Content style guides

In sections below you will find:

• Processes to learn about
• Templates and examples
• Tools to help

How to create content style guides

A content style guide helps keep the tone, voice, and design of the content consistent across the brand – regardless of the creator. These are the set of standards to follow when creating content, to help improve communication and maintain consistency.

Other aspects that may be included in a content style guide are grammar, formatting, and language.

Processes to learn about

• Content style guides: A complete process to develop your own GatherContent explain the importance of having a content style guide, and the steps to take to develop your own.

• The Mailchimp style guide - Anatomy of a content style guide An in-depth look at Mailchimp's content style guide, with a focus on how it is used, governed, and part of a much bigger system at Mailchimp.

• Why You Need a Content Style Guide (and How to Get Started) Influence and Co. share how to make a content guide, and why you need one.

• The ultimate guide to tone of voice GatherContent's guide to tone of voice, how to define one, and how to go about creating guidelines around it.

• How to build a brilliant brand voice In this webinar recording, you'll learn about what makes a good brand voice, and how to create guidelines your colleagues will actually use.

• Top 14 Content Style Guides 2021 (and How to Use Them) The UX Writing Hub presents their pick of content style guides for you to use on your next content style guide creation journey.

• Tone-of-Voice Words The Nielsen Norman Group's list of 37 words describing tone of voice, which can be used to plan or evaluate website content.

• How to Define Your Brand's Tone of Voice: Infographics & Examples This blog post from Semrush describes how to define your brand's tone and voice, with the help of infographics and examples.

• Tone of voice guidelines The University of Leeds share tone of voice guidelines in this downloadable PDF file.

• Workshop & guide: define the tone of voice of your product UX Collective's great workshop guide on the topic.

• Tools for building a content style guide A list of tools and templates to help you build a content style guide that is both editable and searchable.

• 5 Features of the Best Content Style Guides UX Planet have put together this fantastic article to help with what to include.

• Voice, Tone & Content Guides Some excellent examples of tone of voice style guides can be found on this site.

• Anatomy of a content style guide - University of Dundee An in-depth look at the anatomy of the University of Dundee's content style guide.

Examples to inspire you

• Welcome to the Mailchimp Content Style Guide A helpful style guide reference for content and communications teams currently researching how to approach developing their own.

• Microsoft Writing Style Guide A guide to writing style and terminology for all communications they issue, across multiple channels.

• Shopify experience values Their content standards will help you understand how to think strategically about the language in your products and apps.

• Apple Style Guide Provides editorial guidelines for text in Apple instructional materials, technical documentation, reference information, training programs, and user interfaces.

• Inspiration The UX Writing Library has a collection of style guides and voice designs from some of the biggest brands, such as Google, IBM, Slack, and Intuit.

• Reference manual University of Dundee's searchable reference manual.

Tools to help

• Content Style Guides Checklist This free checklist from GatherContent helps you plan, create, disseminate, and maintain your content style guide.

• Content Style Guides GatherContent also offer this tool to embed your content style guide in your editing environment, so that authors can easily follow voice and tone content rules.

• Writing Material Design is one of the most famous design systems out there. Explore their content section, and learn how to write content as Google does.

• Mercury The same design system Canada Post uses to create a functional, cohesive digital design.