Have you ever gotten halfway through a campaign and thought: “Wait... what are we doing again?”
Yeah. That.
It's likely because your marketing team, leadership, and agency were not aligned.
So, before we go any further, here’s the one thing that’ll save you from that moment:
Now, back to the story.
Briefs are supposed to prevent that moment. But the sad truth is, most of them don’t. They're either too vague or too tactical, get ignored, or spark long email chains titled “Just clarifying…”
Here’s the kicker: according to BetterBriefs, a whopping 33% of marketing budgets go up in smoke thanks to unclear or ineffective briefs. That’s not a typo. One. Third.
So let’s fix it. I’ll walk you through a brief-writing process that doesn’t just tick boxes — it actually gets better work.
Marketing briefs really are the trump (😜) card of marketing. There are various strategies and tricks you can use to enhance your B2B marketing content, but ultimately, the most effective step is actually quite simple.
It's not a checklist. Not a mini strategy doc. And definitely not a last-minute text saying “do your magic” to your creative agency.
A proper marketing brief answers four deceptively simple questions:
If you don’t answer those? Expect chaos. Or worse: mediocrity.
Studies released by BetterBriefs show poorly written briefs waste a staggering 33% of marketing budgets. That’s not just a few missed ads - it’s a third of your potential impact, just gone. Imagine what your campaigns could achieve with that money back in play.
They cost you time, money, momentum, and sometimes even the will to live (kidding, sort of). Worse, they lead to bloated timelines, generic messaging, and frustrated creatives who are shooting in the dark.
Oof. That’s a gap worth fixing.
A well-written marketing brief, in turn, has many advantages.
It unleashes your creative thinking. It motivates your marketing team with a clear vision, helping them focus on developing the right ideas.
And it saves you time and money, particularly if you work with external resources, like a marketing agency, because it helps ensure that all parties involved and key stakeholders are on the same page.
In short, it will help you make sure you will achieve your project's goals and expected outcomes.
You’ve probably seen a few of these in the wild:
“We need a LinkedIn ad, a landing page, and a video.” Cool. For what? Why?
Avoid jumping into tactics, channels, and execution without a solid overall campaign strategy.
Remember, focus is key. And what you should focus on are the actual results of the campaign.
A single brief can’t solve all problems for all personas across all channels. Narrow the focus.
Try to resist the urge to do everything, everywhere, all the time (yes, just like the title of the movie :).
Fancy frameworks and jargon don’t make you sound smarter. They just confuse everyone.
Keep it simple.
“Decision-makers at mid-size tech firms” is not a persona. Talk to real humans.
Dig deeper into how your target audience thinks, consumes content, and behaves.
We’re sorry to break it to you. If your differentiator needs three PowerPoint slides, it’s not clear enough.
Try one slide, hmm?
Pick one or two things that matter. Otherwise, nobody knows what success looks like.
Briefs aren’t a shortcut. They’re a map. Make sure you know where you’re going.
Pro tip: I've received briefs that were either 20-page novels or two-line WhatsApp messages. Neither did the job.
But wait...how do I write a marketing brief that's good? Great question!
Here are our tips for writing better marketing briefs… or what an effective marketing brief must include.
Let the creative team or marketing agency know why you need their services and what your expectations are. What problems of the target customer do you want to solve? Why now? What’s broken, or what opportunity are we jumping on?
PS: If you have multiple problems, then they require multiple marketing briefs.
Your campaign doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Tie it to the broader marketing strategy, ICPs, buyer journey stage, etc.
For example, your marketing objectives shape the marketing budget, which in turn influences the target market and audience size, both of which impact the objectives. It must all work together.
Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Make them crystal clear.
Make sure you highlight key objectives and key performance indicators you can actually measure after finishing your marketing campaign.
First of all... no one cares that you are deploying a B2B video ad, a LinkedIn campaign, or launching a new product. Sorry, but that is the truth.
So, define who you are speaking to, do your market research and competitor analysis, and most importantly, don't just use demographics.
Instead, focus on what really keeps them up at night? What have they tried before that didn’t work? What language do they use? Make it personal.
No, you can’t have three. Pick the thing you want burned into their brain. Most B2B buyers have a shortlist waaaaaay before they enter the market and start the buying process. And whoever is on this shortlist first usually wins.
How will you decide if the creative hits the mark? Define that up front to avoid “I’ll know it when I see it” syndrome.
This seems like a no-brainer, but many clients refrain from revealing their budget. They believe this will help them find the best idea at the best price.
The reality is that this is a colossal waste of everyone's time, resulting in ideas being compromised at the last moment to fit the marketing budget.
When you explain how much you are willing to spend, you will get the best possible creative that fits your budget. Easy. If you don't know how to gauge the cost of a B2B video, head on down to our Handy B2B Video Cost Analysis with Examples.
A great brief saves time, money, and sanity - whether you’re working with a marketing agency, ad agencies, creative freelancers, or working out your marketing plan or content marketing strategy with your internal teams.
That’s why we created a free 👉 Black Rabbit Marketing Brief Template, to help you craft briefs that work every single time.
Then send it our way if you want a second pair of eyes; we’re always happy to stress-test it with you.
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