A video brief is a short guideline that defines the purpose, audience, message, channels, and practices of the video. A good brief saves time, money, and nerves – and the outcome meets the goal right away.
What is a video brief?
Video brief is a concise document that explains why the video is made, who it is for and what it needs to achieve. When the brief is clear, production knows the description, style, and length – and marketing knows where and how the video will be published.
In short: video brief = goal + audience + message + format + measurement.
What should a good video brief include (template)
Goal: lead, sales, recruitment, awareness. Choose one main goal.
Audience: who you are addressing, which channels they are on, what pain they have.
Core message & hook: one sentence – why to watch and what benefit the viewer gets.
Call to action (CTA): what happens after viewing (book, download, buy).
Format & length: Reels/Shorts 15–30 s, feed-video 30–60 s, corporate video 60–90 s.
Style & examples: reference videos, mood, colors, subtitle style, graphics.
Shooting info: location(s), people, schedule, safety, backup plan.
Distribution & versions: channels, aspect ratios (9:16 / 1:1 / 16:9), thumbnails.
Measurement: views, retention curve, CTR, conversion (CPL/CPA).
Budget & limits: monetary range, what to do now vs. in the next wave.
Keep the document 1–2 pages long. Attach a script/shotlist if necessary.
7 steps to implementation
Write the goal in one sentence. "We want 30 leads/month for the Google Ads audit."
Choose a hook 1–3 s. A question, statement, or before–after.
Decide on the format. If the priority is social media, plan 9:16 first.
Shooting plan. Shotlist: intro, benefit, proof, CTA. Book 1–2 locations.
Subtitles and graphics. Create templates in brand colors, large font for mobile.
Version it. 1 main video + 2–4 social media variants (hooks to be swapped).
Measure and repeat. Monitor for 14 days: retention 3 s / 50 %, CTR, CPL → new hook as the winner.
Common mistakes
Brief is a wishlist without priority → video tries everything and hits nothing.
No channel planning → 16:9 clip looks poor in 9:16.
CTA missing → views don’t convert into leads.
Too much text on screen → especially on mobile, readability suffers.
No measurement → you don’t know which hook works.
FAQ
How long should a video brief be?
1–2 pages is sufficient. The most important thing is clarity: goal, audience, message, and CTA.
Is a script needed separately?
If there is speech or narration in the video, yes. Short videos often just need a hook + bullet points.
How many versions should be made?
At least 3 hook variants. Change one thing at a time to see what had an effect.
Can I use the same video for all channels?
Version it. Make 9:16 for social media, 16:9 for YouTube/page, and switch subtitle style/CTA according to the channel.
What should I measure in short videos?
The retention for the first 3 seconds, the percentage of total views, CTR, and lead cost if you run ads.
CTA
Do you want a ready-made video brief template?
Order a free template (PDF) – you will receive a framework, a hook list, and a shotlist template.
