Shopify Influencer Brief Template: What to Tell Creators to Get Great Content

Why Your Influencer Brief Determines Content Quality

The quality of influencer content depends almost entirely on the quality of your brief. Over-brief and you get a scripted, robotic post that the creator’s audience immediately recognises as inauthentic. Under-brief and you get content that misses key product benefits, omits your CTA, or violates ASA disclosure rules.

The ideal brief gives creators everything they need to make informed, authentic content while leaving creative execution in their hands. This guide includes a full brief template you can adapt for your Shopify products.

The Influencer Brief Template

Section 1: About the Brand

2–3 sentences maximum. What you sell, who your customers are, and your brand tone in plain language.

Example: “[Brand] makes sustainable activewear for women who train seriously. Our customers are athletes, not influencers — we value performance over aesthetics. We’re known for our honest sizing and commitment to using recycled materials.”

Section 2: Products to Feature

• Specific product names, variants, and URLs
• Key product features to highlight (2–3 maximum)
• Product-specific notes (“This is our best-seller — customers love that it holds its shape after washing”)

Section 3: Campaign Objective and Messaging

What is this campaign trying to achieve? Brand awareness, driving traffic to a specific product page, promoting a seasonal offer?

Key messages to include (max 2–3): these are the product truths you need communicated. “Delivery in 2 days” or “Free returns within 30 days” are examples of specific messages that matter commercially.

Section 4: Deliverables

• Number of posts, format (Reel, feed post, Story, YouTube video)
• Posting dates or windows
• Your handle to tag (@yourbrand)
• Branded hashtag to use (#yourhashtagg)
• Affiliate/discount code to include: CREATORNAME10 for 10% off
• Link in bio or Linktree request (if applicable)

Section 5: Legal Requirements

In the UK, ASA requires that paid partnerships (including gifted products) are disclosed. Your brief must specify:

• “Please disclose this as an #ad or #gifted partnership in accordance with ASA guidelines”
• Disclosure must appear prominently — not buried at the end of a caption
• Instagram’s “Paid partnership” tag must be used for paid arrangements

Section 6: Content Approval Process

Do you want to see content before it’s posted? State clearly:

• “Please send a draft/screenshot for approval before posting” (for brand-sensitive content)
• “No approval needed — post at your discretion within the agreed posting window” (for authentic content you trust the creator to produce)

Section 7: What NOT to Include

Name specific restrictions:

• Competitors you don’t want mentioned alongside your brand
• Claims you can’t substantiate (“cures acne”, “scientifically proven”)
• Off-brand aesthetics or contexts (e.g., smoking, drinking if you’re a wellness brand)
• Specific language you don’t want associated with your brand

Section 8: Creative Freedom Statement

End every brief with this: “Beyond the above requirements, we trust your creative instincts. You know your audience better than we do — please execute in a way that feels natural to your content style. The most important thing is authenticity.”

This statement — and meaning it — produces better content. Creators who feel creatively trusted perform better than those who feel constrained to a script.

Brief Length Guideline

Keep the entire brief under 1 page. A multi-page document with detailed scripts for every post gets ignored or results in stilted content. Every additional constraint you add reduces authenticity. Include only what’s genuinely non-negotiable for the campaign; leave everything else to the creator.