How to Write an Influencer Brief

Crafting the right influencer brief is the single most important step you can take for a successful collaboration. A great brief sets the stage for amazing content that hits your goals, while a weak one leads to confusing DMs, mismatched expectations, and wasted money. This guide breaks down exactly what to include in your brief to make sure you and your creators are set up for a win from the very beginning.

What Exactly Is an Influencer Brief (And Why It Matters So Much)?

Think of an influencer brief as the master blueprint for your campaign. It’s a single document that gives a creator everything they need to know about your brand, your product, your campaign goals, and the specific content you want them to make. It's not about micromanaging their creativity, it’s about providing clear guardrails so their creativity can shine in a way that aligns with your brand’s objectives.

Skipping this step and trying to manage a campaign through email threads or Instagram DMs is a recipe for disaster. A proper brief accomplishes several critical things:

• It eliminates miscommunication. There’s no room for “I thought you meant…” when everything is written down in one place.
• It sets clear expectations for both sides. The creator knows exactly what’s expected of them, and you know what you’re getting in return.
• It protects your brand identity. You can share specific do’s and don’ts to maintain brand consistency.
• It empowers the influencer. With a clear understanding of your goals, creators can produce better, more effective content. They're creative professionals, and a good brief gives them the context they need to do their best work.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Influencer Brief

A comprehensive brief makes the entire process smoother for everyone involved. Let’s walk through the essential sections your brief should include, one by one.

1. The Campaign Overview: Your "State of the Union"

Start with the big picture. This section gives the creator immediate context for the entire project before they get into the specific details. Keep it concise but informative.

• About Your Brand &, Product: Assume they know very little. In one or two sentences, describe who you are and what you do. Then, give a quick overview of the specific product or service you're promoting. Example: "Aura Skincare makes minimalist, vegan skincare for sensitive skin. We're promoting our new Calming Lavender Face Mist, designed to reduce redness and hydrate throughout the day."
• Campaign Name &, Goals: Give the campaign a simple name for easy reference (e.g., "Aura Skincare Summer Refresh"). Then, state your primary objective. Be specific. Instead of "increase brand awareness," try "generate high-quality user-generated content (UGC) that we can repurpose in our ads," or "drive traffic to our product page and achieve a click-through rate of 2% or higher."
• Key Dates &, Timeline: List every important date clearly. Ambiguity is your enemy here. Include deadlines for signing the contract, receiving the product, submitting content for review, the official live date(s), and how long the content needs to stay live on their profile.

2. The Deliverables: What Are You Asking For?

This is where you get hyper-specific about the content you're paying for. Don't leave anything open to interpretation. Listing deliverables in a bulleted format is often the clearest way to present this information.

For each piece of content, specify:

• The Platform: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, etc.
• The Format: Is it a Reel, a static post, a carousel (and how many slides?), a set of Stories, or a long-form video?
• Technical Specs: Mention length (e.g., "a 60-90 second Reel"), format (vertical 9:16 video), and any other key details.

Example Deliverables Section:

Please provide the following content across Instagram and TikTok:

• 1 x Instagram Reel:
  • Length: 45-60 seconds.
  • Concept: A "get ready with me" style video featuring our Calming Lavender Face Mist as a key step in your morning routine.
  • Audio: Please use a trending, upbeat audio clip.
• 3 x Consecutive Instagram Stories:
  • Story 1: A short video of you unboxing the face mist.
  • Story 2: A selfie showing you using the mist during the day, with text overlay about how refreshing it is.
  • Story 3: A call-to-action slide with the provided affiliate link sticker active.
• 1 x TikTok Video:
  • Length: 30-45 seconds.
  • Concept: Repurpose the Instagram Reel for your TikTok audience, adjusting the on-screen text and editing style to fit the platform's native feel.

3. Creative Direction: Providing Guardrails, Not Handcuffs

You hired an influencer for their unique voice and connection with their audience, so you don’t want to script their every word. However, you do need to provide enough direction to ensure the content aligns with your brand and campaign goals.

• Key Messaging &, Talking Points: What are the 2-3 most important things you need them to communicate? These are your non-negotiables. Examples: "Mention that the product is 100% vegan and cruelty-free," "Highlight the 'Buy One, Get One 50% Off' promotion," "Explain how the mist smells natural, not synthetic."
• Mood &, Tone of Voice: How should the content feel? Is it aspirational and dreamy? Upbeat and energetic? Informative and straightforward? Funny and relatable? Give them a few adjectives to work with.
• Mandatory Do's &, Don'ts: This is a powerful tool for preventing common brand mismatches. Be clear and direct.
  • Do: Show the product in a bright, naturally lit setting. Clearly show the label. Smile while using the product.
  • Don't: Use filters that distort the product's true color. Mention any competitor brands. Film with a cluttered or messy background.

The goal here is inspiration, not dictation. You're giving them the key ingredients, it's their job to cook the meal.

4. Campaign Mandatories: The Technical Must-Haves

This section is for all the small but critical details that are easy to forget. Missing any of these can significantly reduce your campaign's impact.

• Tags, Hashtags, and Handles: Provide the exact @handles to be tagged (in the caption and on the image/video) and the specific #hashtags to be used. Separate them into "required" and "suggested" lists.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Explicitly state what you want the influencer to tell their audience to do. Should they "Swipe up"? "Shop the link in bio"? "Use code 'CREATOR20' for 20% off"? Make it singular and easy to follow.
• Disclosure &, FTC Guidelines: Remind the creator that they must clearly disclose their paid partnership in compliance with FTC guidelines. Specify how you want them to do this - using Instagram's "Paid Partnership" label is ideal, but they also need a clear hashtag like #ad, #sponsored, or #[Brand]Partner at the beginning of the caption. This protects both you and the creator.

5. Logistics &, Next Steps: The Nuts and Bolts

Finally, outline all the operational details to ensure the campaign runs smoothly behind the scenes.

• Approval Process: Explain how content should be submitted for your review. Should they send files via Google Drive? Dropbox? Also, state your expected turnaround time for feedback (e.g., "We will provide any feedback within 48 business hours"). This manages expectations and keeps the project moving.
• Compensation &, Payment: Reiterate the agreed-upon compensation. State how they will be paid (PayPal, wire transfer, etc.) and, most importantly, when. A common structure is 50% upon signing the agreement and 50% upon successful completion of all deliverables. Being clear about payment builds trust.
• Usage Rights &, Exclusivity: State how and where you'll be using their content. Be specific. For example: "We retain the right to use, republish, and distribute the content on our organic social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook) and in our email newsletters for a period of one year." If you want rights for paid ads, you need to state that explicitly, as it usually costs more. Also, mention any exclusivity terms (e.g., "The creator agrees not to work with any competing skincare brands for 30 days following the live date of our final post.").

Great Briefs Lead to Great Content

Putting in the effort to create a thorough, thoughtful influencer brief upfront saves you an incredible amount of time and prevents headaches down the line. It's not just a document, it's the foundation of a professional, respectful, and ultimately more successful partnership between you and the creators you admire.

Final Thoughts

A well-structured brief transforms a potentially chaotic collaboration into a well-oiled machine, ensuring that the brand’s message is clear and the creator’s voice is respected. It’s the single best tool for aligning expectations and paving the way for fantastic, goal-oriented content.

As you run more influencer campaigns, coordinating everything in your content calendar becomes essential. We built Postbase with a visual-first calendar so you can see your entire content plan at a glance. It’s perfect for scheduling your own organic posts around influencer content, spotting gaps in your schedule, and ensuring your whole social strategy feels cohesive without getting lost in spreadsheets.