Written Style Guide – How does the business communicate in writing?

The Written Style Guide is a unified reference for how a company communicates in writing. For early stage companies we combine together written and visual standards in one document, a company canon, to support consistency. In larger companies style guides can be huge and have detailed guidance in how to write, create visual content, create videos, write e-mails, an so on. Here we're focused on giving you a basic guide to start with.

Brand Personality

A general description of the company's personality. This should be one to two sentences that describe the overall personality of the brand and (e.g., Professional, Friendly, Bold). Helps define the overall tone for communication.

Brand Voice

A comma separated list of no more than five words that describe the brand’s voice tone. Examples include Friendly, Professional, Conversational, Formal, Informal, Authoritative, Confident, Trustworthy, Inspiring, Bold, Empathetic, Warm, Witty, Playful, Direct, Polished, Energetic, Calm, Thoughtful, Assertive, Cheerful, Serious, Respectful, Optimistic, Inclusive, Supportive, Enthusiastic, Honest, Relaxed, Motivational.

Formality

An analysis of the balance between formality and casualness of statements. This defines the base tone of all content and can be adjusted for each piece. Pick from one of the following options:

Formal - An objective tone that uses professional vocabulary, complex sentence structures, avoids contractions and uses formal titles and titles with last names to address people.
Semi-Formal - A polite tone that uses standard vocabulary and a balanced sentence structures. Semi-formal tone may use contractions on a limited basis and use first names in subsequent communications.
Conversational - A conversational tone that uses a colloquial vocabulary, simple sentence structures, free use of contractions and first names. Allows the use of humor in a way that aligns with your humor setting
Friendly - A warm tone that uses an approachable vocabulary with varied sentence structures. It may use contractions, colloquialisms, first names and anecdotes. Allows the use of humor in a way that aligns with your humor setting.

Framing Concepts

Any explanatory concepts or metaphors we plan to use throughout the customer journey to explain our solution. As an example one of our companies, Air Traffic Control, provides personalization technology for B2B companies and use the air traffic control metaphor to explain their solution. They compare the process of orchestrating customer journeys - what they do with personalization - to directing planes in an airspace. Since the company doesn’t actually direct planes in an airspace we need to explain that up front.

Preferred Vocabulary

A list of any uncommon words or phrases that are used in the content. This would contain a list of standard terms in use on the site that are commonly used to describe the products and services provided on that site.

Prohibited Vocabulary

A list of words or phrases to avoid in creating all sales and marketing written content for the site or related collateral. Examples are words and phrases that have negative connotations, are overly promotional, inaccurate, misleading or insensitive given the audience of the site, are overused buzzwords or obnoxious corporate jargon.

Sentence Length

Preferred sentence length style. Pick from Short, Mostly Short, Medium, Mostly Medium, Long, No Restriction. If you don’t have a strong opinion go with “Mostly Short”.

Pacing

The speed of delivery implied by the writing. This affects how the audience perceives urgency and rhythm in communication. Pick from the following options:

Rapid-fire: Quick, snappy sentences that create a sense of urgency or excitement.
Brisk: A steady, energetic pace that moves the reader through the content quickly.
Breakneck: An extremely fast pace that can create a sense of tension or chaos.
Steady: A consistent, moderate pace that provides a clear and stable narrative flow.
Meandering: A gentle, wandering pace that allows the reader to absorb details and reflect on the content.
Conversational: A pace that mimics everyday conversation, with a natural flow and rhythm.
Leisurely: A relaxed, unhurried pace that allows the reader to savor the content and enjoy the journey.
Contemplative: A slow, reflective pace that encourages the reader to think deeply about the content.
Laborious: A slow, plodding pace that can create a sense of difficulty or hardship.
Ebb and flow: A pace that varies between fast and slow, creating a sense of rhythm and tension.
Stop-and-start: A pace that alternates between rapid progress and sudden pauses, creating a sense of drama or surprise.

Emotional Tone

The desired emotional impact of the content. This defines how the brand wants the audience to feel. Create a comma separated list of three to five words.

Inclusivity Guidelines

Any rule or or principles to ensure inclusive language (e.g., Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Avoiding Jargon) that should be used on the site. Supports diversity and broad audience appeal.

Humor Usage

The use of humor in your written content. Pick from the following list

Subtle: Humor that's understated and easy to miss.
Lighthearted: Humor that's playful and carefree.
Moderate: Humor that's noticeable but not overwhelming.
Irreverent: Humor that's bold, sarcastic, and potentially provocative.

Storytelling Style

The approach to storytelling. This guides how stories are structured to align with the brand's voice. Pick from the following list:

Narrative: Tells a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, often featuring a protagonist and a challenge to overcome.
Conversational: Uses a friendly, approachable tone to share stories and anecdotes, making the reader feel like they're part of a conversation.
Experiential: Puts the reader in the midst of the story, using sensory details and vivid descriptions to create an immersive experience.
Inspirational: Focuses on overcoming challenges, achieving success, and inspiring the reader to take action.
Educational: Uses storytelling to teach the reader something new, often incorporating facts, statistics, and expert insights.
Humorous: Incorporates wit, satire, or irony to entertain and engage the reader.
Emotional: Focuses on evoking emotions, such as empathy, excitement, or curiosity, to create a deeper connection with the reader.
Authentic: Prioritizes honesty and transparency, sharing real stories and experiences that reflect the brand's values and mission.

Use of Jargon

The degree to which technical or industry-specific is used on the site. Options include:

Avoid: Simplify technical terms for a general audience.
Limited: Sprinkle technical terms throughout the content, but prioritize clarity.
Standard: Use industry-standard jargon allowing technical terms familiar to experts in the field.
Define: Jargon can be used but most first be defined to explain technical terms for readers unfamiliar with them.
Analogize. When jargon is used utilize analogies or metaphors to explain complex concepts in relatable terms.

Language Level

The reading level of the content of the site. Aligns complexity of writing with the target audience’s comprehension. Pick from the following options:

Basic: Simple vocabulary, short sentences, and basic concepts. (Grade level: 3-5)
Intermediate: Moderate vocabulary, varied sentence structures, and some technical terms. (Grade level: 6-8)
Advanced: Complex vocabulary, intricate sentence structures, and specialized technical terms. (Grade level: 9-12)
Specialized: Highly technical vocabulary, dense concepts, and assumed prior knowledge. (Grade level: College+)