brand-voice

Document brand voice by defining brand personality, selecting 3-5 voice attributes with examples and counter-examples, identifying audiences, establishing messaging pillars, and mapping tone across channels. Each attribute should state what it means, what it does not mean, and sample sentences.

Keep voice attributes fixed while adapting tone per channel and situation. For example, use a professional tone on LinkedIn, punchy tone on Twitter/X, and empathetic tone in incident responses, while the underlying brand personality stays unchanged.

A style guide should cover grammar rules like Oxford comma and contractions, formatting conventions for headings and links, punctuation policies, preferred terminology with incorrect alternatives, product name capitalization, and inclusive language standards.

Yes, it reviews drafts against documented voice attributes, tone expectations, style rules, and terminology lists. It flags violations such as wrong tone for the channel, non-preferred terms, or grammar inconsistencies.

Guidelines require human judgment for nuanced contexts and cannot capture every edge case. They work best when paired with editorial review, and overly rigid rules can stifle authentic communication in unusual situations.