Do you know what really sucks? Buying something only to realise later it isn’t as good as you thought it would be.

I’ve got a perfect example of this.

There’s a pair of shoes sitting in my wardrobe, collecting dust and without a hope in hell of touching the pavement.

I bought them years ago. They’re really pretty. Flats and wide at the toe. They’re ever-so colourful, too. Not my usual style, but I was being practical rather than “on brand.” Of course I tried them on, walked around a bit, and quickly decided they felt great.

“I’ll take them,” I told the sales assistant.

After days of wearing them and trying to tell myself they just need breaking in, it became categorically clear that the fucking things were not as comfy as they looked. They gave me blisters every time I wore them, so I’d either wear them with socks or stick bandaids on the back of my heels, which kinda ruined the look of the shoe and my outfit.

The offending shoes and much-needed plasters.

Clients who hire a professional copywriter and are disappointed with the writing, are in a similar situation

The equivalent of the ‘ruined look’ is that the copy isn’t quite right or it doesn’t sound like us. And the sad reality is that the copywriter still has to be paid. Even if you don’t use their work. Even if you have to spend your own time fine-tuning it.

Essentially, you’re stuck with the uncomfortable ‘shoe’ because you’ve already bought it.

To understand how you ended up with copy you didn’t like, my question is: did your copywriter have a brief?

If right now you’re saying, “What’s one of those?” Or you believe that a copywriter should just know what to write and get on with it, then let’s hold the horses and address what exactly

• a copywriter brief is
• why a briefing session is important
• and, critically, how having one benefits you, the client.

That last one has a lot to do with saving money and time.

And while we’re going through all of this I’ll share some extra articles I think you’ll find helpful with the briefing process.

What is a copywriter brief?

Put simply, a brief is the document that makes sure your copywriter gets it.

It’s the magic that allows your industry knowledge, business personality, and BIG IDEAS, fuse with your copywriter’s talent for super-slick messaging and marketing know-how.

It’s rare that a client and copywriter can read each other’s minds—so briefs are important. A briefing session to cover all the essentials you need your copy and content to include is a must. It puts you both on the same page, so your copywriter can deliver the content you want rather than what they think you want.

And the only way you’re gonna get what you want, is by doing the briefing properly.

If you half-arse your copywriter brief, bad things will happen!

If I get a brief that is, well, very brief, then the general pattern goes like this…

1. Hmm, this is going to be tricky. Not much to go on…
2. Think. Think. Think. Ah Ha! Got it!
3. Huzzah! Frantic typing! Everything is falling into place!
4. The copy is submitted and I’m thinking ‘phew that was hard, but it’s done now!’

But then the feedback arrives… The basic gist is: it’s not what the client had in mind. AT. ALL.

Where did it go so wrong?!

Struggle Street could have easily been avoided with a good, solid brief in place from the start.

But let’s not dwell on this sad scenario, because this won’t be happening to you or your copywriter.

Good copywriters who’ve got their shit together will arrange a briefing session with you. And in terms of the copywriting process, it usually happens after the statement of work has been agreed but before fingers hit the keyboard.

What to cover in a copywriter brief

In my experience, the more detail you give, the stronger the copy you receive. The brief helps a writer:

• get to know you
• understand how your business works and what its aims are
• understand your ideal target audience and how your product or service benefits them.

At a bare minimum, a good brief should include these 10 things.

1. Provide company and contact details

You may have just the one company, or you may own several. For clarity’s sake provide the name as it should appear in the copy, and any relevant associated websites.

Next, who does the copywriter ask if they have questions? Who gives feedback on drafts? Provide that person’s name, email addie and phone number.

2. Clearly state what you’re making

A new website? An email campaign? A blog or social media post? Direct mail? The type of media will influence the writing style and approach that’s needed.

3. Why your business needs this

You could want to promote a product or offer, raise or push brand awareness, engage your audience, or introduce a new service. A single piece of media can have more than one purpose, so the more detail about why it’s needed, the better.

4. What’s the difference?

Be clear about what sets this business, product, or service apart from any competitors. It doesn’t have to be unique or one of a kind. But you should clearly understand why it’s a bit different from what anyone else is doing.

5. Who’s your target audience?

This is the question every copywriter needs an answer to. Knowing the audience allows us to build a picture. Details about their age, gender, socioeconomic background and known interests help a copywriter adjust the language and tone to suit that specific market.

6. Problems and solutions

It’s good marketing and content communication to identify an audience’s problem, and then help solve it. A brief should include notes on the customer’s pain point and how your product or service is the solution.

7. What action do you want the audience to take?

After your audience has consumed your media, what do you want them to do? It might be buy a product, sign up to something, read something else, or even pick up the phone to call your company. Be specific about the result you want for the best chance of achieving it.

If you want to make sure your marketing copy is effective, check out how to craft a compelling call to action.

8. What documentation do you have?

Use documentation to instill trust and strengthen the relationship between brand and audience. Documentation could be:

• primary or secondary research and resources that are relevant to your project
• company case studies and client testimonials
• any existing notes on audience or brand work.

Detail these in the brief or provide links to the information.

9. SEO considerations

Search engine optimization is going through a funny old time at the moment. But most strategists working in this field agree that ranking highly means getting the basics right. And this includes picking out keywords or phrases. Make sure your writer knows the ones you want to target.

Feeling overwhelmed by SEO? My mate Barb from Compass Digital Strategies has your back. Here’s what she suggests for SEO in 2025.

10. Set the deadline

Having all of the project information first makes it easier to estimate how long the job will take. If in doubt, talk to your copywriter about their typical turnaround times.

But Rose, you didn’t mention anything about budget?

Correct. I did not. By the time you reach the briefing stage, stuff like budget and payment schedules should have been agreed.

After all, there’s no point in you and your copywriter wasting time on a briefing meeting, only to realise you’ve both got very different figures in your head about cost.

How my copywriting briefing process works

I love a good brief. This bit of the process appeals to my nosey-parker side. It’s my time to get to know everything about you, your business, your project and your audience.

Sure, I can send you a form to fill in and that’ll be really helpful. But I’d rather have an upbeat, positive briefing session face-to-face or over the phone. And I think it’s conducive to prep questions specific to you and your business, then get together and let the interview unfurl organically.

This is how I help you unearth your unique selling points and get into those nitty-gritty details that a good brief needs.

Seriously, I get excited in a geeky kind of way when talking about how fun, interesting and engaging it can all be.

OK, I’ll rein it back in. But at least now you understand how to brief a copywriter, and why it’s important.

Ready to brief?

You can avoid that ‘uncomfortable shoe’ feeling. All it takes is making sure you’re clear on who your audience is, your business aims, and what outcomes you want your project to achieve.

If you’re still not sure about it all why not test the process?

When you apply for one of my free copywriting reviews or proofreads, I ask you to answer eight or nine questions. It’s not a full briefing form. But it will give you a flavour.

So pick out a bit of copy you think could be improved and then use the copy review service to try out the briefing form and have me look at your marketing copy for free.