A social media client brief template for one campaign

Write a decision-ready objective

A useful brief names the audience, their current situation, and the action the campaign should encourage. “Increase awareness” is too broad to guide an opening line or a destination link. “Help existing customers understand the new booking process and visit the setup guide” gives the creator something specific to explain.

Include how you will evaluate the work, while separating the content’s acceptance criteria from hoped-for performance. A client can approve whether a post explains the process accurately. They cannot approve a guarantee that an algorithm will distribute it to a particular number of people. State targets as goals and record the assumptions behind them.

Gather source material and constraints

Ask for authoritative product details, approved claims, offer dates, destination pages, visual assets, and examples of the desired voice. Identify who can resolve uncertainty in each source. Do not copy an old campaign’s claims without checking whether they still apply to this audience and offer.

List prohibited topics, required qualifications, rights or permission questions, and any organization-specific review requirements. Use links to the actual materials rather than a folder containing many unlabeled alternatives. Collect access through the organization’s approved process; credentials and sensitive customer details do not belong in a campaign brief.

Worked example: a local studio booking update

A studio wants current members to learn its revised booking process. The audience is existing members, the desired action is to read the setup guide, and the key message is that bookings now open seven days ahead. The studio manager supplies the current policy and confirms the start date. The campaign includes a caption, a short demonstration, and a reminder.

The brief excludes claims about availability guarantees because the studio cannot support them. The agency drafts from the policy, the manager checks accuracy, and one client owner gives the final decision. A changed start date triggers revision of every affected variant. This filled-in brief turns a vague announcement into a small set of verifiable deliverables.

Agree on review and scope changes

Name the creator, specialist contact, client decision owner, and backup. Specify when complete materials must arrive and when decisions are due. Decide where consolidated feedback lives and how conflicting client comments are resolved. These are operating agreements; confirm commercial terms separately through the normal client agreement.

If the client changes the objective, offer, or deliverable list after work begins, update the brief and discuss timing before treating it as a minor revision. Keep a visible version and decision record. After the campaign, use the brief to compare the intended message and delivered work, then capture useful questions for the next campaign rather than duplicating the entire onboarding checklist.

Check the brief before accepting production work

Ask a creator to explain the audience, message, destination, and decision owner from the brief alone. If any of those are uncertain, resolve them before creating several variants. Confirm that the source owner can answer factual questions within the planned schedule. A brief is ready when it supports decisions, not simply when every field contains text.

Where this fits in Slash Social

Explore Slash Social for agencies. These resources describe operating practices you can adapt to your team. Review current product availability before choosing a rollout.