Brand writing guidelines are – at their best – a set of clear instructions of how to write in a way that conveys the personality of a brand. Think of a brand as a person. Everyone you know has a way of speaking the reflects their individuality. If we all spoke in exactly the same way it would be eerie – and very, very dull.
Clear, straightforward, and helpful
Good brand writing guidelines are clear, and make it very easy for you to find what you’re looking for. With explanations of how to write in the voice of the brand that are easy to follow and straightforward. Plus ‘do and don’t’ examples and some words to avoid. As well as helpful adjectives to help you build a picture of the personality you’re communicating to the reader.
For example, one brand might speak in a voice that’s professional, authoritative and trustworthy. While another might be described as informal, entertaining and approachable.
Who needs brand writing guidelines anyway?
Nearly every kind of brand will benefit from brand writing guidelines. Even if they don’t think of themselves as a brand. When a small company starts off, its communications are often written by its founders, but as it grows, other people in the organisation need to learn how to write in the same voice. Without any guidelines, the danger is that you end up with as many voices as there are employees. Guidelines avoid the need for the founders to spend time explaining the voice to every new person who has writing responsibility. In larger organisations, when there are supplier agencies writing on behalf of the brand, it’s vital that each of them understand the brand voice in order to maximise the effect of the money being invested.
How do you use them?
You can use brand writing guidelines in any way that suits you. You can read them cover to cover and print them out to keep on your desk. Or you can refer to a pdf whenever you have specific questions. The important thing is that you do use them. And not just when writing the obvious pieces like the website or advertising. From an email to a speech, a white paper to a social media post, brand writing guidelines can help you present a consistent and familiar voice to your audience.
After all, how often have you noticed a brand being confusingly different? Coming across all ‘yoof’ on social media and then being stuffily formal on the website or in emails? Or presenting a retail experience that’s tonally very different from the brand’s advertising voice? These things jar. Our view is that you should start with the people first. What kind of people work for your organisation? How do they speak naturally? How can we amplify that truth into something distinctive and compelling? You can’t simply impose a voice onto a brand and expect it to come across with any credibility.
What do brand writing guidelines look like?
When we create them, they look like a pdf with 6 clear sections:
- Brand manifesto
- Words to describe how the brand speaks
- Top 5 tonal qualities
- Words to use/words to avoid
- Do say/don’t say
- Example headlines/descriptors/paragraphs
They’re as short as possible, clearly signposted, and easy to dip in and out of
How to get your hands on some brand writing guidelines
We’ve helped every kind of brand, from those needing a sensitive approach to men’s health, to those needing to add humanity to management consultancy. Talk to Brand Voice Agency today, to develop your own brand writing guidelines quickly, professionally, and cost-effectively. Email contact@brandvoice.agency
