August 22, 2026
What Makes a Good Brief for a Creative Video
A good brief doesn't need to be long — it needs to answer the right questions. Here's what actually helps a creative team produce a video that hits the mark on the first try, instead of going through three rounds of revisions.
What to include
- The goal. Are you introducing a product, building brand awareness, driving traffic, or supporting a launch? The goal shapes everything else.
- The audience. Who's this for — existing followers, a completely new audience, a specific age group or interest niche?
- The one thing that matters. If someone remembers only one message from the video, what should it be?
- Tone and references. A couple of videos you like the style of (even from other brands) say more than a paragraph of adjectives.
- Non-negotiables. Anything that legally or practically has to be included — a disclaimer, a specific product shot, an exact CTA.
- Timing. When it needs to be filmed, edited, and published.
What you can leave to the creative team
Shot selection, exact wording of on-screen text, trending sounds or formats, and pacing are usually better left to whoever is producing the video — that's where their experience with the platform pays off. A brief that tries to script every second often produces something that feels stiff rather than native to the platform.
A simple structure that works
Goal, audience, one key message, tone references, non-negotiables, deadline. Six short lines, and a creative team already has enough to come back with a strong first draft. If you're not sure where to start, our Build your content request tool walks you through most of this automatically.