A useful clipping brief explains the audience, desired response, source context, creative principles, required elements, boundaries, distribution rules, and reward logic. It gives direction without prescribing identical edits.
Begin with the audience job
Do not open with fonts. Start with the viewer: who are they, what do they already believe, and what should they understand, feel, remember, or do after this clip?
A clear audience job helps an editor choose the right source moment and decide which context must survive the cut.
Describe the campaign idea
Explain why the source matters now, the themes the campaign should explore, and the creative territory that fits. Include examples of strong angles without turning them into mandatory scripts.
Two or three example hooks are useful when they reveal the intended tension or benefit. Twenty near-identical hook templates usually flatten the work.
Separate requirements from taste
Required disclosures, prohibited claims, logo placement, subtitle rules, CTA, destination, music rights, platform, duration, and post-live period are requirements. Mood and pacing preferences are creative direction.
Labeling the difference lets editors explore within the safe area instead of guessing which notes are negotiable.
- Must include
- Must avoid
- Usually works
- Open to testing
Show good and bad examples
A strong example demonstrates context, hook integrity, caption hierarchy, pacing, and brand fit. A bad example is most useful when the brief explains exactly why it fails.
Avoid telling editors only to make something 'viral' or 'high energy.' Translate vague taste into observable decisions.
Add operational clarity
The brief should state eligible accounts, countries, languages, platforms, frequency, approval requirements, deadlines, tags, links, disclosures, live duration, reward model, caps, and verification window.
Finish with a short checklist and a named route for questions. Brief quality is not measured by length; it is measured by how many consequential decisions it resolves.
- Define a single primary objective
- Include source and rights context
- Provide two useful hook examples
- Name the decision owner
- Show reward math with a worked example
A worked brief for a founder interview
Audience: founders hiring their first customer-support teammate. Goal: help them recognize the point at which support needs an owner. Source: the approved interview recording, especially the discussion from 12:10 to 18:30. Message: repeated support questions can reveal a product problem as well as a staffing problem.
Creative direction: open with a concrete customer question, keep the founder’s uncertainty about the first solution, and end with the lesson learned. Avoid turning an anecdote into a universal hiring rule. Use accurate subtitles and show the speaker’s name once.
Delivery: prepare the agreed number of distinct cuts for the selected platform. The founder reviews factual accuracy; one campaign owner consolidates all other notes. Each draft should include the source timestamp and a proposed post caption. This brief gives enough direction to start without scripting every creative choice.
Give each clip one primary next step
A clip that asks viewers to follow, comment, buy, subscribe, and visit a website can leave the editor without a clear ending. Choose the action that fits the audience’s current knowledge. A discovery clip may point to the complete conversation; a product demonstration may point to a more detailed explanation.
Make sure the destination supports the promise. If the clip offers a template, the destination should make that template easy to find. If the link leads to a general homepage, adjust the promise rather than hoping viewers will search for the relevant resource.
Prepare examples without inviting imitation
Explain what you like about a reference: the opening establishes a problem quickly, the captions are readable, or the edit keeps a complete example. Do not assume the editor knows which aspect matters. A reference can otherwise be interpreted as a request to copy its colors, pacing, wording, and personality.
Include one example that would be wrong for your campaign and explain why. Perhaps it exaggerates the claim, interrupts an important qualification, or relies on a joke your audience would not understand. Boundaries become more useful when they show a decision in context.
Keep the source handoff usable
Use a stable sharing link with the access the editor needs. Label the approved recording, attach the correct transcript if available, and identify any sections that must not be used. If an asset is replaced, say what changed and which version is now authoritative.
A timestamp is a starting point, not permission to remove surrounding meaning. Encourage editors to review the lead-in and follow-up before recommending a cut. Add pronunciation notes for names and specialist terms so caption corrections do not consume the first feedback round.
What should you send if you have no brand kit?
Send two or three examples of your own content that sound like you, a short list of words you would never use, and a plain description of the intended audience. A useful voice reference is more valuable than choosing a font before the campaign has a message.
You can build the brief progressively. Start with the free campaign brief template, choose your scope in the campaign builder, and use the first review to clarify preferences that were difficult to describe in advance.