LinkedInStart with one message
- Write the single offer or message the ad must carry. A brief with three messages gives an ad that says none of them clearly.
- Describe the audience in plain words, such as returning buyers who bought once in the last 90 days, not a broad age band.
- Write the problem the viewer has now, in their own words where you can get them, from reviews, support messages or sales calls.
Set the limits
- List the formats, sizes and lengths, and any text that must appear on screen.
- List the claims that need proof and the proof that exists. Do not ask for a claim the client cannot back.
- List what is banned, such as competitor names, unapproved before-and-after images, and medical or financial promises.
Made-up scenario: the brief asks for a 15-second vertical video. The proof point is an average rating from the client's own review page, shared as a screenshot. The brief says not to use the word best, because no one has checked that claim.
Say how it will be judged
- Name the metric the test uses and the minimum spend or time before a result is read.
- Write what a win and a loss look like before launch, such as a lower cost per new customer at the same average order value.
- Say when the creative is retired, such as after a set frequency or a sustained drop in hook rate.
Keep the brief with the work
- Store the brief next to the files it produced, with its version number and date.
- Record what the test taught in one line after the read, including when the test failed.
