A good collaboration between client and creator starts with a thorough creative brief.

Since an established creative brief can be so crucial for the outcome of your video and for you to meet your clients’ wants and needs, the following guide will take you through the typical steps and possible challenges you need to take into account during this “Pre-production-phase”.

Below you will find a free creative brief template, that will guide you through how such a brief could be done.

Below you can read more about:

  1. Purpose
  2. Target group(s)
  3. Goal (KPIs)
  4. Defining the problem
  5. Core message
  6. Appeals
  7. Language
  8. Call to action (CTA)
  9. Choice of channel
  10. Format and length
  11. Deadlines
  12. Inspiration
  13. Budget

Bonus: Download the creative brief template at the bottom of this page. In that way, you can always have it close at hand.

1. Purpose

Before you start developing the content for your video, you should always have an established purpose for your video. No filmmaking process can continue without that crucial “Why?” in the very beginning. For this reason, you can initially start asking yourself questions like:

  • What is the purpose of the video?
  • Where in the customer journey is the recipient located, when watching the video?

2. Target group(s)

Once you settled the purpose of your video, you can start thinking about “Who?” you are creating the video for. In case you were wondering, making everyone your target group is not a good idea. You communicate differently to your teenage daughter than you do to your uncle from Arkansas, Texas. You should always have your target group in mind when creating content for your video.

  • Define your target group. For who are you creating the video?
  • Describe one and/or more client personas

3. GOAL (KPIs)

You need to establish a goal for your video. Your goal will help shape your message, whether your goal is to build brand awareness, to increase customer interaction, or any other, it’s important that you have an idea of where you want your video production to end before you start.

  • How do you measure success?
  • Which metrics will you take into consideration when defining success?  
    What is your goal?

4. Defining the problem

You need to think about what unsolved problem your video will help solve. It might be obvious to you why this video is so important to create, but others might not see it as plainly as you do. So, be sure to know what problem you are solving, how your video is the solution, and then of course – be sure to let everyone watching your video know how your video will help solve that specific problem.

  • What kind of problem will your video help solve?

5. Core message

Defining your core message involves deciding what actions you want your viewers to take once they have watched your video. Their actions depend on how your video made them feel and in what new ways it made them think. Make sure that you have one clear, core message that you want to convey, and then convey it well.

  • What is the most important message that you want your video to convey?

6. Appeals

Just like the point made regarding the importance of creating a core message. You want your video to leave your viewers with a specific feeling that can contribute to changing their actions. Think about what kind of feeling you want your video to leave your viewers with.

  • Which appeal forms should your video express?
    Humour? Seriousness? Fear? Reason? Credibility? Emotional?

7. Language

Since your video most likely will include audio, you also need to take into consideration what language your video should be in to reach as many from your target group as possible.

  • What language should your video be in?
  • What kind of (if any) subtitles should be attached to your video?

8. Call to action (CTA)

Make it easy for your viewer to know what they should do next. A Call To Action provides your viewers with some clear guidelines. Even more, a clear Call To Action also allows viewers to engage with your brand, ultimately leading to conversions.

  • Where should the recipient be led to after watching your video?

9. Choice of channel

As the number of distribution channels is constantly increasing, it would be a good idea for you to have a certain insight into what channel you should choose for your video.

  • Where should your video be displayed?
    Which Paid Media? Which Owned Media?

Want to dig deeper into this subject? Read our guide on” How-to produce videos for social media”.

10. Format and length

Like there are many different distribution channels, so there are many different formats and lengths to choose. All of which can each contribute with something specific to your video.

  • In what kind of format(s) should your video be released?
  • What length should the video be, when released?

This can quickly become quite a jungle to navigate through. Find our complete guide to “Recommended Video Specs for social media”

11. Deadlines

You need to plan according to any possible deadlines your video production might face. It would be such a shame to only make it half-way through and then realizing you’re not going to make it by your deadline.

  • When should your video be finished?
    Any other deadlines, that might be important to consider?

12. Inspiration

Your video, of course, needs to be original. But it can never hurt to gather inspiration from other video creators to help you get going. Just be sure to still keep your video personal and original.

  • Which videos could be used for inspiration?
  • What sounds could be used for inspiration?

13. Budget

Make a realistic budget. You need to know how much liberty you can take in your process.

  • What is your budget for production?

14. Others

Every video production will have a specific process. As you go through this template, try also to keep in mind if there are any special limitations that this template hasn’t taken into account.

  • Are there any important limitations to consider?

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