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Step one: define the reader and the job
Start the brief with the audience, the action you want the reader to take, and the single idea the piece must communicate. Add format, word range, publication channel and deadline. Example: a payroll software company needs an 1,200-word article for finance managers who are comparing tools; the goal is a demo request. State what the reader already knows and what worries them. Writers produce stronger drafts when they can picture one person reading, so resist listing five audiences. If two groups truly matter, split the work into two briefs with separate angles.
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Step two: supply sources, voice and limits
Give the writer material they can rely on: product notes, interview contacts, approved statistics, past articles and competitor pages to avoid echoing. Describe voice with examples, such as plain, practical, no slang, short paragraphs. In the payroll example, include the claims legal has approved and the terms the company never uses. List required sections only if they truly matter. Name any topics to avoid and any facts that must be checked before publishing. This step prevents the most common revision cycle, where a writer guesses at tone and invents support for statements.
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Step three: set review rules and scoring
Close the brief with how the draft will be judged. Specify who reviews, how many revision rounds are included, and the date feedback will arrive. Offer a short checklist: answers the reader's question, follows the voice notes, cites only supplied sources, includes the call to action. For the payroll article, the editor scores each item as met or needs work and returns comments in one batch. Pay for the first assignment as a trial, then reuse the brief with edits. Over time, keep the strongest drafts as examples that guide the next writer.