That copywriting brief has been glaring at you from your inbox for three weeks like an overdue tax return. Here’s why every excuse you’re making is costing you money.
“I don’t have time for this”
You’re too busy running your business to fill in some lengthy form. Meetings, deadlines, actual work to do.
That brief takes 2-3 hours to complete properly, probably a lot less. The endless revision cycles that happen when copywriters have to guess what you want? Those take weeks. Each round of “this doesn’t sound like us” feedback eats time and money. You’ll spend more time on revisions than you would have spent on the original brief. All because you were “too busy” to do it right the first time.
“Can’t the copywriter just start writing?”
Professional copywriters should somehow know what you want without any input from you. They’re the experts, right?
Wrong. Without proper information, we make assumptions. We might assume your customers care about price when they care about service. We might focus on features when benefits matter. We might write for the wrong audience entirely. You end up paying professional rates for amateur guesswork because you didn’t provide the information we need to do our job properly.
“It’s too long and complicated”
The brief looks like a university application. Too many questions, too much detail required.
Vague, rushed answers lead to vague, generic copy. “We help businesses grow” isn’t a brief answer – it’s a waste of everyone’s time. A rushed brief leads to rushed copy, which leads to mediocre results, which leads to you wondering why you bothered hiring a copywriter in the first place.
“I’ll do it later when I have a proper block of time”
You’re waiting for the perfect moment when you can sit down and give it your full attention.
Every day you delay is another day your project sits in limbo. Your website launch gets pushed back. Your marketing campaign stays on hold. Meanwhile, your competitors are out there attracting customers with copy that works because they took the time to do their briefs properly.
“We’ve explained our business already”
You had a kickoff call, sent some materials, maybe even had a strategy session. Surely that’s enough?
Verbal explanations get forgotten, misremembered, or misinterpreted. The brief creates a written record of your requirements that both parties can refer back to. Without it, you’re setting yourself up for scope creep, misunderstandings, and costly revisions when what gets delivered doesn’t match what you thought you’d ordered.
“I don’t know how to answer these questions”
Some of the questions are confusing or use marketing terminology you don’t understand.
Instead of asking for clarification, you’re just avoiding the brief entirely. This means your copywriter is working with zero information about your business, your customers, or your goals. They’ll fill in the gaps with generic assumptions, and you’ll get generic results. Most copywriters are happy to explain questions or even walk you through the brief on a call if you’re struggling.
“Can’t we just skip the paperwork and get started?”
You’re a business owner who gets things done. Forms feel like unnecessary admin.
The brief isn’t paperwork – it’s the foundation of everything your copywriter will create. Skip it, and you’re building your marketing on quicksand. You’ll get copy that ticks all the technical boxes but doesn’t persuade anyone to buy anything.
Stop making excuses and start making progress
That brief isn’t going away. Every day you delay is another day your project sits in limbo while your competitors attract customers with copy that works.
You’ve got two choices: fill in the brief properly and get copy that delivers results, or keep making excuses and get mediocre outcomes.
Professional clients choose the first option. They understand that the brief is part of the project, not a hurdle to overcome.
Be a professional client. Fill in the brief. Now.
