Despite the growing use of generative AI for the creation of marketing content, savvy marketers don't—and shouldn't—rush to fully rely on it.

AI tools are great helpers. They can generate content ideas and outlines or gather sources for backlinks. But they can't craft original content with insights and added value for your B2B target audience. Instead, they provide generic (often biased) info and present false references as legitimate.

In short, you need a human writer to craft B2B content.

Yes, content writers can deliver poor-quality content, too. But have you ever considered that the quality of the content a writer delivers also depends on you, the one requesting the content?

The following are 17 essential elements that your brief should consist of so that a B2B content writer can deliver high-quality text. Consider it your go-to checklist from now on.

17-Point Outline and Checklist for B2B Content Writers

1. Target-Audience Insights

Include information about the target audiences of the content pieces you assign. Tell writers whom they are writing for. Mention details, such as industry, job titles, company size, level (beginners, advanced specialists), etc. That information will help writers understand what language patterns and insights to use.

2. Customer Journey Stage

Address your lead generation funnel and note which stage of the customer journey your article targets: awareness, consideration, decision... This information will help the writer to better understand the article's purpose.

3. Article Goal

Speaking of purpose: feel free to mention the article's goal as a separate element in your content brief. Be clear about what you're trying to achieve with it. Are you looking to generate leads or encourage sign-ups for a trial? Or perhaps you're creating a top-of-funnel piece to raise brand awareness and generate customer engagement? Write it down.

4. Word Count

Include a word count in your content brief if targeting a specific article length. If not, still mention at least an approximate number (e.g., 2,000-2,500 words) so the writer understands the workload. Just make sure your article structure matches up. (More on that later.)

5. Primary Keywords

Specify the target keyword (or keywords) in your content brief. It's the one your article should focus on. Make that keyword central to your topic, and tell the writer where and how often to include it in the text.

6. Secondary Keywords

List secondary keywords you want to target. Include keyword volume and difficulty so the writer knows how to prioritize them. Also, mention any related keywords you'd like the writer to use. It's all about SEO, helping craft your B2B content assets for search engines to rank them higher.

7. Meta Title Requirements

Write specific meta title requirements for a writer: what primary keyword to use and how long the title should be. Ask to keep it under 60 characters so search engines show it in its entirety on search engine results pages.

Meta Description Requirements

Again: include the primary keywords that a writer needs to use. And make a note to keep it short—no more than 160 characters so it displays fully in search results.

Meta descriptions work better when they are logical, descriptive sentences—not a bunch of keywords separated by commas. Professional writers know that, but you can specify it in your brief, just in case.

9. H1 Requirements

Emphasize using your primary keyword in H1 (headline) and write length guidelines to ensure it fits within the character limit your CMS sets. Mention that H1 should be different from the meta title. If you use any specific headline formats for your B2B blog or site—listicles, how-to content, tutorials, etc.—let the writer know.

10. Clear Article Structure With H2 and H3 Headings