The influencer brief template

A creator can only match a voice they understand. This is the part most briefs skip, and it is the part that decides whether the pitches you get back feel on-brand.

• —Who you are, in one sentence a stranger would understand
• —The audience you actually sell to — not the one you wish you had
• —Two or three brands you feel adjacent to, and one you don't want to be confused with

Awareness, consideration and conversion need different creators. Naming one primary objective stops you from casting a storyteller and then judging them on click-through.

• —One primary objective — awareness, launch, conversion, or repositioning
• —The single metric you will judge it on
• —What success looks like in plain numbers, if you have them

This is the hardest thing to write and the most useful thing to read. Describe the feeling and the frame, not just the colour palette.

• —Three adjectives for the tone — and three the campaign is not
• —Reference posts or films, with a note on what specifically you like in each
• —Whether you want polished studio work or handheld, in-the-moment footage

Describe the person, not the follower count. Reach is the cheapest thing to buy and the least predictive of whether the work lands.

• —The archetype you're casting — the expert, the host, the outsider, the craftsperson
• —Audience geography and rough age band
• —Any hard exclusions (competing partnerships, categories, past controversies)

Ambiguity here is where budgets and relationships break. Be specific about counts, formats and platforms before you talk money.

• —Exact count and format per platform (e.g. 1× 45–60s Reel, 3× stories, 1× static)
• —Whether you need raw footage or only the published cut
• —Posting window and any dates that cannot move

Keep this short. A brief that scripts every line produces content that reads like an ad and performs like one.

• —The one thing a viewer must take away
• —Non-negotiables: claims you can and cannot make, disclosure requirements, handle and hashtag
• —A clear list of what creative freedom the creator does have

Usage is a separate commercial ask from the post itself. Naming the term and territory upfront avoids a renegotiation after the work is already live.

• —Whitelisting or paid amplification, with duration and territory
• —Whether the asset can appear off-platform (site, email, out-of-home)
• —Category exclusivity period, if any

A stated range gets faster, more honest responses than 'send us your rates'. It also filters out creators who were never in your bracket.

• —A real range per creator, inclusive or exclusive of usage — say which
• —Approval steps and how many rounds of feedback to expect
• —Who the creator's single point of contact is