# Build a brand voice guide from real examples

A useful brand voice guide describes choices a writer can make. Build it from approved examples and explain why those examples work. “Warm, bold, human” is too open-ended to guide an edit unless you show what those words mean in a specific situation.

## Gather contrasting samples
Choose a product explanation, a customer email, and a difficult message such as an error or delay. A brand needs to sound coherent across those contexts, but the emotional register should change. A playful launch announcement is not a good model for telling someone their payment failed.

## Write rules that can be inspected
| Vague direction | Usable direction |
| --- | --- |
| Be human | Address the reader directly and explain the next action |
| Be confident | State verified facts plainly; mark uncertain dates |
| Be playful | Use light humor in optional editorial copy; keep errors literal |

For a fictional scheduling app, “Oopsie, time did a little dance!” hides the problem. “That time is no longer available. Choose another slot” helps the person recover. The voice guide should include this contrast, not just a list of adjectives.

## Give AI a small approved reference
```text
Draft a voice guide from these approved samples.
Describe observable choices in vocabulary, sentence structure, specificity,
and treatment of uncertainty.
For each rule, include one approved example and one contrasting rewrite.
Do not invent company values or audience research.
Separate product explanations, errors, and editorial writing.
Samples and their purpose: [paste]
```

## Test it on an unfamiliar message
Use the guide to edit a new support response. Ask two people to apply it independently, then compare the results. If both writers interpret “bold” differently, replace it with a concrete instruction. Keep exceptions that protect clarity: a legal requirement, a technical term, or a sensitive message may need a different treatment.

Store the guide beside a small set of approved examples. Update it when an actual editorial decision changes, not whenever a model invents a new adjective. A short reference with meaningful contrasts will usually be easier to apply than a long manifesto that repeats the same tone words.

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SkillStall · 2026-10-02