How to brief a freelance website copywriter

Miscommunication between what you want and what your copywriter hears can lead to disappointing results. Here’s how a great copywriting brief will help avoid that.

Over the years, I have completed many thousands of writing tasks. A copywriting brief was the starting point for almost all of them.

However, there is a chasm between a casual line of instructions and a fully formed copywriting brief that sets out in precise detail what you, the client, expect from your freelance copywriter.

In this post, I will spell out what I believe clients should strive for when briefing a copywriter – with a specific focus on hiring a website copywriter.

Key takeaways:

• Know when to choose between short/informal and long/formal briefs

• Marketing managers Vs business owners

• What happens when a designer enters the picture?

• Why a solid brief is your blueprint for success

When a short sentence will do instead of a full copywriting brief

If you have been working with your freelancer for some time – perhaps on a retainer basis – they will probably know your business inside out.

Consequently, when you just need a few hundred words on a new product line, for example, formal briefs will probably not be needed.

Three examples of acceptable short briefs when you know your copywriter:

• “We need around 300 words about our new office opening in Milton Keynes. It will have a staff of 20 people, open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Please make up a quote from our CEO about how excited we are. I will edit/ and approve this later.”

• “We’re doing an advertorial about our main shelving units to appear in Retail magazine. Aim for no more than 300 words and focus on our rapid delivery.”

  
  

• “The MD is wondering if the main headline on the homepage is powerful enough. Could you try some new versions – maybe spending two hours on it?”

  
  

While these certainly constitute a brief, their brevity is in stark contrast to a full brief that you would typically need when dealing with a copywriter on a major task, such as writing a website, for the first time.

Copywriter briefs typically come from SME owners or the heads of marketing teams. As a result, they can be quite different.

Copywriting briefs from a business owner

Let’s say you are about to launch a website, need some Facebook ads or want a copywriter for emails and have never briefed a copywriter before.

You perhaps have a vague idea of your requirements but probably don’t have any experience of writing a brief for a writer.

That’s okay! You may note need to.

Instead, what often happens is that you'll have a conversation with the writer that outlines what you, the client, needs.

“I want a five-page website, with a homepage, about page and three service pages. The main CTA is to book a demo, as our solution is quite complex.”

This can be interpreted in many different ways, and while it works as a starting point, an experienced copywriter will know how to nail down the specifics.

Most freelance copywriters have a briefing document they will send you or discuss via video call. It will ask about your business, your customers, your goals for your website and the content they are being asked to provide.

Your answers provide the information they need, effectively forming the backbone for a brief.

However, don’t expect your copywriter to provide you with a clear, written brief based on your answers. This may happen – but it may not.

That’s because it’s quite common for a writer to jump into the work using the answers you provided. Your replies effectively served as the brief.

I personally do not have a preference. As long as I feel abundantly clear on what the client wants, I can usually proceed with confidence without a formal brief – but if there’s any doubt or the client requests it, I will happily provide one.

Copywriting briefs from marketing managers

Most marketing managers have years of experience in briefing freelancers of all kinds.

They usually take on a freelance copywriter to complete a specific task and are more likely to provide a comprehensive brief before writing begins than an SME owner.

I worked for many years for a client in the Nordics who used freelancers like me to create content for a large business in the construction space. In effect, they were functioning as an outsourced marketing manager.

Their briefs were often several thousand words long.

Admittedly, some of this was boilerplate and was repeated for every brief, but even the specifics of the task in hand could run to several hundred words. They also contained a long list of keywords and other important things to include.

Marketing managers generally don’t need tips on creating a brief, though the 7-steps below are worth reviewing, if only as a refresher.

How to create the perfect brief for your copywriter

Whether you are a business owner or a marketing manager, here is my 7-step process for creating the perfect brief that will get you what you want.

It will also hopefully reduce the need for your writer to contact you for further clarification or embark on a series of rewrites.

1/ Project overview

A clear summary of the project and why it is being commissioned. This should include the business context and any relevant background information.

2/ Objectives

If you have a specific goal for the copy, such as to increase conversions or build brand awareness, this is the place to mention it.

3/ Target audience

Information about your audience is likely to have been discussed during the discovery process with your copywriter. However, it’s always good to get this down in black-and-white. If your copywriter is familiar with you and has worked with you before, it’s worth spelling out the audience if it deviates from the norm.

4/ Tone and style

If briefing a copywriter for the first time, outline your expectations for the tone and style of the copy you want them to deliver. The default setting for many companies is ‘friendly and professional’, which is a safe, if rather vanilla approach. Nudging away from this even a tiny amount can mark you out as being slightly different from your competitors (in a good way!).

5/ Deliverables and format

Be clear about what you expect. What is your word count? Do you have flexibility on this? Would you like the work on a Word doc or on Google Docs? Do you expect wireframes and basic design suggestions? If so, should these be on Figma or Canva?

6/ Timeline and deadlines

Your copywriter needs to know when they need to deliver the goods. You should have realistic expectations and recognise that most copywriters will not be available to start on your job immediately. Understand also that copywriting takes time. If a job is urgent, this should be one of the first things you flag up.

7/ Supporting materials

In many cases, when I receive a brief, the client provides supporting materials such as previous copy used in ads or blogs, or background information. Sometimes I need to study a report that has been commissioned. Make sure the brief contains everything the writer needs – either pasted into the brief or supplied as an attachment.

What happens when a designer enters the picture?

Business owners and marketing managers who need copy also need a designer in most cases – for ads, website pages and sales brochures, for example.

Should they create a brief covering their copywriting and design needs at the same time?

Possibly.

In my experience, designers and copywriters can work well together. When a business owner says they need a 5-page website, pairing up a copywriter and a designer to thrash out the details can be a great way to do it.

But not always.

Some writers and designers don’t quite hit it off. Or have different visions. My advice is to assign either the copywriter or the designer as the lead – or keep them separate entirely.

Example: if you’re working with a copywriter who has lots of website experience, ask them to create a wireframe/rough designs as a starting point for the website. Alternatively, ask the designer to create a rough design and then present that to the writer to follow.

My preference as a writer is to lead. I believe that a skilled website copywriter is very well positioned to work out what should go where and why.

However, there are plenty of well-regarded website designers who would make a strong case to lead the project.

In brief, a combined brief only really makes sense if you are pairing up the designer and copywriter to work together.

Summing up: how a good copywriting brief will help you get what you want

Taking the time to create a comprehensive brief acts as a failsafe. It can prevent misunderstandings – and increase the likelihood of you receiving copy that meets your needs.

As mentioned, in some instances, a short, succinct brief is acceptable – especially when your copywriter is someone you have been using for some time.

For most other first-time engagements, detail is key to success.

If you are unfamiliar with the briefing process, let your copywriter steer things. Ask them to create a brief based on the discussion you have had, and then approve or amend the brief they supply as needed.

It is your blueprint for success.

Whatever you do, don’t ask your copywriter to “do whatever feels right.” While we do love creative freedom, this approach only leads to misery if you don’t like what you get back.

It’s pretty much the same as giving a painter free rein to paint your house in whatever colour they like.

Sure, you might like the result, but if you don’t, your painter is unlikely to be over the moon when you suggest they should kindly repaint it.

Written by Mike Peake, UK freelance copywriter and website content writer.

E: hello@bymikepeake.com

T: +44 (0)208 133 4306

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Copywriting briefs, yesterday.