Great news, you got the gig.

The work is yours – but slow the train down. 

Have you checked the brief?

Unless it has the information you need to create the word magic for your client – the end result will be disappointment, via countless revisions.

And an unhappy client could make ripples. Those ripples filter their way down to your potential client base – meaning less work.

This doesn’t mean you should pander to every whim that your client has. 

It means you need to put a few lines in the sand before the work starts.

Here’s five key things you need in your brief before your fingers start tapping merrily.

1 – Target audience

The most important. Without this, you’re writing to everyone – and that affects the content. Without a target, you’re firing blind. Is it C-Suite level? Is it B2B, if so, what scale and sector are we talking here? Get your audience so you can write to them effectively.

2 – Key messages

This isn’t the topic you’re writing about. This is the spine of your copy. If the client had to delete everything but one thing to say – what would it be? Then it’s up to you to ensure that message is passed on to the reader

3 – Keywords

Is this offline or online? If it’s online, then you’ll need keywords to sprinkle into the content to be rewarded on Google search rankings. For your piece to have any authority, you need up-to-date keywords.

4 – Backlinks and external links

Are there any big hitters in the sector you’re writing about? If so, a link from your content to their site adds extra points in terms of SEO. And backlinks do the same, so if there’s a relevant page your client wants to funnel towards, make sure they let you know.

5 – Word count and tone of voice examples

You could keep on writing, but you want to avoid writing an epic when your client ideally wants 500 words. That makes editing a tougher process. And you’ll also need to adopt the client’s tone of voice. So examples of this would be great for your writing to shift to.

There are other things you might want to add into your briefing sheet, like the CTA, potential hashtags and details of any prospective events they may be plugging – but the above five will stand you in good stead.

I hope this helps you, it’s certainly cut down on a few hours of potential rewrites for me.