With rapid regularity, clients are talking to us about their use of… lack of… need for… tone of voice guidelines; a document that will help anyone writing about, for or from your brand to consistently and accurately encompass it. Guidelines determine the best language to use and how it should be used, both grammatically and structurally.
It can be a daunting task to undertake, but the evidence is that when completed well, these guidelines can make a huge difference to brand communications.
What is your brand all about?
First things first, you need to clearly state the values, objectives and personality of your brand.
Try to describe your brand in a way that will resound with your employees. For example, imagining your brand as a person can be useful in compiling an accurate description, and will help your team to ensure communications consistently reflect what your brand’s about.
Keep it simple
Give examples of words and phrases that clearly illustrate the advice the guidelines are offering. For example, a table containing a list of common words or phrases that should be used in preference to others is always very useful.
Guidelines are just the beginning
Unfortunately, it would be very difficult to monitor each and every piece of communication that circulates in, around and out of your business. A clear set of guidelines is just the beginning of achieving consistency across the business. Educational training programmes and regular internal communications will help to ensure your team really hones the language of your brand.
If you’d like to discuss your guidelines in more detail, please don’t hesitate to call us on 020 7593 4014.
Branding and Tone of Voice guidelines – our top tips
