Build a Content Brief

Marketing, Enablement.

• Commissioning any article, guide, or report.
• When content volume is up and pipeline from content is flat.

• The buyer question the piece must answer
• The audience and where they will read it
• Any internal data, expert, or point of view you can contribute

Best for one task. Copy it, add your information, and run it in your AI assistant.

You are an editorial director. Build a content brief for a piece answering this buyer question: [QUESTION]. Audience: [paste]. What we can contribute: [data, experts, point of view]. The brief must include: the working headline, the direct answer in the first 100 words, three supporting sections with the evidence each needs, what would make this piece worth citing, and what would make it generic filler we should not publish. Be specific. If we have no evidence or expert for this question, say the piece should not be written yet.

Best for repeatable work. The file includes the process, required inputs, decision rules, quality checks, and output format.

---
name: build-content-brief
description: A brief that tells a writer exactly what to produce: the question being answered, the evidence, and the bar for quality.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: The Revenue AI Report
  version: 1.0.0
  last-reviewed: 2026-09-04
  source: https://www.therevenueaireport.com/skills/build-content-brief
---

# Build a Content Brief

A brief that tells a writer exactly what to produce: the question being answered, the evidence, and the bar for quality.

## When to use this skill

- Commissioning any article, guide, or report.
- When content volume is up and pipeline from content is flat.

## Inputs to collect

- The buyer question the piece must answer
- The audience and where they will read it
- Any internal data, expert, or point of view you can contribute

## Process

1. Start from a real buyer question, not a keyword.
2. List the evidence you can bring. If the answer is none, stop.
3. Generate the brief and cut anything a competitor's first page already says.
4. Add the quality bar: what would make someone cite or forward this.
5. Review the draft against the brief before editing prose.

## Decision rules

- No original evidence, data, or expert means no piece. Publish less.
- If the answer fits in one paragraph, write one paragraph. Do not pad to length.
- If the draft fails the brief, fix the draft, not the brief.

## Output requirements

- Brief: question, answer, sections with required evidence, citation-worthy bar, kill criteria.

## Quality checks

- The piece answers the question in the first 100 words.
- Each section names its evidence.
- Kill criteria are written before writing starts.

## Limitations

- The AI cannot supply your evidence. A brief without evidence produces competent filler.
- Buyers and answer engines both discount generic content. Volume is not the goal.

## Example input

Question: how do I set kill criteria for an AI SDR pilot? Audience: VPs of Sales at mid-market SaaS. We have: three customer post-mortems and a kill-criteria framework.

## Example output

Headline: The five numbers that decide whether your AI SDR lives or dies. Answer first: kill it if cost per qualified meeting, meeting-to-opportunity rate, and complaint rate miss threshold by day 60. Sections: the five numbers with post-mortem evidence, setting thresholds before signing, the exit conversation. Kill criteria for the piece: if it reads like a vendor blog, it does not ship.

## Review checklist

- Real buyer question?
- Evidence named per section?
- Kill criteria written down?

## Works with

- Playbook: Make conversation data do work (L3) (sales, L3) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/playbooks/conversation-data-to-work-l3
- Playbook: Lifecycle content engine with a brand gate (L3) (marketing, L3) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/playbooks/lifecycle-content-engine-brand-gate-l3
- Playbook: AI outlines from an approved brief (L1) (marketing, L1) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/playbooks/marketing-brief-to-outline-l1
- Tool: Writer (Marketing & ABM) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/tools/writer
- Tool: Scalenut (Content & Copywriting) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/tools/scalenut
- Tool: Conductor (Content & Copywriting) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/tools/conductor
- Tool: Frase.io (Content & Copywriting) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/tools/frase-io
- Tool: Airtable (Marketing & ABM) https://www.therevenueaireport.com/tools/airtable

## Rules of conduct

- Write for a Director, VP, or operator. Short sentences. Explain uncommon terms.
- Separate facts from assumptions. Never hide uncertainty.
- Do not invent numbers, benchmarks, quotes, or customer names.
- Do not send messages, change CRM records, or publish anything unless the user explicitly asks.
- Flag when a decision needs human review.

## Evidence

This skill is grounded in The Revenue AI Report research:
- https://www.therevenueaireport.com/research/ai-slop-backlash
- Related analysis: https://www.therevenueaireport.com/blog/ai-sdr-kill-criteria-before-you-sign




Source and updates: https://www.therevenueaireport.com/skills/build-content-brief

1. 1.Start from a real buyer question, not a keyword.
2. 2.List the evidence you can bring. If the answer is none, stop.
3. 3.Generate the brief and cut anything a competitor's first page already says.
4. 4.Add the quality bar: what would make someone cite or forward this.
5. 5.Review the draft against the brief before editing prose.

• No original evidence, data, or expert means no piece. Publish less.
• If the answer fits in one paragraph, write one paragraph. Do not pad to length.
• If the draft fails the brief, fix the draft, not the brief.

• Brief: question, answer, sections with required evidence, citation-worthy bar, kill criteria.

Question: how do I set kill criteria for an AI SDR pilot? Audience: VPs of Sales at mid-market SaaS. We have: three customer post-mortems and a kill-criteria framework.

Headline: The five numbers that decide whether your AI SDR lives or dies. Answer first: kill it if cost per qualified meeting, meeting-to-opportunity rate, and complaint rate miss threshold by day 60. Sections: the five numbers with post-mortem evidence, setting thresholds before signing, the exit conversation. Kill criteria for the piece: if it reads like a vendor blog, it does not ship.

• Real buyer question?
• Evidence named per section?
• Kill criteria written down?

What does the Build a Content Brief skill do?

A brief that tells a writer exactly what to produce: the question being answered, the evidence, and the bar for quality.

Who is the Build a Content Brief skill for?

Marketing, Enablement. It sits at the start here level and takes about 20 minutes.

What do I need before I start?

Collect these first: The buyer question the piece must answer; The audience and where they will read it; Any internal data, expert, or point of view you can contribute.

What is the difference between the quick prompt and the SKILL.md file?

The quick prompt is for one task. Copy it, add your information, run it. The SKILL.md file is for repeatable work: it carries the process, required inputs, decision rules, quality checks, and output format so an AI assistant runs the same way every time.

What should I check before trusting the output?

Real buyer question? Evidence named per section? Kill criteria written down?

Is it free to use?

Yes. Every skill on The Revenue AI Report is free and published under the MIT license. Attribution is welcome, not required.

• The AI cannot supply your evidence. A brief without evidence produces competent filler.
• Buyers and answer engines both discount generic content. Volume is not the goal.

Run the skill, then roll it out with a playbook. Vendor links are supporting context, not a recommendation.

• Playbook: Make conversation data do work (L3) (sales, L3 L3 Integrated)
• Playbook: Lifecycle content engine with a brand gate (L3) (marketing, L3 L3 Integrated)
• Playbook: AI outlines from an approved brief (L1) (marketing, L1 L1 Starter)
• Tool: Writer (Marketing & ABM)
• Tool: Scalenut (Content & Copywriting)
• Tool: Conductor (Content & Copywriting)
• Tool: Frase.io (Content & Copywriting)
• Tool: Airtable (Marketing & ABM)

• Research: ai slop backlash
• Related analysis