How to brief a freelance copywriter

Writing a good copywriting brief takes time. But it’s time worth spending to make sure you get what you’re looking for. Otherwise, you may find you need to do a lot of rewriting later down the line, which will take longer. 

Putting together a copywriting brief helps both the charity and the copywriter. It will help you to clarify what you need the copywriter to do and it will support the freelancer to produce copy that’s on brand. 

If you’ve never commissioned a freelance copywriter before, here’s what to include in a brief: 

Let them know about your charity 

If the copywriter hasn’t worked with your organisation before, make sure you include some information about the charity. Tell them who you are and what you do. 

Outline the project 

Provide a timeline 

Be clear on when you need the final copy by. If you’re having the communication designed, give yourself extra time to allow for any extra edits. If the copywriter says they can work to the deadline, put together a more detailed timeline with dates for first, second and final drafts (or however many rounds of edits you want to include). 

Let the copywriter know how you want them to be involved in the project. Do you want them to just write the copy, or would you like their help with other tasks? For example, they could help with putting together a structure (also known as a flatplan) for the communication, such as an annual report. 

You may also want their feedback on the design and help with proofreading the final communication. 

Explain who your audience is 

Tell them who your target audience is so they can keep them in mind when writing the copy. For example, 60-year-old women and above who are motivated by helping others and have time to volunteer. Give them as much detail as you can. 

Set the rounds of editing

Tell them how many rounds of amends you would like them to work on. This will allow them to accurately quote for the work. 

Give them background reading 

Send the copywriter your tone of voice guidance, along with the written brief. They’ll be able to familiarise themselves with the way your charity communicates and the language it uses, and then apply this to their copy. 

As well as tone of voice guidance, share your house style guidelines with the copywriter. These are basic points about the way your charity communicates. For example, when to use capital letters or lower case, how to format dates and phone numbers, and when to hyphenate a word. 

You should send them some examples of previous communications you’ve done. Also, make sure you share anything that relates to the project. For example, the results of a volunteer survey. 

Let the copywriter know which charities are doing similar work or organisations that you think are doing good things with their copy. They can have a look at their websites and get ideas. 

Ask them to quote for the work 

Ask the copywriter to quote for the project. When they come back to you with the cost, let them know if you’re happy with it and want to go ahead. Also, agree payment terms with them (how long it will take you to pay them when you receive their invoice) and whether an initial payment is paid upfront.  

Do pay them fairly. It’s important to pay freelancers based on the value of the work they do for your organisation and their skills. 

You may find the copywriter asks you about your budget to help them with quoting. If possible, do share this information. 

Answer their questions 

Once the copywriter has read through the brief, arrange a follow-up meeting or call to discuss the project in more detail and answer their questions. This will help them to calculate how long the work will take and quote for the work.