If you\u2019re staring at a blank screen (we\u2019ve all been there) trying to figure out how to develop a marketing brief, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to get to the heart of the problems and solutions your campaign will address.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Use these guiding questions alongside our free marketing brief templates to help you create a brief that has just enough information \u2014 but not too<\/em> much \u2014 to get your team excited and on the same page.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n The Importance of a Marketing Brief<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n One of the first steps in a campaign is to draw up a marketing brief \u2014 sometimes called a creative brief or campaign brief \u2014 that serves as the single source of truth on the project.<\/p>\n It sets forth a single vision that everybody can buy into, and more importantly, it defines the goal, the reach, and the problem the project is trying to solve. Writing a great marketing brief will give you a strong foundation for your campaign.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The marketing brief is the starting point with which every decision and movement made on the project should align \u2014 and that means it is also a living document.<\/p>\n Marketing briefs help solve any misunderstandings before you get to work. This document should clarify for everyone involved \u2014 copywriters, designers, developers, marketers \u2014 all the aspects of the project, the goals, and even the timeline. If you\u2019re working for an external client or stakeholder, your brief should confirm that you understand their problem and have a strategy for solving it.<\/p>\n As campaigns and projects change, requirements are added or removed, and new insights are discovered. You can update this document as the project evolves to ensure everyone remains focused on the underlying issue and knows their responsibilities.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The marketing brief isn\u2019t being published online to the masses for approval, but it does<\/em> need to grab your team by the heart and get them excited \u2014 and answer any questions they might have about the campaign.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t need to include every piece of information available. It shouldn\u2019t take you more than five minutes to understand the project, the strategy, and the goals. It should be a useful document that\u2019s easy to scan, clear, and actionable.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got eight questions that will help guide you through your first marketing brief. Before you ask yourself these questions, you should already have a handle on your buyer or audience persona<\/a>, so that you know who your target audience is. Using our creative brief templates<\/a><\/strong> as you sketch out your answers may also be helpful.<\/p>\n\n Describe the problem your campaign needs to solve. Don\u2019t just write down what your client or internal stakeholders say \u2014 try to go deeper and approach it from different angles so that you\u2019re accurately capturing the full scope.<\/p>\n To change consumer behavior, you first have to understand what they\u2019re doing now and what options they have that they\u2019re (not) embracing.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s use the campaign brief for HubSpot\u2019s 2025 State of Marketing report<\/a> as an example. The State of Marketing report is an annual offer, and it\u2019s compiled based on extensive research that HubSpot conducts.<\/p>\n The question about what problem the offer solves is directly addressed in the Target Audience<\/strong> section:<\/p>\n\n We\u2019re providing a resource to our readers and customers who are marketers trying to get an edge in an AI-driven business landscape. The report promises tools and insights \u2014 the benefits \u2014 and acknowledges the challenges of reckoning with the rapid rise of AI in marketing workflows.<\/p>\n Who is the target audience or persona? How is this consumer group solving their pain points now? What other options do they have?<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see in the marketing brief above that we\u2019ve also outlined our market (global English) and segments (small- and medium-sized businesses, mid-market, and enterprise). This ties into our value proposition of \u201chelping millions of businesses grow better.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ve also defined the roles our target audience is likely to occupy \u2014 marketing managers and directors, CMOs, and content strategists. As we craft the copy for this campaign, this will help us align with the people we want to target and who we think will get the most value from our State of Marketing report.<\/p>\n Print advertising? Social media? Trade shows? Billboards? TV ads? Podcasts? Talk shows? Video ads?<\/p>\n What communication channels will you use, and how will you use them? How do they build on and support each other? What are the best vehicles to reach your intended audience? What are the deliverables you have committed to?<\/p>\n Each communication channel needs a call-to-action (CTA) that helps the buyer move forward at that stage in their buying process. And that CTA should leverage the medium in which it\u2019s delivered.<\/p>\n A video ad CTA will be different from a print ad CTA, which will differ from a CTA in a blog post. Mapping out the buyer\u2019s journey, identifying their questions and concerns along the way, and understanding where they go for information will help you answer this question.<\/p>\n This is also a good time to think about the metrics you\u2019ll use to measure success. Before you even begin, set SMART goals<\/a> so everyone is clear on what really matters \u2014 getting results.<\/p>\n Be honest with yourself and your team, and do a SWOT analysis<\/a> if you\u2019re stuck. If you\u2019re working with outside vendors on design, if you\u2019re in a time crunch, or if there are complicated workflows and approval processes \u2014 these are all things that could compromise your deliverables.<\/p>\n This may or may not have a place in your final marketing brief, depending on its intended audience, but the question will still help guide your timeline and help you manage expectations.<\/p>\n
\n How to Write a Marketing Brief<\/a>
\n 8 Questions to Help You Write a Great Marketing Brief<\/a> <\/p>\nThe Importance of a Marketing Brief<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to Write a Marketing Brief<\/h2>\n
8 Questions to Help You Write a Great Marketing Brief<\/strong>
\n<\/h2>\n1. What problem are we solving, and why are we solving it? What\u2019s the benefit?<\/h3>\n
2. Who are we trying to reach with this campaign?<\/h3>\n
3. What are the deliverables for this campaign?<\/h3>\n
4. Do we anticipate any internal or external factors compromising the completion of the above deliverables? If so, how and why?<\/h3>\n
5. What are our brand values? How can we use those to shape the tone of this campaign?<\/h3>\n