How to Assign Brand Content Work

If you want the most from a content writer, it’s up to you to guide him or her with specific assignment sheets. You can’t give a writer an article title, one- or two-sentence description and the name of the publication or blog where the piece will run.

Any writer who accepts that is not a skilled brand writer.

Any company that assigns content jobs that way is not really sure what their goals are.

When assigning a brand content piece, make sure you talk with your writer to let him know exactly what the end goal for the piece is. That’s what this is all about. It’s not about printing words on a page, it’s about getting a specific type of person to act in a specific way. Your assignments need to make sure that happens.

Here is the information you need to give a brand content writer to ensure she delivers what you need…

Job Ad/Assignment Form

• Working title of story
• Type of job: print article, blog post, native ad, advertorial
• Audience demographics
• Points to be covered in the article/post
• Sources required/suggested
• Images/art required?
• Client goal/desired outcome for this piece
• Person (first, second or third)
• Publication/site where article will run
• Client’s website URL
• Competitor websites
• Word count
• Due date
• Fee paid/kill fee
• Client contact name and title
• Client phone number and email

This type of assignment lets the brand writer know why he’s writing a piece, not just what he needs to write. That’s the difference between brand content and other forms of traditional advertising and promotional content.