The output is only as good as your brief

"I went to my hairdresser and gave her unclear directions.

I walked out looking like this girl lol!

I had to wear caps for a few months!

The same applies to marketing and business.

Lack of clarity in our messaging can deliver poor results." - String Nguyen

When I saw String's post on LinkedIn, the first thing that hit me was,

What a fantastic analogy to describe how...

The output from your creative professional - graphic designer, web designer, social media agency, copywriter - is only as good as your brief.

I commented on String's post saying this. She graciously responded asking me to feel free to use her example whenever needed.

Damn sure, I will!

Although I have short-cropped hair and don't visit a barber! 😆

When you brief a creative professional, give them as much information as you can about:

• Objective - what you hope to achieve (i.e. lead gen, brand awareness, shock & awe)
• Distribution - its intended use (i.e. if it is a visual, whether it's for printed flyers, social media posts or ads)
• Background - to your business, the product/service, your target audience
• Inspiration - similar piece(s) that caught your eye (try NOT to restrict their creativity by telling them, "This is exactly what I want!")

A creative professional (keyword, professional) will whip up some magic using this information.

Sometimes, we get it twisted.

Under the pretext of giving them "as much info as possible", we specify what we want.

"Make it look like this, but for our brand!"

This is NOT a brief.

This is telling someone what you want.

While we're on the subject, here's a good way to differentiate a professional creative vs. someone who is meh...

Observe the questions they ask.

A professional's questions will be around your objectives, distribution, background and inspiration.

A "meh" creative will keep asking questions to get you to say what you want.