their interests, outline the tone, style, and format of the content desired, specify deliverables, deadlines, and budget for the influencer, as well as provide feedback and approval mechanisms for the content. Additionally, a content brief can help you avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and legal issues with influencers by clarifying the terms and conditions of your collaboration.

2 How to research for your content brief

Prior to writing a content brief, it is important to conduct research to understand your target audience, competitors, and influencers. This can include analyzing your audience data and personas to gain insights into their demographics, preferences, behaviors, and challenges. Additionally, conducting a competitor analysis can help you identify what kind of influencer content they are using and how it performs, so you can identify gaps that you can fill. Researching potential influencers that match your niche, audience, and goals is also important. You should review their previous content, engagement levels, and reputation. Finally, reach out to the influencers you want to work with and ask them about their availability, rates, and expectations. With the information gathered from your research, you can narrow down your list of influencers and select those that best fit your criteria.

3 How to structure your content brief

A content brief should be concise, clear, and comprehensive to ensure that your campaign goal and value proposition are communicated effectively. It should include a summary of your brand, a description of your target audience and their needs, a brief of the content topic and message you want the influencer to convey, a guide on the content tone, style, and format you prefer, a list of the content deliverables and specifications, a timeline for the creation and approval process, a budget for the influencer compensation and payment terms, key performance indicators and metrics to evaluate the content performance, and a disclaimer of the legal and ethical requirements. You can use a template or tool to create your content brief or customize it according to your needs.

4 How to collaborate with influencers on your content brief

A content brief is a collaborative process that involves feedback and iteration. You should share your content brief with the influencers and solicit their input and suggestions. Encourage them to use their creativity and expertise to create content that reflects their personality and voice, providing them with constructive and timely feedback on their content drafts and revisions. Respect their opinions and preferences, being flexible and open to changes. Acknowledge their work and efforts, appreciating their contribution. By collaborating with influencers on your content brief, you can build a strong and lasting relationship that benefits both parties.

5 How to optimize your content brief for success

A content brief is not a static document, but rather a dynamic one that evolves with your campaign and your learnings. To maximize influencer marketing results and achieve objectives, it's important to monitor and measure content performance and influencer impact using the KPIs and metrics you defined. Analyzing data and insights will help you identify what works and what doesn't, so you can adjust your content brief accordingly and communicate changes to influencers. Additionally, testing and experimenting with different content topics, angles, formats, and channels can help you find the best fit for your audience and goals. Learning from successes and failures is essential for optimizing your content brief.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?