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Sales notes and support questions can be useful source material, but they may contain private details or outdated instructions.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. Record the decision as well as the numbers behind it.
Check accuracy, redundant paragraphs, headings, links, and next steps before publication. Read the copy without the keyword brief to test its usefulness. Save a baseline before replacing an existing approach.
Rights and approvals
Confirm permission for photographs, quotations, customer stories, and licensed assets. Approval time belongs in the production schedule, not after it. Keep private account details out of public briefs and examples.
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. Set out the work, approval steps, and handover requirements in writing.
- Current accounts and assets
- Verified business information
- Customer questions
- Budget and team capacity
Discuss Your Priorities