The Do's and Don'ts

The Do's and Don'ts of Briefs

An influencer brief gives creators direction without handcuffing them. These are the moves that get you there — and the ones that quietly tank a campaign before it posts.

Do

• Lead with the audience and the one core message
  If a creator remembers nothing else, they should remember those.
• Give the must-haves as a short list: required claim, disclosure (#ad), the CTA, and any legal no-gos.
• Show, don't just tell
  Link 2–3 reference posts that nail the tone you want.
• Leave the execution to them
  They know what their audience watches.
• Specify format, length, and where the CTA/link goes.

Don't

• Hand over a word-for-word script
  It reads as an ad and kills reach.
• Bury the goal under brand boilerplate
  Creators skim — put the essentials up top.
• List 12 talking points
  Pick one core message and two supporting beats, max.
• Forget the practical bits — posting window, approval step, hashtags, tags.

Next up: Finding a Winning Angle — the highest-leverage section of any creator brief, and the one most people skip.