What is Swiftbrief? And why I believe marketers need it

In 2019, content marketing was booming.

Brands realized its value, writers started flocking the market, and everyone had (mostly) a good time.

But then things changed.

Three years later, brands aren’t as happy.

They’ve spent a lot of money on unfruitful campaigns, trusted agencies that delivered subpar results, and saw inconsistent use of their brand values and messaging.

It’s safe to say that brands are much warier of how and where they invest their money when it comes to content.

And that’s why Swiftbrief exists.

The problem: Inconsistent output

Anyone who’s worked with freelance writers in the past will know that it’s hard to maintain high quality output.

Writers are busy.

They get dozens of requests every week.

So, it’s important to give them just enough information to cut down on the time they spend researching a topic.

I was a writer myself in 2019, and I know the two types of customer requests that are most common:

1. “Here’s a keyword, write something about it”
2. “Here’s a glossary, 10-page PDF, buyer persona, …”

Both are extremes.

And both are frustrating.

What a writer really want from their contractors?

Clarity.

Not the 20-page long, “I’m not going to pay for the time you read through the guidelines” type of clarity.

But rather the one-page long, “Here’s just the information you need” type of clarity. Writers love that.

The solution: Standardizing briefs

Content marketing follows certain rules.

Creativity is paramount, but creating content to grow your brand imposes constraints that cannot be ignored.

These are things like:

• Word counts
• Content format
• Trusted sources
• # of images and links
• High / low affinity terms

… and more.

I will call them “the boring stuff.”

Then, there is the fun stuff:

• Your content angle
• Building a rough outline
• Competitive research
• Expert insight

These are the things that writers want to see.

But they’re also the more time-consuming part of content marketing. And the more difficult too.

What if you could automate away all the busywork (counting words, understanding search intent, etc) and focus only on what the writer actually needs to do an outstanding job?

That’s the premise behind Swiftbrief.

A tool that sits between the marketer and the writer and that understands each other’s needs:

1. A quick way to produce high quality briefs that can be easily shared with writers on one hand
2. The right amount of information that makes writing a complex piece simpler and more efficient on the other

That’s what Swiftbrief is.

I don’t claim it’s the ultimate tool for editorial content marketing. But it is the only tool that has this specific approach.

What the future holds

Swiftbrief was a dream of mine for more than a year. I wanted to help marketers deliver better content at scale.

But I lacked the tech skills necessary.

So I went on a yearlong treacherous journey to acquire those skills, and now I can finally say:

“Swiftbrief is here to make marketers’ lives easier and writers’ lives happier.”

I’m working on it for the long-term, and am glad to receive feedback from people who feel this pain; on either end.

Are you a marketer looking to scale your content strategy effectively? Or a writer frustrated with clients’ requests?

Feel free to reach out at arrigo@swiftbrief.com and let me know your thoughts! I’m here to help.