One of the keys to getting great results when you outsource is to create good, detailed briefs. After all, your freelancer isn’t a mind reader. The more information you can provide to your freelancer, the better the end result.
With that in mind, here’s a template you can use to create product briefs for products, text content and similar items. Just tweak as needed to suit your specific project…
Succinct description of project:
Working title of project:
What is the intended purpose of the project? (E.G., Is it a lead magnet? A trip wire product? A blog post designed to presell a product? Be specific.)
Related to the last point, what do you want people to do when they finish reading the content? Be specific.
Who is the intended audience for this content? Be specific by writing down everything you know about them, from demographics to their frustrations.
What is the word count (or word count range)? (Note: Use word counts rather than pages. Word counts are ultra-specific, while number of pages can vary wildly according to formatting.)
List your outline here. Again, be as specific and detailed as possible. Whenever possible, assign approximate word counts to each section of the outline, so that your freelancer knows which sections are most important to you and which ones require more in-depth information.
List any related resources here that will help the freelancer complete the project.
How would you like the content written in terms of tone and style?
List examples of content that show the overall style you’d like for your content. For example, if you said you’d like a “conversational tone,” then point out specific pieces of content with a conversational tone that you like. Or if you say you want humor, link to content that showcases the same level of humor you’d like in your content.
List examples of other pieces of content that show any formatting or stylistic usages that you’d like to appear in your content. Be very specific about what you want. For example, if you like content with plenty of bullet points, then tell your freelancer and point to specific examples as well.
List any other specific instructions and supporting examples with regards to style and formatting not previously covered.
Conclusion
Yes, it takes a little time upfront to create a good product brief. But it’s well worth the time when you see a great end result! And as you work with a specific freelancer, over time you won’t need to provide this level of detail for every project. So, do it right now, and reap the rewards of creating detailed project briefs.