How to write a creative brief for paid social ads

A paid social ad brief has to be tighter than a general brand brief. I used to accept loose notes like "make it modern" or "show the product benefits," then the first creative review turned into a debate about tone, audience, price, and what the ad was supposed to prove. The brief was too soft, so the design work carried the confusion. Now I write the brief around the decision the ad needs to cre…