Influencer brief template: what to include and what gets missed
By the Sponmi team · Updated
An influencer brief tells the creator what to make: the product, the market and audience, the one message to land, what must and must not be said, the format, review steps, dates, ad label and usage rights. Keep it short, fix the facts and leave the creative execution to the creator, who knows their audience.
What is an influencer brief?
A brief is the short document that tells a creator what you need from a sponsored post. It sets the scope the creator works to, so anything left out of it tends to come back later as a revision request.
On Sponmi you write a brief when you send an offer with your budget. When you order a package, the package states what is made, and you add your details by answering the creator's questions and in messages inside the order.
What should an influencer brief include?
- The product: what it is and where people can buy it.
- The market: the country and language of the audience you need.
- One main message the viewer should remember.
- What must be said, and what must not be said.
- The format: a mention, a dedicated segment or a whole video, and the platform.
- The review steps you want: script, storyboard, final video.
- The posting date or window.
- How the post is labelled as an ad.
- Whether you will run the video as your own ad, and for how long.
Influencer brief template: what do you fill in?
Copy this table and fill in the middle column. The right column is the check to run before you send it.
| Section | What to write | Check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Name, what it does, where to buy it | Can it be explained in one sentence? |
| Market and audience | Country, language, who buys | Does the creator's audience live there? |
| Main message | The one point the viewer should remember | Is there only one? |
| Must say / must not say | Required wording, name spelling, topics to avoid | Has your team signed it off? |
| Format and platform | Mention, segment or whole video; where it is posted | Does the package cover it? |
| Review steps | Script, storyboard, final video | Who on your side approves each step? |
| Dates | Posting window; when you will send materials | Can you answer the creator's questions right away? |
| Ad label | How the post is marked as an ad | Is it written down? |
| Rights and extras | Usage rights 30, 90 or 365 days; links, pinned link, cross-post | Are these add-ons in the order? |
| Budget (offers) | Your budget in US dollars | Did you allow for the 5.5% service fee? |
How detailed should a brief be?
Fix the facts and leave the execution open. Product details, the market, the main message and the must-say lines should be exact. How the creator opens the video, the jokes and the setting are better left to them; they know what their audience watches.
If you need to check the wording, choose a package with a script step rather than writing the script yourself. You approve the script before filming, and the creator moves on only after you approve it.
What do brands often leave out of a brief?
- The market. Without a country and language, the creator cannot judge whether the product fits their audience.
- Who approves. Feedback from several people at different times slows every step.
- The posting date, left to be decided after the video is finished.
- The ad label. It is required, and both the advertiser and the creator are responsible; the ad disclosure rules article covers the details.
- Usage rights. Running the video as your own ad needs rights agreed in advance.
- Answers to the creator's questions. Delivery is counted from when you answer them, so a late answer moves the delivery date.
- New requirements added after the script is approved.
How do you send a brief on Sponmi?
- Pick a creator from the list and open their packages.
- If a package fits, order it and answer the creator's questions. Delivery is counted from that moment.
- If no package fits, send an offer with your budget and brief.
- The creator accepts, declines or replies with a different amount. An offer with no answer closes after 3 days, and nothing is charged.
- After the creator accepts, you pay on the order page and review each agreed step.
Questions
- What is the difference between a brief and a contract?
- The brief says what to make. The terms around it — revisions, dates, usage rights, payment — are covered in the article on what to include in a sponsorship contract.
- Should I write the script for the creator?
- Usually not. Give the main message and the must-say lines, and approve the script step if the package includes one.
- Do I need a brief if I order a package?
- The package states what is made, but you still need to give the product, the market, the must-say lines and the ad label. Do it when you answer the creator's questions and in messages inside the order.
- When does the delivery time start?
- If the package has questions for you, delivery is counted from when you answer them.
- Can I add requirements after the script is approved?
- It slows the work, and revisions are limited to what the package includes. Put everything in the first brief.