What goes in a content brief so writers don't go rogue?

What goes in a content brief so writers don't go rogue?

Q: My freelancers keep missing the mark. What should a brief actually contain?

A: Short answer: intent, structure, and proof requirements. Longer answer, my brief checklist:

— Target query + the search intent in one sentence ("someone comparing X before buying").
— The ONE thing this page must do better than the top 3 results.
— Suggested H2s, in order, based on what's ranking — but flag they're a starting point.
— Required elements: original example, a stat with source, an image, internal links to 2 named pages.
— Word-count range, not a hard number. And the angle/POV in plain words.
— What to AVOID (competitor names, fluff intros, AI-sounding hedges).

A tight brief saves three rounds of edits.

Anyone want me to go deeper on this? React 👍