A social video ad brief should tell the production team who the ad is for, what it needs to communicate, where it will run and which files must be delivered. Start there before choosing shots or booking a shoot.
This guide covers the production handoff between a brand or agency and its video team. Campaign setup, targeting, media spend and reporting need named owners in your media team. Agree separately on any of that work included in a production engagement.
Write one message the viewer can follow
Describe the audience in terms of what they already know and the question the ad must answer. An introduction for someone unfamiliar with the product needs different context from an ad answering a question about a feature.
Write the central message in a sentence. Under it, list the footage or approved evidence that makes the message understandable: a product demonstration, a customer quotation with permission, or a visible step in a process. Give each factual claim an owner who can verify it before the script is approved.
Keep the next action consistent with the destination. If the ad offers a demonstration, the destination should make that demonstration easy to find. Test the link on a phone before the campaign owner launches it.
Confirm the placements before designing the frames
Ask the media owner for the actual placements, current technical specifications and intended launch date. Check the official documentation again before export. For example, LinkedIn's video ad specifications list format, dimension and aspect-ratio requirements. A general request for a social video leaves those decisions unresolved.
Discuss how faces, products, captions and graphics will fit each frame. If the plan includes both horizontal and vertical versions, the shot list should account for them. Leave time to inspect the finished files in the destination's preview, where interface elements may cover part of the image.
Complete the production brief
Use this blank checklist for one ad concept. Add a separate version list when a concept needs several edits.
| Decision | Record before filming |
|---|---|
| Audience and viewing context | Who is watching, what they know and the question to answer. |
| Message and evidence | Approved statement, demonstration or quotation, plus its verification owner. |
| Placement and files | Platform, placement, aspect ratio, duration requirement, language and caption format. |
| Version to test | The opening, message or other element that changes, and what stays consistent. |
| People and material | Participants, locations, products, graphics and permissions still to confirm. |
| Review and delivery | Reviewers, final approver, consolidated feedback deadline and delivery owner. |
| Launch and reporting | Person who uploads, checks the destination and reports the agreed result. |
Make every requested version explicit
Two openings and two aspect ratios can require more than two final files. List each intended combination so the estimate, shoot and edit cover the same work. Discuss which shots can be shared and which need their own composition or performance.
For a creative comparison, choose the question first. If the question is whether a demonstration-led opening works better than an interview-led opening, keep other planned differences visible in the test notes. Changing the audience, offer and edit at once makes the result harder to interpret.
Our production scope worksheet helps make versions and review requirements explicit. Use the metrics planning worksheet with the reporting owner before launch.
Review the export and the handoff
Watch every exported version from start to finish. Check product names, captions, claims, music, graphics, cropping and the final frame. Compare the file list with the approved brief, and record which version the client approved.
Send the media owner the approved files, version names, destination and any usage restrictions supplied for the project. A delivered file still needs a separate upload and placement check.
For social video production, bring Viva Media the audience, placements and version list. Talk with a producer about the filming and editing scope.
Originally published under Matthew Watts's byline on November 23, 2023. This substantive revision was prepared and checked by Viva Media with AI assistance. The original publication record is retained; this revision does not imply Matthew personally reviewed it.
