Influencer briefs are make-or-break for brands that want authentic content. Here’s how to write an influencer brief (and a free template to help you draft yours).
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Knowing how to write an influencer brief matters when you're working with creators.
Because communication is crucial for a successful campaign.
Sure, influencers can craft viral posts and content that translates into high-performing ads.
That doesn't mean they're mind-readers, though.
Influencers need direction. But not too much direction that hinders their creative freedom.
This balancing act is why influencer creative briefs require so much attention. Campaigns are more likely to meet their goals with clear expectations. Oh, and your influencers will thank you!
In this post, you’ll learn:
Pssst! Click here to jump right to our downloadable influencer brief template.
An influencer brief is an outline of instructions and expectations for creators prior to a social media campaign.
These guidelines include everything from high-level creative direction to post-specific requirements. An influencer brief should sum up what a creator needs to create the best post possible.
Chances are already have instructions for creators but maybe they're not formatted as a brief.
But note that how you craft your influencer brief has a direct impact on campaign performance.
How so? For starters...
Simply put, briefs are a blueprint for posts that delight brands and creators alike. Brands that cram their instructions into an email or DM don't exactly reflect effort or attention to detail.
Cluing creators in on your content requirements means prioritizing the right pointers.
Below is a breakdown of what should be included in any given influencer brief:
You can’t provide direction to creators without defining what you want their content to achieve. For example:
Be clear about your campaign objectives. Doing so will impact the creative direction your influencer takes.
An influencer brief should be specific about who creators are speaking to, including:
You probably chose to work with specific influencers because their audience reflects yours, right?
Still, you should remind creators of your target demographic. The messaging of your campaign’s content should be unique to your audience. Skilled influencers will know exactly what to say to get their followers talking.
Provide a quick recap of who you are and what your brand is all about, including:
Driving these points home will help your sponsored content stand out.
Be straightforward about what you want influencers to deliver in terms of content. For example, specify the following:
We’re all about giving influencers as much creative control as possible.
That said, your brand might have some non-negotiables that creators should stick to.
That’s a-okay! Just be upfront about them. Your posting requirements might include:
Tip: Try to condense your requirements into as few instructions as possible to avoid overwhelming your creators.
Providing some big-picture talking points can help creators zero in on the best message for their post(s). Brainstorm product details that set your brand apart from competitors.
For example, a skincare brand might emphasize that they’re vegan and eco-friendly.
Or maybe you have a fascinating founder story that can provide a humanizing element to your post. Perhaps you just want your creator to say something they love about your product.
Either way, these talking points should be front-and-center in your influencer brief.
Deadlines are critical for any given influencer marketing campaign. This is especially true if you want to tie your posts to a specific promotion or product launch. Be explicit about when your creators’ content needs to be submitted for approval.
Details such as preferred payment methods should ideally be hashed out in your influencer contract. That said, you can also review campaign compensation in your brief.
The final piece of your brief should explain how creators should submit their completed content.
For example, will their posts undergo review by your team? Do they need to submit a draft for approval? Clarifying your approval process clears up confusion and ensures that campaigns finish faster.
If you’ve never written an influencer brief, you may doubt if it’s worth the extra effort.
Fair question! After all, isn’t that why you’re hiring a creator in the first place? Shouldn’t an influencer know all of this stuff since you agreed to partner up?
Well, not necessarily.
Food for thought: 43% of marketers say they struggle when communicating with influencers. 33% also say that they have challenges with their creative strategy. We've seen firsthand how even the most put-together brands fail to convey instructions to creators.
Again, attention to detail matters here. Briefs are a big part of that.
Below we’ve broken down the benefits of writing thoughtful influencer briefs:
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Source: Twitter
Now that you know what briefs entail, it’s time to put pen to paper.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or working with a template, consider the following tips based on our experience working with thousands of creators firsthand.
Fun fact: two-thirds of people describe themselves as “visual learners.”
Written creative direction is necessary but not always the best way to communicate the type of content you want. Sometimes it’s best to show and tell.
Surprisingly, many influencer marketing brief examples we’ve come across don’t contain photos.
Bummer! Because text-only briefs don’t do your creators any favors. Visuals can really help cut down on questions and provides valuable direction.
Whether in the form of a mood board, slideshow or external links, consider including:
Below is an influencer brief sample from Statusphere that includes visuals:
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You don’t need to go overboard when it comes to photos, either. Three or four examples are enough to give creators the inspiration they need.
Remember what we said earlier about communicating your brand’s personality?
Well, your creative brief should ideally be a reflection of that voice and vibe. Rather than provide a laundry list of instructions, inject some personality into your brief.
Slang. Snappy sentences. Emojis.
The list goes on in terms of how to write an influencer brief that feels personal and on-brand.
Also, keep in mind that your creator might be working with multiple brands at once. Reinforcing your identity can help get them in the right headspace to nail your aesthetic and messaging.
You want to include as many details as possible so your creator nails their content.
Hey, we get it!
But the more you write, the more likely your creators are to get overwhelmed or miss key details.
There’s a reason why most of the influencer brief examples we’ve seen are short and sweet. Overloading creators with requirements is also a recipe for creating identical influencer content.
And nobody wants that, right?
How long should an influencer brief be? It depends! Here at Statusphere, we send out one-pagers (front and back) with everything our creators need to crush it. We sometimes supplement our briefs with additional info in special cases.
That said, one page has proven effective for our skilled network of creators.
Tip: Stick to a format that’s scannable and easy to read. For example, using checklists and bolding can highlight your key points at a glance. Here’s an example from Statusphere:
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Once you’ve figured out how to write an influencer brief, you need to think about how you get it into your creators’ hands.
But emails are easy for creators to miss. DMs can be a formatting nightmare.
The best options for delivering a creative brief?
At Statusphere, we prefer to print out a physical copy of our briefs and include them in our packaging when shipping products to creators. This makes the instructions impossible to miss. Our briefs are always scheduled to arrive when projects are already on the minds of our members. Besides, our creators have instant access to their offer instructions at any time online.
When writing influencer briefs, it’s important to know what not to do.
Before we dive into our template, here are some quick pitfalls to avoid when drafting your creative instructions:
Here's the influencer brief sample you came for!
Below is a variation of our own creative brief template that’s been behind the thousands of successful creator campaigns we've run. This brief sticks to all of the best practices outlined above.
All you need to do is plug in your brand’s details and you’re good to go. When you’re done, simply download your creative brief as a presentation, PDF or document.
Click here to access the Creative Brief Template!
Listen: a well-written influencer brief can take a campaign from “so-so” to “must-see.”
We’ll admit that writing out those docs can be a lot of work, though.
This is especially true if you want to work with influencers at scale. Fine-tuning and tweaking every brief and instruction can be next to impossible even with a template.
And if you ever suffer from writer's block, your campaigns suffer as a result.
That’s where Statusphere's platform, vetted creator community and campaign experts can help.
Our software streamlines the process of getting authentic content from influencers from A to Z. This includes matchmaking, briefing and getting products into their hands with our fulfillment technology.
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By partnering with our vetted creators and expert team who've already generated 75,000+ posts for consumer brands, your promotions are set up to send the right message from the jump.
Want to learn more about how the process works? Get in touch with our team of experts to see how we can scale your influencer marketing efforts in a fraction of the time.
This article was first published in July 2022. It was last updated June 16, 2023.
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