Brand Voice Guidelines Template
Voice Traits, a Tone Map, Word Lists and Formatting Rules in One Fill-In Document
Short answer
A brand voice guidelines template is a short document that tells anyone writing for you how the brand sounds. It needs seven sections: a voice summary, three traits as checkable rules, a tone map by situation, words to use and avoid, formatting rules, channel notes, and before-and-after examples. Keep it to two pages.
1. What should brand voice guidelines cover?
Seven sections: a voice summary, three voice traits, a tone map, vocabulary, formatting, channel notes and examples. Voice stays the same everywhere; tone is what shifts between a launch post and a reply to a complaint.
- Brand voice
- The consistent personality a brand uses in writing across every channel, as distinct from tone, which adjusts that voice to the situation and the reader's state of mind.
- Also known as: Tone of voice, Verbal identity
The voice and tone split is the most useful idea to borrow from published style guides. Mailchimp's content style guide puts it simply: you have the same voice all the time, but your tone changes [s1]. The template below keeps the two apart, so the traits stay fixed and the tone map does the adjusting.
If the main reason you are writing guidelines is to get AI drafting tools to sound like you, read the guide on keeping AI-drafted posts on brand as well. It covers how to turn these sections into instructions a model will follow and how to test the output.
| Section | What it answers | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Voice summary | Who we sound like, talking to whom | Three sentences |
| 2. Voice traits | Three traits, each with a rule you can check | Four lines per trait |
| 3. Tone map | How tone shifts by situation | One small table |
| 4. Vocabulary | Words we use, words we avoid, how we name things | Two short lists |
| 5. Formatting | Sentence length, capitals, numbers, emoji, punctuation | Six to ten rules |
| 6. Channel notes | What changes per channel | One line per channel |
| 7. Examples | Off-voice lines rewritten on voice | Four to six pairs |
2. How do I write the voice summary and traits?
The summary describes the brand as a person talking to a specific reader. Each trait then gets four lines: what we are, what we are not, a rule you can check in a draft, and a one-line example.
Fill-in structure for sections 1 and 2:
- VOICE SUMMARY: We sound like [a specific kind of person] talking to [the reader] who [their situation]. We want them to feel [one feeling] after reading. We never want them to feel [one feeling].
- TRAIT 1: We are [trait]. We are not [the overdone version of that trait]. Rule: [something you can check in a draft]. Example: "[one line]".
- TRAIT 2: We are [trait]. We are not [ ]. Rule: [ ]. Example: "[ ]".
- TRAIT 3: We are [trait]. We are not [ ]. Rule: [ ]. Example: "[ ]".
| Trait | We are not | Rule you can check | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calm | Falsely cheerful about tax | No exclamation marks in anything about deadlines or money owed | "Your quarterly estimate is ready. Here is what it covers." |
| Plain | Simplistic or vague | Every accounting term is explained the first time it appears in a piece | "VAT (the sales tax you add to invoices) is due on the 7th." |
| On your side | Chummy or salesy | Say "you" more than "we"; never blame the reader for a late receipt | "Missing a receipt happens. Send a photo and we will match it." |
3. How do I show how tone changes by situation?
Use a small tone map: list the situations you write for most often and place each one on four scales, from formal to casual, serious to funny, respectful to irreverent, and matter-of-fact to enthusiastic.
The four scales come from the Nielsen Norman Group's research on tone of voice, which describes each one as a spectrum rather than a choice between extremes [s2]. Using them turns "a bit more serious here" into something two writers can agree on.
| Situation | Formal to casual | Serious to funny | Respectful to irreverent | Matter-of-fact to enthusiastic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax deadline reminder | Middle | Serious | Respectful | Matter-of-fact |
| New feature or service | Casual | Light, no jokes | Respectful | Warm, not hyped |
| Educational social post | Casual | Light humor allowed | Respectful | Matter-of-fact |
| Reply to a complaint | Middle | Serious | Respectful | Matter-of-fact |
| Promotion or discount | Casual | Light | Respectful | Warm, no urgency tricks |
4. What goes in the vocabulary and formatting sections?
Vocabulary lists the words you use, the words you avoid with a replacement for each, and how you name the product. Formatting fixes the small, checkable choices: sentence length, capitals, numbers, emoji and punctuation.
| Avoid | Use instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Hassle-free" | Say what the reader no longer has to do | Every competitor says it |
| "Leverage", "optimize" | "Use", "cut", "save" | Freelancers do not talk like this |
| "Simply" or "just" | Delete it | Implies the reader should find it easy |
| "Failure to comply" | "If this is late" | Sounds like a penalty notice |
| "Our solution" | The service by name, or "your bookkeeper" | Name the thing or the person |
Formatting rules for the same example:
- Sentences under 20 words in social posts and emails.
- Sentence case for headings and buttons.
- Numerals for all numbers, dates written as "7 October" in emails.
- No emoji in anything about money owed; one at most elsewhere.
- No exclamation marks about deadlines, and at most one per piece otherwise.
- Currency always with its symbol, never "bucks" or slang.
5. How do I write channel notes and examples?
Channel notes say only what changes per channel, in one line each. Examples do the most teaching: four to six real lines that were off voice, each rewritten and labeled with the rule it breaks.
| Channel | What changes |
|---|---|
| Slightly more formal; lead with the lesson, not the service | |
| One practical tip per post, caption under 80 words | |
| Subject line states the action or date, never a teaser | |
| Comment replies | Reply within the thread, move account details to private messages |
| Off voice | On voice | Rule it broke |
|---|---|---|
| "Tax season is HERE! Don't panic!!" | "Tax returns are due in 30 days. Here is the one thing to send us this week." | Calm: no exclamation marks on deadlines |
| "Leverage our seamless bookkeeping solution." | "Send us your receipts once a week. We do the rest." | Vocabulary: avoid list |
| "You forgot to upload your receipts again." | "Two receipts are still missing. A photo is fine." | On your side: never blame the reader |
| "Simply reconcile your accounts in the portal." | "Match each payment to an invoice in the portal (we show you how in two minutes)." | Plain: explain terms, avoid "simply" |
6. How do I check the guidelines work and keep them current?
Hand the guidelines and a brief to someone new, and compare their draft with one from your best writer. Where the drafts differ, a rule is missing. Review the document when your positioning or competitors change.
- Test with a newcomer. Give the guidelines and one brief to a freelancer or colleague who has never written for you. The places where their draft sounds wrong point to rules that are missing or unclear.
- Check every rule against a draft. For each rule in sections 2, 4 and 5, confirm you could point to a sentence that breaks it. A rule you cannot check against text is an adjective, and it should be rewritten.
- Compare against competitor voices. Read recent posts from two or three competitors next to yours. If you cannot tell them apart without the logos, your traits and avoid list need sharpening.
- Date the document and name an owner. Add the owner and date at the top. Review when positioning changes, when you add a channel, or when a competitor shifts tone close to yours.
Oppira keeps brand voice as a foundation section of the playbook and in the brand kit that every Studio draft is written against, including replies drafted in the comment inbox. Intel also tracks the tone of the competitors you follow, which is the input for the comparison step above.
Key Takeaways
Seven sections, about two pages
Summary, three traits, tone map, vocabulary, formatting, channel notes and examples. Longer guidelines get skimmed and ignored.
Voice is fixed, tone moves
Traits stay the same everywhere. The tone map says how formal, serious or enthusiastic to be in each situation.
Every trait needs a checkable rule
A rule you can point to in a draft, plus the overdone version you refuse, is what separates your voice from everyone else's.
Avoid lists need replacements
Each banned word gets a replacement and a reason, so writers know what to do instead.
Examples teach fastest
Off-voice lines rewritten on voice, labeled with the rule they broke, do more than any description.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- Voice and Tone, Mailchimp Content Style Guide Mailchimp, September 2026.A widely referenced public style guide that separates a constant voice from a tone that adapts to the reader.
- The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice Nielsen Norman Group, July 2016.Kate Moran's article describing formal vs. casual, serious vs. funny, respectful vs. irreverent and matter-of-fact vs. enthusiastic as spectrums.
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