The Do's and Don'ts

Creating Briefs

The Do's and Don'ts of Briefs

A 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.

💡 Rule of thumb: direct the message, free the execution. Everything on the "do" list protects clarity; everything on the "don't" list comes from over-controlling the creative.

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