Marketing
How to Build a Brand Voice Guide That Your Team Will Actually Use
A step-by-step guide to creating a practical, actionable brand voice document that ensures consistent messaging across all channels.
How to Build a Brand Voice Guide That Your Team Will Actually Use
Most brand voice guides fail. They get created, shared once in a Slack channel, and then never opened again. They're too vague ("Be authentic!"), too long, or too divorced from the day-to-day reality of content creation.
This guide will show you how to build a brand voice document that is practical, actionable, and actually gets used.
Step 1: Define Your Core Personality Traits (3-5 Words)
Start with the fundamentals. What are the 3-5 adjectives that describe your brand's personality? These should be specific enough to be differentiating.
Bad Examples (Too Vague):
- Professional
- Innovative
- Friendly
Good Examples (Specific & Differentiating):
- Witty but not sarcastic: We'll make you smile, but never at someone's expense.
- Direct but not blunt: We get to the point quickly but always with warmth.
- Knowledgeable but not preachy: We share expertise, but we're not know-it-alls.
Step 2: Create a "This, Not That" Table
This is the most valuable part of your guide. For each personality trait, give concrete examples of what you do say vs. what you don't say.
| This (Do) | Not That (Don't) |
|---|---|
| "Let's figure this out together." | "You need to do X." |
| "Great question!" | "As I already explained..." |
| "Here's a quick tip..." | "URGENT: You MUST read this!" |
This table is endlessly referenceable.
Step 3: Document Tone Variations by Channel
Your voice (personality) stays the same, but your tone (the emotional inflection) shifts based on the channel and context.
- Twitter/X: Casual, punchy, can use humor and emojis.
- Email Support: Warm, empathetic, solution-focused.
- Blog Posts: Authoritative, educational, can be longer-form.
- Landing Page: Confident, benefit-driven, concise.
Include a small section for each key channel.
Step 4: Include Real Examples (Copy-Paste Ready)
Don't just tell people how to write. Show them. Include template sentences and common phrases that embody your voice.
- Welcome Email Opener: "Hey [Name], you're in! Let's get you set up."
- Error Message: "Oops! Something went sideways. We're on it. Give it another shot in a minute."
- Feature Announcement: "Big news: [Feature Name] just dropped. Here's how it makes your life easier..."
Step 5: Keep It Short and Accessible
If your brand guide is a 40-page PDF buried in Google Drive, no one will use it. Aim for a single page with the core essentials, linked to a longer reference document if needed. Consider making it a Notion page, a Figma file, or even a pinned Slack message.
Next step
Turn this into a practical workflow with the brand setup guide.