Looking for a content brief template to track requirements for your clients’ projects? Here’s a free one from the Society of Writers!
Our content brief template is updated for 2023 and has room for:
- Client links
- Project details
- Links
- CTA preferences
- Social snippets
- Images
By adding in links to your client’s important documents and resources, you’ll instantly have a professional looking template that you can share with them to collect project details or fill out while talking to them over a video call. Then, you can easily reference when working on the project! Plus, you can even insert the content right into the document to keep their requirements neatly attached at the time of delivery.
You can edit this template using Google Docs (free) and then you can share it using a link or download it as a Word document. If you need help using this template or if you’re looking for additional advice on how to smoothly collaborate with your writing clients, keep reading.
How to Use This Template
- Open the template in Google Docs
- Make sure you’re logged in to Google
- Click “File” and then “Make a Copy”
- Edit the template to your heart’s content
- Share the template with your clients
Psst… If you want to be a superstar, grant your clients editing access to your blank document and let them insert information for you, then you’ll just need to polish it up! Just make sure to revoke editing access when you start working so they can’t change the details on you mid-project.
Common Questions
Can I let my client fill out the content brief?
Absolutely! You can save a lot of time (and look pretty professional, too) by sending the blank template to your client and asking them to fill things in. Once they do, you’ll want to go through and clean things up a bit so that this document is easy for you to reference. You’ll also want to get clarification on any thing that was left blank or written ambiguously.
Why should I include links in the content brief?
Including links to things like the writing guidelines you’ve created for your client’s brand or the Monday board you collaborate on together makes your life a lot easier while you’re writing! It also saves you and your client time spent reiterating requirements that have already been explained in their guidelines document (i.e., like social snippet requirements).
Should I let my clients approve the brief?
It’s very standard for your clients to want to see the content brief and verify the details before you start working on the project. However, you’ll need to account for this approval time when promising a first draft delivery date. For this reason, I suggest stating you’ll have the first draft to them in X days from the time the content brief is approved, rather than giving a specific date far in advance.
How can I collaborate with my client on this document?
If you’re using Google Docs, you need to go to “Share” in the top right-hand corner and then you can:
- Easy Method: Add their email address so it sends to them directly
- Harder Method: Copy the link with the permissions set to either “Viewer,” “Commenter,” or “Editor”
If you’re using the link, it’s best to change it from “Anyone with the link” to “Restricted” and the client will have to request access before they can view it. Once you grant them access, it should always allow them to access it as long as they’re logged in with the same email.
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