How to properly interrogate a content marketing brief

According to findings from SEMrush, 36% of brand marketers have been disappointed with content from outsourced copywriting agencies because the output required too much editing. Despite this, only two-thirds of marketers polled provided an adequate content marketing brief in the first instance.

Could there be a correlation here? We certainly believe that communication breakdowns can undermine even the best content strategies. At CopyHouse, we prioritise understanding our clients’ and audience’s needs so we can tick all the right content planning boxes.

This article outlines our process for interrogating content briefs to avoid potential hurdles and execute a high-impact strategy with efficiency and precision.

Key areas CopyHouse considers when interrogating a content marketing brief

Who are the target audience?

First and foremost, we strive to understand your website or social media follower’s intent when they come across your content.

We use persona-building techniques (customer avatars) to identify your audience’s pain points, solution needs, and preferred content formats.

If you don’t yet have personas or want to refine existing ones, we offer workshops that combine competitor research, social listening, and SEO tools to build your messaging from the ground up. After the session, you’ll receive a branded document with detailed findings and persona profiles.

Once personas are locked in, we tailor each brief to suit specific segments. For example, a CFO audience might need content that addresses cost pressures or revenue growth strategies. The brief ensures your brand message aligns with your audience’s goals.

Where will the content sit in the marketing awareness funnel?

We assess where your brief fits within the B2B sales funnel:

• Top of Funnel (Awareness): Educates audiences about problems they face, even if they’re unfamiliar with your brand.

• Middle of Funnel (Consideration): Demonstrates your solution’s benefits and builds trust with real-world examples.

• Bottom of Funnel (Purchase): Focuses on your unique value proposition and guides leads to action.

Clarifying funnel positioning ensures your content meets readers at the right stage in their journey.

How can your content planning ensure maximum SEO impact?

A 2021 survey showed only 64.71% of briefs included relevant keywords — a missed opportunity. Keywords help you meet audiences where they’re already searching.

If your brief doesn’t include keywords, we’ll conduct keyword research on your behalf. We assess:

• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty
• Relevance to your target audience

This ensures we optimise your content for visibility and intent. Learn more about our keyword research process in this article.

How we define the project scope in content marketing planning

You’d be surprised how often project details — such as word count, format (blog, whitepaper, infographic), or placement — are unclear in the brief.

We clarify these early, and if needed, recommend improvements. For example:

• Case studies: We may suggest customer interviews to boost credibility.
• Infographics: We might recommend a visual asset to simplify complex topics.

By defining scope upfront, we ensure smoother execution, better planning, and a more effective outcome.

Supplementary research sources and previous content examples

While helpful, research links aren’t essential for us to begin. However, understanding how you want the reader to feel — and what action they should take — is.

We always ask:

• What’s the desired Call to Action?
• Should the reader contact a team member, sign up for a webinar, or comment on social media?

This helps us align content goals with your broader marketing metrics.

CopyHouse: Here to help you create a highly effective content marketing strategy

Great content marketing agencies take even the most basic brief and turn it into valuable collateral that informs, educates, and engages your ideal customers.

CopyHouse provides strategic content marketing to tech-led B2B clients, both domestically and internationally. Find out how we can optimise your campaigns and content strategy — contact us today