How to write a great video brief
Whether it’s for an agency, a freelancer or Swailio, a good brief is half the video. It fits in a few lines, as long as it answers the right questions.
Free trial: one free 20-second video, no credit card. Already have an account? Log in
1. Goal and audience
Who is the video for, and what should it get them to do: understand the product, book a meeting, sign up? One video, one goal, one action at the end.
2. Your message in five answers
- If your customer could remember only one thing, what would it be?
- What did they struggle with before you, and what did it cost them?
- What do your competitors not do, or do badly?
- Proof that it works: a number, a result, a customer?
- Your audience: who are they, and what makes them act?
3. Your material
Your website URL, screenshots of your product, your documents (pitch deck, brochure), your logo and your brand colors. The more concrete the material, the more accurate the video.
4. The format
The length (45 seconds is a good starting point), the tone (corporate, startup, creative), and the role of sound: for a product video, a video that works without a voice-over often performs better.
A fill-in-the-blanks template
“Present [product name], which helps [your target audience] [achieve a result]. Show the problem, then three key features: [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3]. End with [the call to action: free trial, demo…].”
It’s one of the templates offered in Swailio, which then asks you the five questions about your message and shows you, with a meter, when your brief is excellent.
Try Swailio on your next project.
One free 20-second video to try it, no credit card.