Understand the importance of the Social Media briefing and learn how to create one. Also check out a Social Media briefing model from Reportei
For agencies, freelancers, and consultants, the Social Media briefing is an essential tool to understand the clients who hire them, their business goals, solutions they provide, and expectations regarding the project.
It is through this document that digital marketing professionals have the opportunity to delve into the company’s information, current communication actions, and a plan that truly meets the business needs.
The briefing, therefore, acts as the beacon directing the start of the project. It should include everything from the client’s history to the brand’s visual identity, its competitors, references, and content restrictions.
Quite a lot, isn’t it? To ensure you don’t forget anything and arrive well-prepared for the meeting with the client, we’ve listed below the 10 main steps to create your Social Media briefing. Also check out a simple Social Media briefing model to help you start your work.
10 steps to create a Social Media briefing.
But you might be thinking, what if my clients are very different and operate in distinct market sectors? Will I use the same Social Media briefing for all?
Even though each business has its particularities, it is indeed interesting to have a standard document that assists with questions essential for all clients. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t research and add more specific ones.
The 10 steps listed in this article are more general, but they will certainly provide you with a foundation to help understand your client’s main information and discover other important characteristics as well. Check it out.
Read also Checklist for Social Media: check out how it facilitates a freelancer’s routine.
1. Company’s history
The first step to structuring a Social Media briefing for your clients is to understand the company’s history that you will be serving and everything it has gone through since its founding.
You need to seek information about its creation, area of operation, motivation behind the business, changes since the beginning, and all other important details such as sectors, number of employees, and even revenue if this data is possible to obtain.
2. Brand’s goal
Where does your client want to go? What business goals need to be achieved? More than thinking about digital marketing objectives that will be achieved with your Social Media actions, it is necessary to understand how they will impact the company’s goals.
Even though social networks currently have a strong focus on brand recognition and relationship, their strategies can go much further. Therefore, all objectives must be well aligned.
3. Status and opportunities in the market
Understanding the status and opportunities in the market is also essential to get closer to your client’s reality when doing a Social Media briefing.
Find out about the challenges currently faced by the company and how digital marketing can help overcome them. The more you delve into the needs and area of operation of the client, the greater the chances of developing strategic and relevant actions.
4. Target audience
In addition to understanding your client’s problems and goals, you need to delve into the pains experienced by the audience they wish to reach.
Who are these people, their demographic and geographic data, their challenges, and how the product or service can help them are some of the questions you should list in your Social Media briefing.
The client is likely to provide you with more general information about the target audience and the clients they currently serve. Therefore, we recommend that you also conduct research to obtain more details and build the personas.
5. Company’s products or services
After knowing the company’s audience, it’s time to understand the solutions it offers to its clients, whether they are products or services. For this, you can be inspired by the following list of questions:
- What are the features and differentials of the product/service?
- Is there any priority when promoting the solutions or anything that should not be said?
- What has been the experience of your current clients? What value does the product/service deliver?
- Is there any negative feedback from clients that could be improved?
- What is the average price usually practiced?
- Does your product/service have seasonality?
6. Brand image
What does the brand hiring you wish to convey to its audience? Knowing the values practiced by it and the message to be conveyed to consumers is essential for planning content and structuring the visual identity.
The brand image helps to understand its positions, what it believes in, and how you can align these ideas with the solutions offered and the persona’s pains.
Find out which marketing campaigns have been done before, if the company is accustomed to promotions, if it has worked with partners or influencers, and what results have been obtained with these actions.
7. Communication and sales channels
Another important point of the Social Media briefing is to know what are the communication and sales channels currently used by the brand and what others can be used in its strategy.
If the company already works with digital marketing, it is necessary to know which social media it uses, such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, and if it has a website or a blog.
In addition, it is important to understand what sales channels are available, such as physical stores and e-commerce.
This way, you can better direct bottom-of-the-funnel content and even take advantage of social media sales tools, such as Instagram Shopping, for example.
8. Visual identity
The visual identity is an essential aspect of managing social media, as it provides elements in the graphics that aid in brand identification and engagement.
Thus, in your briefing, it is necessary to understand if there is a brand manual, if the client is satisfied with the current visual identity, and if there are already other graphic pieces that can be used as a reference for your production.
Also ask the client if there is anything they wish to change in the visual identity, if there are restrictions regarding image banks and video banks, or if they will send you materials for producing the pieces.
9. References and competitors
Inspiration is an essential point for those who work with social media management. Therefore, you should also know what are the references within your client’s area, whether they are content or visual.
On another note, it is also relevant to know the competitors and how they have been using digital marketing to their advantage. This can help you avoid repetition, innovate in formats, and deliver even more value to the company’s clients.
10. Directions and restrictions
The last step to creating your Social Media briefing is to discover the directions and restrictions that your client may have regarding the content, visual identity, and tools available on social media.
For example, is there a color that cannot be used in the designs? Any subject that should not be addressed? And what information cannot be missing?
Only your client can provide specific instructions so that you create content aligned with your client’s and their audience’s expectations.
Social Media briefing model
Below is a simple Social Media briefing model based on the 10 steps from the text to facilitate practical application.
1. Company History
- Company name
- Year of foundation
- Areas of operation
- Main achievements/milestones
- Number of employees
- Other relevant information about the trajectory
2. Brand Objectives
- What are the main business objectives?
- How do the expected results on social media impact the company’s overall goals?
3. Market Status and Opportunities
- What are the main challenges faced by the company?
- Opportunities identified in the market
4. Target Audience
- Who is the main target audience?
- Is the persona already defined? Yes No
5. Company’s Products or Services
- Main products or services offered
- Competitive differentials
- Any product or service with promotional priority?
- Are there any client feedbacks that should be considered?
- Seasonality of offers, if applicable
6. Brand Image
- What values does the brand wish to convey?
- Company’s stances on sensitive topics
- Previous campaigns that were successful
- Has worked with influencers/partners
7. Communication and Sales Channels
- Active social networks
- Sales channels
- Tools currently used, e.g., Instagram Shopping, chatbots
8. Visual Identity
- Is there a visual identity manual? Yes No
- Is the client satisfied with the current visual identity?
- Restrictions or preferences regarding colors, images, or visual elements
9. References and Competitors
- Which companies or brands inspire the client?
- Who are the main competitors?
- Has any prior competitor analysis been conducted?
10. Directions and Restrictions
- Subjects or themes that should not be addressed
- Information that cannot be missing
- Specific tools or features the client wishes to implement
- Other general guidelines
Final Summary
- General expectations of the client regarding the Social Media work
- Initial project deadline
- Expected success indicators (KPIs)
You can save this briefing model as a doc or PDF.
With your briefing, develop strategic projects.
Now that you know the 10 main steps to creating a Social Media briefing, it’s time to start applying your knowledge and developing more strategic projects for your clients.
Want even better results in this process? Read our article and improve your Social Media routine. It’s free.
Read also How to create a Social Media portfolio.
