name: content-brief-generator
description: Generate comprehensive content briefs for writers, ensuring clarity, alignment, and strategic content creation across all formats.

Content Brief Generator

A comprehensive skill for creating detailed content briefs that guide writers, ensure consistency, and align content with business goals.

What This Skill Does

Helps you create professional content briefs for:
- Blog posts and articles - Thought leadership, tutorials, how-tos
- Technical documentation - API docs, guides, README files
- Marketing copy - Landing pages, email campaigns, ads
- Social media content - Posts, campaigns, threads
- Case studies - Customer success stories
- Whitepapers and reports - In-depth research content
- Product descriptions - E-commerce and product pages
- Video scripts - YouTube, explainer videos, demos

Why Content Briefs Matter

Without a brief:
- Unclear expectations and scope
- Multiple rounds of revisions
- Inconsistent tone and messaging
- Missing SEO opportunities
- Wasted time and resources

With a brief:
- Clear direction and goals
- Fewer revisions needed
- Consistent quality
- SEO-optimized content
- Efficient workflow

Core Components of a Content Brief

1. Content Overview

• Title/working title
• Content type (blog, doc, landing page, etc.)
• Target audience
• Primary goal (educate, convert, entertain, etc.)
• Key message or takeaway

2. Audience & Context

• Target persona
• Reader's knowledge level
• Pain points and needs
• Where they are in the funnel
• How they'll discover content

3. Strategic Elements

• Business objectives
• SEO keywords and intent
• Competitive landscape
• Success metrics
• CTAs and conversion goals

4. Content Requirements

• Tone and voice
• Length/word count
• Structure and sections
• Research requirements
• Visual/media needs

5. SEO & Distribution

• Primary and secondary keywords
• Search intent
• Meta description
• Internal/external links
• Distribution channels

Content Types & Templates

Blog Post Brief

Use for: Thought leadership, tutorials, listicles, how-tos

Key elements:
- Hook and introduction angle
- Main points (typically 3-7)
- Examples and data to include
- Call-to-action
- Internal linking strategy

Technical Documentation Brief

Use for: API docs, guides, developer documentation

Key elements:
- Technical accuracy requirements
- Code examples needed
- Audience technical level
- Prerequisites
- Related documentation

Landing Page Brief

Use for: Product pages, signup pages, campaign pages

Key elements:
- Value proposition
- Benefits vs. features
- Social proof requirements
- Conversion goal
- A/B testing plan

Case Study Brief

Use for: Customer success stories, testimonials

Key elements:
- Customer background
- Problem/solution/results framework
- Metrics and outcomes
- Quotes needed
- Industry context

Content Structure Frameworks

AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)

Best for: Marketing copy, sales pages

1. Attention: Grab with headline
2. Interest: Build with benefits
3. Desire: Create want with proof
4. Action: Drive with clear CTA

PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve)

Best for: Blog posts, email campaigns

1. Problem: Identify pain point
2. Agitate: Emphasize urgency
3. Solve: Present solution

Inverted Pyramid

Best for: News, technical docs

1. Most important info first
2. Supporting details
3. Background context

Storytelling Arc

Best for: Case studies, narratives

1. Setup (character/situation)
2. Conflict (challenge)
3. Resolution (solution)
4. Takeaway (lesson)

SEO Integration

Keyword Strategy

• Primary keyword (1)
• Secondary keywords (2-3)
• Long-tail variations (3-5)
• LSI keywords (related terms)

Search Intent

• Informational: Learn about something
• Navigational: Find specific page
• Commercial: Compare options
• Transactional: Ready to buy

On-Page SEO

• Title tag (include primary keyword)
• Meta description (compelling + keyword)
• Headers (H1, H2, H3 with keywords)
• Image alt text
• Internal linking

Tone & Voice Guidelines

Tone Spectrum

• Formal ↔ Casual
• Serious ↔ Playful
• Respectful ↔ Irreverent
• Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact

Voice Attributes

Define your brand voice:
- Professional but approachable (like Stripe)
- Technical but friendly (like Twilio)
- Playful and bold (like Mailchimp)
- Authoritative and trustworthy (like HubSpot)

Writing Style

• Active vs. passive voice
• Person (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
• Sentence length
• Paragraph structure
• Use of jargon

Research & Sourcing

Research Requirements

• Primary research: Interviews, surveys, original data
• Secondary research: Industry reports, competitor analysis
• Expert quotes: SME interviews, third-party experts
• Data and statistics: Credible sources, recent data
• Examples: Real-world cases, screenshots

Citation Standards

• Link to original sources
• Attribute quotes
• Recent data (within 1-2 years)
• Authoritative sources
• Fact-checking requirements

Visual & Media Requirements

Images

• Hero image specifications
• In-content images (how many, what type)
• Screenshots or diagrams
• Charts or infographics
• Alt text requirements

Video/Audio

• Video length and format
• Screen recordings needed
• B-roll requirements
• Audio quality standards

Other Media

• Code snippets
• Downloadable resources
• Interactive elements
• Embedded content

Workflow & Process

1. Brief Creation (This Skill)

Use generate_brief.sh to create comprehensive brief

2. Research & Outline

Writer researches and creates outline

3. First Draft

Writer creates content following brief

4. Review & Edit

Editor reviews against brief requirements

5. SEO Optimization

SEO review and optimization

6. Final Approval

Stakeholder sign-off

7. Publication

Publish and distribute

8. Performance Tracking

Monitor metrics defined in brief

Success Metrics by Content Type

Blog Post

• Organic traffic
• Time on page (3+ minutes)
• Scroll depth
• Social shares
• Backlinks
• Lead generation

Technical Documentation

• Page views
• Time on page
• Search rankings
• Feedback ratings
• Support ticket reduction

Landing Page

• Conversion rate
• Bounce rate
• Time on page
• Click-through rate
• Form submissions

Case Study

• Downloads
• Leads generated
• Sales pipeline influence
• Share rate

Common Content Brief Mistakes

❌ Avoid These

Too Vague:
"Write about our product"
→ No clear audience, goal, or angle

No Research:
Missing competitor analysis and keyword research
→ Content won't rank or differentiate

Unclear Voice:
"Make it engaging"
→ Not specific enough for consistency

Missing CTAs:
No clear next step for readers
→ Missed conversion opportunities

Ignoring SEO:
No keyword strategy
→ Content won't be discovered

✅ Do This Instead

Specific:
"Write 1500-word tutorial for junior developers on JWT authentication, including code examples in Node.js"

Research-Backed:
"Target keyword 'JWT authentication tutorial' (2.4K monthly searches), compete with existing articles from Auth0 and FreeCodeCamp"

Clear Voice:
"Technical but approachable - explain like a senior dev mentoring a junior, use examples, avoid jargon"

Action-Oriented:
"CTA: Sign up for free API key, secondary: Join Discord community"

SEO-Optimized:
"Primary: 'JWT authentication', Secondary: 'JSON web token Node.js', 'secure API authentication'"

Using This Skill

Generate a Content Brief

./scripts/generate_brief.sh

Interactive workflow will guide you through:
1. Content type and audience
2. Goals and objectives
3. SEO requirements
4. Structure and requirements
5. Success metrics

Validate a Brief

./scripts/validate_brief.sh path/to/brief.md

Checks for:
- Required sections present
- Keyword strategy defined
- Target audience specified
- Success metrics included
- Completeness score

Access Templates

references/content_brief_template.md - Complete template
references/seo_guidelines.md - SEO best practices
references/content_frameworks.md - Structure frameworks
references/tone_voice_guide.md - Voice guidelines

Content Brief Checklist

• [ ] Clear title and content type
• [ ] Target audience defined with persona details
• [ ] Primary goal and business objective
• [ ] Keyword research completed
• [ ] Search intent identified
• [ ] Tone and voice specified
• [ ] Word count target
• [ ] Structure and key sections outlined
• [ ] Research sources identified
• [ ] Examples and data requirements
• [ ] Visual needs specified
• [ ] CTAs defined
• [ ] Success metrics established
• [ ] Competitor content analyzed
• [ ] Distribution plan outlined

Quick Start Examples

"Create a blog post brief"

System generates comprehensive brief with:
- SEO keyword strategy
- Audience targeting
- Structure recommendations
- Success metrics

"Write technical documentation brief for API"

System creates technical brief with:
- Technical requirements
- Code example specifications
- Audience skill level
- Documentation standards

"Generate landing page brief"

System builds conversion-focused brief with:
- Value proposition guidance
- CTA strategy
- A/B testing recommendations
- Conversion metrics

Best Practices

1. Start With Research

• Analyze top-ranking content
• Understand search intent
• Identify content gaps
• Review competitor approach

2. Be Specific

• Exact word count
• Specific examples needed
• Clear tone guidelines
• Defined success metrics

3. Align With Strategy

• Connect to business goals
• Fit content calendar
• Support funnel stage
• Match brand voice

4. Make It Actionable

• Clear deliverables
• Specific requirements
• Concrete examples
• Measurable outcomes

5. Iterate and Improve

• Track performance
• Update based on results
• Refine over time
• Learn from top performers

Integration With Other Workflows

Content Calendar

Brief creation triggers calendar entry

SEO Tools

Keywords from SEMrush, Ahrefs, etc.

Project Management

Brief becomes Jira/Asana task

CMS

Brief exported to content management system

Analytics

Success metrics tracked in dashboards

Tips for Different Writer Types

Content Writers

• Focus on audience and storytelling
• Emphasize research requirements
• Clear brand voice guidelines

Technical Writers

• Specify technical accuracy needs
• Define audience knowledge level
• Include code example requirements

Copywriters

• Highlight conversion goals
• Specify A/B testing needs
• Clear CTA strategy

Content Marketers

• Connect to funnel stage
• Define distribution strategy
• Specify lead generation goals

Resources

All reference materials included:
- Complete content brief template
- SEO optimization guidelines
- Content structure frameworks
- Tone and voice development guide
- Copywriting formulas and examples

Summary

Content briefs ensure:
- Clarity - Everyone knows expectations
- Efficiency - Fewer revisions needed
- Quality - Consistent, strategic content
- Results - Content that achieves goals

Use this skill to create comprehensive briefs that guide writers to success.

Remember: Time spent on a good brief saves 10x time in revisions. Get it right before writing begins.