Template

Social media campaign brief template: every field, with an example

A social media campaign brief tells your team or agency what you're selling, to whom, by when, where the clicks go and how you'll judge the result, in one or two pages. Copy the 14-field template below; each field has what to write and a filled-in example.

By the Lumiflo team · Updated November 1, 2026 · 7 min read

What a campaign brief is for

A brief is the one document everyone checks when they disagree. The scriptwriter, the editor, the media buyer and the person building the landing page should all be able to read it and make the same call without asking you.

Most briefs fail in one of two ways. They are a mood board with no number attached, or they are a 20-page brand book nobody finishes. The template below sits in the middle: every field forces a decision, and the whole thing fits on two pages.

A brief is also a filter. If you can't fill in fields 2, 4 and 11, the problem isn't the creative team. It's that the campaign hasn't been decided yet, and no amount of video will decide it for you.

The examples use a made-up DTC skincare brand launching a $38 vitamin C serum, so you can see what a strong answer looks like. Replace them with yours.

The social media campaign brief template

Copy the first column into a doc as headings. Write your answer under each one using the guidance in the middle column.

FieldWhat to writeExample
1. Campaign name and ownerA short internal name, the person who owns the result, and who approves creative."Bright Serum launch." Owner: Head of Growth. Creative approval: Founder, 24-hour turnaround.
2. GoalOne number with a date. Then the event the ads should optimize for.1,200 first orders at under $35 each by May 31. Optimize for purchase.
3. What we're sellingThe product, price and what makes it different, in two sentences a customer would say.A $38 vitamin C serum in an airless pump, so it doesn't turn orange in the bottle like most do.
4. The offerWhy buy now: the deal, its terms and its end date.Launch bundle: serum plus mini SPF for $38, first 2,000 orders only, code-free at checkout.
5. Who it's forThe buyer's situation, what they've tried and what annoys them. Then the basics.Women 25 to 40 who have bought two or more vitamin C serums and binned them half used. US only.
6. Why they'd believe usProof you can show on camera: reviews, results, demos, founders, press.Side-by-side of our serum and a dropper bottle after 6 weeks open. 400 pre-launch reviews from the waitlist.
7. The one thing to rememberA single sentence. If viewers remember nothing else, this.Vitamin C that stays fresh to the last drop.
8. Mandatories and no-go claimsMust-haves (logo, disclaimers, shade names) and claims legal won't allow.Must show the pump. Never say "cures," "treats" or "clinically proven" without the study. No before-and-after crops.
9. Platforms and formatsWhere it runs and in what shape, with a reason.TikTok and Instagram Reels, 9:16 video. Meta feed statics for retargeting.
10. DeliverablesHow many of each asset, and how many hooks per video.4 brand videos, 8 creator UGC videos, 3 hooks each, 6 statics, 1 landing page.
11. Where the clicks goThe page, its single call to action, and what happens to people who don't buy.Campaign page with the bundle above the fold. Email capture for 10% off if they leave. Three-email follow-up.
12. BudgetProduction, ad spend and creator fees as separate lines, plus weekly ad spend.Production and page: one-off fee. Ad spend: $9,000 for the first 30 days, about $300 a day. Creator fees: 8 creators, with 90 days of paid usage written into every contract.
13. TimelineBrief agreed, concepts due, shoot, ads uploaded, launch date, first report.Brief: April 1. Scripts: April 8. Shoot: April 10 to 17. Upload: April 24. Launch: April 28. First report: May 5.
14. Measurement and reportingThe KPIs, where they're tracked, and how often you want a report.Cost per purchase, page conversion rate, email sign-ups. Meta, TikTok and Shopify. Weekly report every Monday.

Add a 15th field if you work with an outside team: assets and access. List brand files, past ads that worked and failed, and which ad accounts, pixels and store logins they'll need.

How to write the fields that trip people up

These four fields decide the quality of the campaign. Here's the difference between a weak answer and one a creative team can work with.

Goal

Weak: "Drive awareness and sales for the launch." Strong: "1,200 first orders at under $35 by May 31." A number tells the media buyer what to optimize for and tells you whether to spend more.

Who it's for

Weak: "Women 25 to 40 interested in skincare." Strong: "People who've binned two serums that oxidized." The strong version writes the first hook for you: "If your vitamin C serum turned orange, this is why."

The one thing to remember

Weak: "Clean, effective, affordable, cruelty-free." That's four things, so it's nothing. Strong: one benefit the viewer can repeat to a friend. Supporting points go in field 6.

No-go claims

Weak: blank. Strong: a list of words and visuals your category can't use. Health, supplement, weight loss and finance ads get rejected fastest. See our notes on health and supplement campaigns and beauty and skincare.

How to fill in the brief in one hour

  1. Minutes 0 to 15: goal, offer and budget

    Fields 2, 4 and 12. These need a decision-maker in the room. If you can't agree a number, the brief isn't ready and neither is the campaign.

  2. Minutes 15 to 30: buyer and proof

    Fields 5 and 6. Pull five recent customer reviews and three support emails. Copy their exact words. That language is better than anything you'll write.

  3. Minutes 30 to 45: message, mandatories, platforms

    Fields 7, 8 and 9. Run the no-go claims past whoever approves legal or regulatory copy now, not after the shoot.

  4. Minutes 45 to 60: deliverables, page, timeline, measurement

    Fields 10, 11, 13 and 14. Work back from the launch date. Allow about 3 to 4 weeks from an agreed brief to launch for new video and a new page.

Before you send the brief: 8 checks

  • The goal is one number with a date, and the optimization event is named
  • The offer has an end date or a quantity limit
  • The buyer description mentions something they've already tried
  • Field 7 is one sentence with one idea in it
  • Ad spend, production and creator fees are separate lines
  • Every ad has a landing page named in field 11
  • One person can approve creative within 24 hours
  • The whole brief fits on two pages

Briefing an agency vs your in-house team

An in-house team knows your history; an agency doesn't. When you brief outside, add what you've already run: the three best and three worst ads, last campaign's cost per result and anything legal has rejected before. That one list saves the first two weeks of relearning.

Be honest about budget. Agencies plan very differently for $3,000 and $30,000 a month in ad spend, and a vague number gets you a vague plan. For reference points, see what a social media agency costs and what UGC costs. If you're still choosing who to brief, start with how to choose a social media agency.

Want to skip the template? Email us three things: your brand, your goal and your launch date. We'll reply within 48 hours with a free campaign plan, a concept and a launch plan built from what you sent. When the brief is agreed, use our launch steps and campaign checklist to run it.

Questions

What should a social media campaign brief include?

A goal with a number and date, the product and offer, the target buyer, proof, the one key message, mandatories and banned claims, platforms and formats, deliverables, the landing page, budget, timeline and how results will be measured and reported.

How long should a campaign brief be?

One to two pages. Long enough to answer every field with a decision, short enough that the editor and media buyer actually read it. Put brand guidelines and past ad results in attachments, not the brief.

What's the difference between a creative brief and a campaign brief?

A creative brief covers the message, tone and assets. A campaign brief adds the business goal, offer, budget, platforms, landing page and measurement. For a social campaign that has to sell, you need the campaign brief.

Who should write the campaign brief?

The person who owns the result, usually the marketing lead or founder, with input from whoever sets budget and approves claims. An agency can help shape it, but the goal, offer and budget have to come from the brand.

Do I need a brief for an organic-only campaign?

Yes, a shorter one. Organic campaigns still need a goal, a buyer, a key message and somewhere for interested people to go, such as a link-in-bio page with email capture. You can drop the ad budget and optimization event fields.

Can I send an agency a short brief instead?

Yes, as a starting point. Brand, goal and launch date are enough for a first plan. The full brief gets filled in together once you've agreed the approach.

Keep reading

GuidesHow to launch a social media campaignThe step-by-step plan, from goal to week-one results.GuidesSocial media campaign checklistEverything to check before, during and after launch.GuidesHow to choose a social media agencyQuestions to ask and red flags to watch for.ServicesCreative strategy and campaign conceptsThe big idea, the angles and the hooks, planned before anything is shot.ServicesCampaign landing pages and funnelsWhere campaign clicks land: pages, offers, email capture and checkout built to convert.

Want a campaign live next month?

Send your brand, goal and launch date. We reply within 48 hours with a campaign concept and launch plan. No call needed.

Get a free campaign plan