Collaborations with influencers, through an influencer marketing platform, have become an essential part of many marketing strategies. To guarantee the success of such a collaboration, after taking the time to clearly define the campaign objectives and carefully select the influencers, it’s essential to brief them properly.
The brief must be concise, clear and precise. It must include the key elements for the campaign to achieve its objectives, while respecting the influencer’s creative freedom. And this is a crucial point. The art of the brief is to strike the right balance between “do exactly what I want” and “do whatever you please”! It’s all about mastering the subtle art of framing without restricting.
A brief is also a relationship of trust
And the designers we interviewed on the subject are unanimous on the perverse effects of an overly restrictive brief. For Coraly (aka @la_ferme_du_chat_huant), digital mum and lifestyle influencer on Instagram, “when the instructions are too precise, it stifles the creative impulse and I too easily lock myself into the framework defined by the brief, which isn’t necessarily a good thing”. The same goes for Adeline (aka @une.fille.de.provence), a decor and lifestyle instagrammer: “A brief that’s too detailed really holds me back. It’s discouraging and not motivating at all, because I feel restricted in my inspirations when the brief is too confined to what the brand wants”.
Clearly! Beyond the brand’s expectations, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that if we call on a designer, it’s first and foremost for his creativity and his universe. No one knows better than him what his community is looking for. Coraly particularly appreciates briefs that give her: “the freedom to create as I wish, and show the trust placed in our universe”. Adeline agrees: “A light brief gives me carte blanche, and after all, if we’re chosen, it’s because the brand likes our content and the way we work”.
As you can see, the perfect brief isn’t that easy to write. At Effinity, we pay a great deal of attention to its execution. It’s at the heart of the support we offer our customers and the relationship we maintain with our network of designers. And depending on the brand, the campaign objectives and the designers selected, we adapt our briefs so that they are always a link and not a chain. Here are the points to watch out for. And as a reminder, a brief must be accompanied by a contract, in accordance with the June 2023 Influence Act.
The 10 commandments of the content creator’s brief
1. Brand presentation
Because we speak well of what we know well, the brief begins with a presentation of the brand. This includes a reminder of its history, core values, products and/or services. There’s no need to write a novel; the aim is simply to enable the influencer to immerse himself in the brand’s positioning and identity, and create content in line with it.
It’s also a good idea to specify the tone and style of communication that matches the brand’s image. Serious, humorous, professional, relaxed, etc., this indication will enable the influencer to adapt his or her content accordingly. Similarly, where appropriate, the brief can include creative guidelines on visuals, design, colors and specific elements that the brand would like to see incorporated into the influencer’s content. Be careful not to be too restrictive…
2. Content types and duration of visibility
To properly frame the campaign, the brief must specify the type of content expected, whether stories, posts, videos or other. What’s more, defining the length of time this content must remain visible on the influencer’s feed is essential for measuring the campaign’s impact.
3. Important terms to mention
The designer’s brief should include the brand’s key terms, the arguments to be put forward, specific hashtags, legal disclaimers, and so on. This ensures consistency in brand communication and maximizes content visibility.
4. The main Don’ts
If there are “prohibitions” on certain aspects, it’s very important to specify them explicitly in the brief. For example, it may be forbidden to refer to a brand other than the one behind the partnership. Listing and clarifying these “don’ts” avoids any misunderstandings and ensures a smooth collaboration.
5. Tracked links and related content
From a very practical point of view, the brief should mention which tracked links the influencer is to use and in which content they are to be integrated. This will make it possible to measure the effectiveness of the publications and the ROI of the campaign.
6. Publication dates and periods
Providing precise guidelines on publication dates and periods is essential for coordinating the campaign and ensuring optimal content distribution. Particularly if several influencers are involved in the campaign, it may make sense to stagger publications or, on the contrary, to concentrate them.
7. Promo codes and conditions of use
In some campaigns, it may be necessary to share a promo code. The brief makes it possible to communicate this code to the influencer, as well as the conditions of use and validity periods.
8. Use of products
If the collaboration involves products, specify how the products are to be presented, used or integrated into the content. This can include guidelines on staging, features to be highlighted, etc.
9. Performance monitoring, commitment and expected interactions
To be transparent in the relationship, it’s a good idea to explain how the campaign’s performance will be measured and what the expectations are in terms of results, such as engagement rates, conversions, shares, as well as interactions with subscribers (responses to comments, direct messages, etc.).
10. A reminder of advertising rules
Even if no one is supposed to ignore the law, it’s always a good idea to remind the influencer of your expectations in terms of compliance with legal and ethical obligations. The brief should remind them that clearly mentioning #commercialcollaboration or #advertising on each photo and video, as well as in the description of the content, is a legal and ethical obligation that must be respected.
