Most creative briefs ask too many questions and get too few useful answers. After 20+ years of freelance copywriting across financial services, retail, social media and internal communications, I know exactly what a writer needs to produce copy worth reading. The answer is three things: what the piece needs to do, who it's for and what you want them to think, feel or do when they're done. Answer those well and everything else follows.

This free creative brief template strips out the noise and gets straight to what matters. Use it before every project — whether you're briefing a freelance copywriter, an agency or your own internal team. The clearer you are going in, the better the work coming out.

Most brands think they need to invent their voice. They don't. It's already there — in the email someone forwarded because it was just that good, in the caption that got three times the usual engagement, in how your best customers describe you when you're not in the room. This worksheet helps you find it, name it and make it repeatable.

Eight guided questions walk you through excavating your brand voice — from the content you're proudest of to the words you'd never use. A tone spectrum scale helps you pinpoint exactly where your brand lives between playful and serious, casual and formal, bold and understated. The result is a clear, actionable picture of your brand voice that your whole team can actually use.