A brief is the document (or detailed email) a brand hands a creator before a collaboration starts, with everything needed to create the right content. It's the foundation the whole campaign is built on, and a vague brief is one of the most common causes of friction between brands and creators.
What a good brief usually includes
- Campaign goal: awareness, conversion, product launch...
- Key messages that must appear (and any to avoid).
- Format and deliverables: number of reels, stories, feed posts.
- Required tags and mentions (hashtags, the brand's handle).
- Deadlines: draft due date and publish date.
- Legal requirements: for instance, labeling content as an ad (#ad) per applicable rules.
- Usage rights for the content once it's live.
Why it's worth putting in writing
A detailed brief protects both sides: the creator knows exactly what's expected, and the brand reduces the risk of receiving content that misses the mark. Briefs are often attached to the collaboration contract itself, especially for UGC, where script precision matters even more.