A good influencer brief template fits on one page and answers ten questions: who you are, what you want, who you want to reach, the one message, the deliverables, the creative boundaries, how the ad will be disclosed, how you can reuse the content, how approvals work, and how the creator gets paid. Get those right and creators make content that feels like theirs and still sells your product. Get them wrong and you pay for rewrites, missed dates and, in the UK, a possible ruling from the advertising regulator.
Below is the template we use, a filled in example, the UK disclosure rules your brief must reflect and the clauses that protect your right to run the content as ads. If you are still deciding whether to work with creators at all, start with our guide to creator marketing in 2026.
The short version
- One page, ten sections. Background, objective, audience, key message, deliverables, creative direction, disclosure, usage rights, approvals, and fee with reporting.
- One message, not five. Give a single takeaway and up to three proof points. Let the creator decide how to say it.
- Write the disclosure into the brief. UK regulators prefer the label “Ad”, shown upfront. Brands and creators are both responsible.
- Agree usage rights before filming. Running a creator post as a paid ad needs explicit permission, a set duration and, on TikTok, an authorisation code.
- Limit revisions. Set one or two rounds and a feedback deadline so the post goes live on time.
What is an influencer brief?
An influencer brief is the document a brand sends a creator before a paid collaboration. It explains the product, the goal, the deliverables and the rules, so the creator can plan content that fits both their audience and your campaign. It is shorter and looser than a production brief for a TV advert, because the creator is usually the writer, director and presenter at once.
TikTok’s own creator platform asks brands for much the same thing. Its TikTok One projects for sourcing creator content request product selling points, a video turnaround time, “must include” and “must avoid” requirements, video suggestions, reference videos and brand assets (TikTok Ads Help). That is a useful sign that the platforms see the brief as the backbone of the deal.
The influencer brief template: ten sections
Copy these headings into a document and fill in one or two lines under each. If a section runs past a short paragraph, it probably belongs in the contract instead.
| Section | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Background | Who you are, the product and the one thing that makes it different, in three sentences. | Creators cannot sell what they do not understand. |
| 2. Objective | One goal: awareness, consideration or sales, plus the metric you will judge it on. | Stops the content trying to do everything at once. |
| 3. Audience | Who you want to reach and why this creator’s audience fits. | Lets the creator translate your message into their audience’s language. |
| 4. Key message | The single takeaway a viewer should remember, plus up to three proof points. | More messages means none of them land. |
| 5. Deliverables | Platforms, formats, number of posts, lengths, aspect ratio and posting dates. | Removes the most common cause of disputes. |
| 6. Creative direction | Must include, must avoid, tone, references, and what is left to the creator. | Protects the brand while keeping the content native. |
| 7. Disclosure | The exact label (“Ad”), where it goes and which platform tool to switch on. | Brand and creator are both responsible under UK rules. |
| 8. Usage rights | Where you can reuse the content, for how long, and whether you will run it as paid ads. | Paid amplification needs permission and a code or approval from the creator. |
| 9. Approvals and timeline | Draft deadline, number of revision rounds, who signs off and how fast. | Unlimited edits sour relationships and miss post dates. |
| 10. Fee, payment and reporting | Fee, payment terms, and the screenshots or data you need afterwards. | You cannot measure what you never asked for. |
Advertain template. Copy the ten headings into a one page document and fill in each line.
How to write an influencer brief in 7 steps
1. Start with one objective
Pick awareness, consideration or sales and name the metric. A brief that asks for reach, engagement and conversions at once usually gets a post that does none of them well.
2. Choose the creator before you finish the brief
Watch their last ten posts. Write the audience and tone sections around what already works on their channel rather than what works on yours.
3. Write one key message
One sentence a viewer should remember, plus up to three proof points. Anything else is optional.
4. Spell out the deliverables
Platform, format, length, aspect ratio, number of posts and the posting window. For TikTok, its own guidance recommends shooting vertically at 9:16, using sound, keeping a natural, not overly polished style and putting the hook in the first six seconds (TikTok Ads Help). Our guide to YouTube hooks covers opening lines in more depth.
5. Set the creative boundaries
List what must be included, what must be avoided (claims, competitors, words legal will not approve) and what is entirely the creator’s call. Add two or three reference videos.
6. Write the disclosure, rights and approvals
State the label, the platform tool, the usage period and the number of revision rounds. These are the clauses most often missed.
7. Walk the creator through it
A 15 minute call catches misunderstandings a document never will. Ask the creator to pitch their concept back to you before they film.
Disclosure: what UK rules mean for your brief
The Advertising Standards Authority is clear: “Both brands and influencers are responsible for ensuring that ads are obviously identifiable.” It adds that the ASA and the Competition and Markets Authority “prefer labels that explicitly call out the content as ‘advertising’ e.g., ‘Ad’”, and that abbreviated labels such as “spon” are likely to be insufficient (ASA). The CMA’s guidance for creators says audiences should understand content is an ad “as soon as they access or engage with it”, and that gifts count even when there is no obligation to post (CMA).
The stakes went up in 2025. Under its direct consumer enforcement powers, the CMA says a penalty “can be up to 10% of your business’ global turnover or £300,000 (whichever is greater)” (CMA). Compliance is still patchy, which is why the brief, not the creator’s memory, should carry the rule.
UK influencer ads: how many were disclosed properly?
Platforms are tightening too. YouTube now states that if its systems detect branded content you have not disclosed, it “may automatically apply a branded content label to your video and notify you” (YouTube Help). Name the platform tool in your brief as well as the written label.
| Platform | Disclosure tool to name in the brief | Paid amplification permission |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | The paid promotion declaration in YouTube Studio, which adds a disclosure at the start of the video | Agree in writing before running the video as an ad |
| Instagram and Facebook | The Paid partnership label on branded content posts | Partnership ads need the creator’s permission, which they can revoke at any time |
| TikTok | The content disclosure setting when posting | Spark Ads need an authorisation code the creator generates, with a duration you agree |
Sources: YouTube Help, Meta, Instagram Help and TikTok Ads Help (linked in Sources). Platform labels support but do not replace a clear “Ad” label.
If the brief does not say “Ad”, upfront, in plain words, assume the post will not either.
Usage rights and paid amplification
The best creator posts often become a brand’s best ads. Linqia’s 2026 survey found 81% of marketers say repurposed influencer content outperforms brand created assets (vendor research, 200+ marketers, mostly US; Linqia). But you only get that value if the brief and contract secure it.
- Organic reuse: where you can reshare the content (your social channels, website, email) and for how long.
- Paid use: whether you will run it as Spark Ads on TikTok or partnership ads on Instagram and Facebook. Spark Ads require an authorisation code generated by the creator, with a duration you can customise (TikTok Ads Help). Partnership ads need the creator’s permission, and Instagram notes that partners “can revoke these permissions at any time” (Instagram Help).
- Edits: whether you can cut the video into shorter versions or add your own end card.
- Exclusivity: any period in which the creator should not work with direct competitors, which usually raises the fee.
How much creative freedom should a brief give?
More than most brands are comfortable with. CreatorIQ’s 2026 survey of 5,095 creators found 42% feel tension between what their audience wants and what brands request, rising to 53% among creators with more than 500,000 Instagram followers (vendor research; CreatorIQ). Google’s research found 68% of people agree YouTube creators are more trustworthy than traditional celebrities, and it advises brands to give creators room to make authentic rather than ultra polished content (Think with Google).
Our rule of thumb: control the facts, the claims and the disclosure. Leave the story, the script and the jokes to the creator. If you do want a structured video, our YouTube script template shows how to suggest beats without writing every line.
Influencer brief example
Here is the template filled in for a fictional skincare launch. Notice how short each line is.
| Section | Filled in example (fictional brand) |
|---|---|
| Background | Fernleigh is a UK skincare brand. Its new SPF moisturiser is invisible on all skin tones and works under make up. |
| Objective | Consideration. Success = saves, link clicks to the product page and comments asking where to buy. |
| Audience | 25 to 40 year olds who want one step skincare before work. |
| Key message | “SPF you will actually wear every day.” Proof points: no white cast, SPF 30, sits well under make up. |
| Deliverables | One TikTok (30 to 60 seconds, 9:16) and one Instagram Reel, posted between 10 and 17 November. |
| Creative direction | Must include: applying it on camera in natural light. Must avoid: medical claims, competitor names. Your call: format, script, humour. |
| Disclosure | “Ad” at the start of the caption and on screen, plus the platform’s branded content setting switched on. |
| Usage rights | Organic reshare on Fernleigh channels for 12 months. Paid use as Spark Ads or partnership ads for 60 days. |
| Approvals | Concept by 3 November, draft by 7 November, one round of edits, feedback within 48 hours. |
| Fee and reporting | Agreed fee paid within 30 days of posting. Insights screenshots at 7 and 30 days. |
Fictional example created by Advertain for illustration. Not a real campaign.
What about a UGC creator brief template?
A UGC brief uses the same ten sections, but the content is usually posted on your channels or run as ads rather than on the creator’s account. So the deliverables section matters more (raw files, hooks to test, aspect ratios), the audience section matters less, and usage rights should be broader and clearly priced. Disclosure still applies whenever the content appears as an advert.
Influencer brief checklist
- One objective and one success metric
- One key message and no more than three proof points
- Platform, format, length, aspect ratio and posting window for every deliverable
- Must include, must avoid and creator’s choice listed separately
- Written label (“Ad”) and the platform disclosure tool named
- Organic and paid usage periods, plus any exclusivity
- Draft deadline, revision rounds and feedback turnaround
- Fee, payment terms and the data you need afterwards
Want a team that briefs creators and makes the content for you? See our work or get in touch. For the bigger picture on whether creator spend still pays, read is influencer marketing dead?
Frequently asked questions
What does an influencer brief look like?
Usually a one or two page document with ten headings: background, objective, audience, key message, deliverables, creative direction, disclosure, usage rights, approvals and fee. Use the template and example above as a starting point.
How long should an influencer brief be?
One page is ideal and two is the maximum. Legal terms such as payment, exclusivity and usage rights can sit in the contract, with a short summary in the brief.
Should an influencer brief include a script?
Rarely. Give the key message, the proof points and anything that must or must not be said. Content scripted by the brand tends to sound like an advert and loses the creator’s voice.
Who is responsible for #ad disclosure in the UK?
Both the brand and the creator. The ASA says both are responsible for making ads obviously identifiable, and the CMA can now fine businesses directly for breaching consumer law.
What is the difference between a creative brief and an influencer brief?
A creative brief guides an agency or production team making content for the brand’s own channels. An influencer brief guides a creator making content for their own audience, so it gives more creative freedom and adds disclosure, usage rights and posting details.
