Use existing knowledge carefully
Sales notes and support questions can be useful source material, but they may contain private details or outdated instructions. Check accuracy, permissions, and audience fit before adapting them for publication. Leave the team with a decision, an owner, and a review date.
Check accuracy, redundant paragraphs, headings, links, and next steps before publication. Read the copy without the keyword brief to test its usefulness. Record the date, reason, and owner of important changes.
Rights and approvals
Confirm permission for photographs, quotations, customer stories, and licensed assets. Approval time belongs in the production schedule, not after it. Confirm permissions before sharing customer information or assets.
Define the reader, their question, the intended format, and the next action. A brief should name the evidence needed and what the piece will deliberately leave out. Confirm the output, owner, and review date for each task.
- Current accounts and assets
- Verified business information
- Customer questions
- Budget and team capacity
Discuss Your Priorities