The Art of the Content Brief – Part Two: How Writers Can Follow a Detailed Brief

Any travel content writer with even a little experience will attest that a clear, detailed and unambiguous client brief is hugely appreciated. After all, it makes the writer’s job so much easier. The more you can know about the wants, needs, goals and preferences of a client, the easier it is to write content that meets – and ideally exceeds – their expectations. Clients and editors expect writers to know their requirements inside out, and having this information written in black and white – and available for repeated reference throughout the writing process – is a huge help.

Yet, just as important as having a good client brief, is knowing how to follow it effectively. At World Words, we have a wealth of experience in both following client briefs and creating our own editorial briefs for writers, so we know how to make the process as straightforward as possible. From reading the brief again and again – and again! – to making sure you take style guides seriously, here are our top tips for following a travel content brief to the letter…

(This is part two of our mini series on a travel briefs. Last month, we offered advice on how to write a great brief).

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The Art of the Content Brief – Part One: Top Brand Tips for Writing a Great Brief

Whenever you are asking a travel writer to create content for you, a clear and unambiguous brief is vital. From the perspective of clients and editors, creating a thorough brief may seem like a lot of time and effort, but in the long term it’s an invaluable time-saving – and consequently, a great money-saving – tool. Getting your writer brief right should mean a quicker writer delivery, less editing work and, most importantly of all, a superior finished product.

So how do you go about crafting the perfect travel content brief? At World Words, we both work to detailed client briefs and create our own briefs for writers, so we can attest to the important of clear guidance. So, from setting carefully-considered word limits to making your SEO needs clear, and from providing writing samples to creating comprehensive a style guide, we’ve come up with our top tips for getting the most from your travel content brief.

(This is part one of our mini series on a travel briefs. Next month, we’ll look at how writers can follow client briefs).

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Spring Cleaning Your Travel Content

The world of travel is always changing, and what you once thought was evergreen content can become outdated in the blink of an eye. If you or your brand produces or commissions travel content, it’s vital to regularly take stock of what you’ve already got, what you still need, and what can be retired. This will help keep things neat, fresh and relevant. And if you are going to do some content spring cleaning, well, surely there’s no better time than spring?

If your website is home to a travel blog, destination guides, tour itineraries or any other types of travel content, we have some top tips for sprucing it up (and all just in time for the big pre-summer booking rush). Read on for more…

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Travel Content and Cultural Sensitivity: How Should You Depict Other Cultures?

After returning from a trip, travellers are usually consumed by an overwhelming desire to tell everyone about the amazing experience they have had. This is what a travel writer is paid to do in the most eloquent way possible. However, it can also be the hardest part to master when it comes to depicting and representing other cultures.

Cultural sensitivity should be paramount when writing travel content, but it is often sorely overlooked. Mariellen Ward of the Breathedreamgo travel blog has discussed the dangers of cultural imperialism (or the belief that your way of life is better) in travel writing, while photographer Bani Amor has criticised colonialism in travel literature.

When writing about location, ethnicity and society, there are certain to be complicated politics that come into play. Although there’s no one-size-fits-all phrasebook to help travel writers avoid all controversy in their content, there are helpful tricks for traversing this complicated terrain. Scroll down to read the advice of the World Words team.

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