1. Define Desired Outcome
The first step in writing a good brief is to know what you want to achieve from the assets we've created. What are you trying to achieve with this project? Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Sell a product or service? Where will the images be displayed?
Once you know what the above is, you can start to put together a plan on how best to achieve it. If you're not sure yet, you can either sit down with your team and brainstorm ideas or work with me on concepting to come up with the right idea.
2. Know Your Target Audience
Another important aspect of writing a good brief is understanding who your target audience is. This will help determine the tone and feel of the project as well as the style of photography that will be most effective in achieving your objectives. For example, if you're targeting young adults, then a more colourful, vibrant style might be appropriate. On the other hand, if you're targeting middle-aged adults, then a more classic approach might be better suited. Knowing who you're targeting will help determine colour palette, props used, and if you'd like to incorporate stop motions of video into your project.
3. Set a Budget
Before you start writing your brief, it's important to set a budget for the project. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page in terms of what needs to be done and how much it will cost. Once you have a budget in mind, you can start to put together a list of specific shots that need to be taken and what type of post-production work will be required. If you're not sure how much money should be allocated for a shoot, determine first what kind of media you want (ie: stills, stop motion, or video), and you can request a quote. Usually the project minimum for brand work is $2,000.
4. Write It All Down
Once you have all of these elements figured out, it's time to start write your brief! Begin by introducing yourself and your company/project and then outline the desired outcome.
Next, provide some background information on your target audience so that the photographer knows who they are photographing for. After that, detail what type of photography is needed as well as any specific shots or concepts that need to be captured. Finally, include information on budget so that everyone is clear.
A good photographer/content creator will use the brief you supply to come up with a moodboard, colour scheme, shoot plan and set designs to review before the shooting starts, although some things are often best determined on set.