A strong brief tells a writer what the reader must be able to do after reading—and what this article can add that a generic model answer cannot. “Write 1,000 words about email marketing” is a topic, not a brief.
Specify the editorial job
Use this one-page brief:
- Reader and moment: who is deciding what, and what do they already know?
- Question: the exact task or uncertainty to resolve.
- Answer: the conclusion in one sentence, including when it does not apply.
- Original contribution: a method, tested workflow, worked example, local-language nuance, or analysis drawn from approved evidence.
- Evidence: source for each changing or consequential claim; label inference separately.
- Useful output: what the reader can copy, calculate, compare, or check.
- Boundary: what this article cannot establish.
- Next resource: the relevant page or tool, not a generic promotional link.
Test the brief before drafting
Ask an editor to compare the proposed article with the current top pages or common model output. If the only additions are a different introduction, synonyms, or a city name, the brief fails. Reframe the reader’s task or gather new evidence. In Arabic, state the register and country; “Arabic” alone does not tell a writer whether to use Egyptian colloquial, Gulf colloquial, or clear Modern Standard Arabic.
Example brief: A guide for an Egypt-based ecommerce operator deciding whether to separate COD orders from paid-media optimization. The original contribution is a worked distinction between placed orders, delivered orders, returns, and net contribution using hypothetical values. The article must state that the numbers are illustrative and that the merchant needs its own data.
A topic with no distinct contribution should become a section in a stronger page or not be published. The point of an editorial brief is to prevent generic output before it becomes a polished generic article.
Optional AI-assisted work brief — Originality gate for briefs
Compare this proposed article with the existing library and source material. Identify the unique reader problem, the decision the piece will resolve, first-hand or verifiable evidence needed, a worked example, and what competing pages fail to answer. Reject the brief if its only novelty is a new keyword or paraphrase. Do not fabricate expert experience or outcomes.
Carousel draft: the five-minute originality gate
1 — Hook
If an AI can write the same article from one keyword, the brief is not ready.
2 — Reader task
Name the real decision the reader needs to make—not just the topic.
3 — Missing proof
List the example, source, observation, or calculation your article will add.
4 — Unique move
Show what the reader can do differently after reading your piece.
5 — Kill test
If the only difference is a keyword, merge the idea into a stronger page.
6 — Close
Originality is a useful answer, not unusual wording.
Worked example — Reject a keyword-only brief
A brief titled “WhatsApp marketing tips” has no distinct reader decision. A stronger brief asks how to reconcile click events with chats actually received, then supplies a state model, sample weekly sheet, privacy boundary, and diagnostic for the first point of loss. The second brief is worth producing because it gives the reader a tool and a defensible interpretation, not just another list of tips.
AI disclosure: AI tools assisted with drafting. The brief example is illustrative.