Whoever hires marketing for the first time usually starts with a loose conversation: "I wanted to improve the website and social media". It makes sense, but it is little for whoever will do the work. Without a clear framing, the first weeks go on guessing, and the quote that arrives answers a different question from the one you had in mind.
What a one-page brief should contain
- Who you are. What the company does, for whom, where, since when. Two or three sentences.
- The situation. What exists today (website, social media, materials) and what you have already tried, with what worked and what did not.
- The goal. One concrete thing, such as "more enquiries for X" or "easier to find in the area". Two or three goals at most.
- The audience. Who you want to reach, and who not.
- What is in and out. What you ask for and what you do not, to avoid misunderstandings.
- Deadlines and dates. What must be ready and when, and why (an event, a season).
- Who decides. Who approves and who replies. One person only, preferably.
- What exists to use: access, photographs, texts, the brand and its guidelines.
- Constraints. Sector rules, things that cannot be said or shown, tone preferences.
- The available budget, if there is a limit. It helps whoever will propose to give a realistic answer.
- How to know it went well. Which signs will show the work served, and when they are seen.
What to ask whoever will work with you
- What is included and what is not, in concrete terms.
- Who does what, and who is my contact.
- On what timelines, and how many rounds of changes.
- What access they will need, and which accounts stay in the company's name.
- How the work is measured, and how often I receive information.
- What happens if it needs to change midway, or stop.
These questions suit any agency, freelancer or in-house person, including TMI. Whoever works well likes to hear them.
Agreeing the way of working
- A short kick-off meeting to confirm the brief.
- A contact frequency (weekly, fortnightly) and a channel.
- A rule for approvals: who approves, within how long.
- A review date for the work, to decide whether it continues, changes or ends.
Mistakes that waste time
- A one-sentence brief. The proposal that arrives answers what the agency imagined.
- Several decision-makers with different opinions, who change what was agreed.
- Not giving access or materials in time, and then being surprised by delays.
- Asking for a quote without stating the goal, and comparing proposals that answer different questions.
Before writing the brief, see which format suits you and how to plan the year's budget. In Digital Marketing, the first step is always to understand what exists and what is wanted, and the exploratory call serves for that too.
The brief in thirty minutes
Open a document and write the eleven points, one or two sentences each, without thinking about style. If you cannot answer one, note "to decide": it is a useful question to take to the first meeting. Then ask someone who does not know the company to read it and say what they understood about what you want, what you have already done and how it will be measured. Fix what was not clear. With this, you have a document that works for anyone you hire, and that you can update when things change.
In short
- A one-page brief saves weeks of back and forth.
- It should have who you are, the situation, goal, audience, what is in and out, deadlines, decision-makers and signs of success.
- Ask what is included, who does what, timelines, access and how it is measured.
- Agree the kick-off, contact frequency, approval rule and review date.
Quick questions
Do I need to state the budget?
It is not compulsory, but it helps. Whoever knows the limit proposes something realistic instead of several options that then do not fit.
What if I do not yet know the goal?
Say so and write what worries you. It helps to understand what there is to decide, and some first steps serve to discover it.
Can I change the brief after starting?
You can, but agree how: what changes, within what time and with what effect on the work. Changes with no record cause misunderstandings.
Want the first conversation to already serve as a brief?
The exploratory call is a 30-minute conversation, at no cost. It works as a brief: the list of what matters comes out of it. You keep the written summary.
Book an exploratory call