How to Consistently Capture Your Content's Creative Voice

You're reading Boss Creator Bulletin—5-minute (or less) weekly insights empowering you to become a more confident content creator. I hope this issue benefits you and your content projects. Ready? Let's get to it! 

Your creative voice (i.e., your tone, personality, or style of writing/speaking) guides the narration of your content marketing. Think of your creative voice (or brand voice) as your business's personality traits or quirks.

When describing someone we know to another person, typically, we talk about what makes that person unique or stand out from others. We often describe behaviors or how people respond in certain situations before sharing their physical attributes.

Our words and how we share them affect others more deeply than our "physical" brand.

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So, how do you professionally infuse your personality in your content? 

One way to hone your creative voice is to read your writing out loud. 

What tone and language do you use to connect with your audience? How does it feel to you?

💡Don't write something if you wouldn't say it.

How do you stay consistent with your brand messaging? 

Create or revise your Brand and Content Style Guides to ensure your messaging aligns wherever you share your content.

What is a Content Style Guide?

Unlike a Brand Style Guide that details your business foundations and creative assets (i.e., your logo, typography, hex choices, etc.), your Content Style Guide outlines how you create on-brand content, copy, and visuals across your text-driven marketing campaigns to ensure clarity and tone consistency.

A Content Style Guide defines your brand messaging for the following:

• Grammar

• Punctuation

• Tense

• Tone

• Wording

• and best practices for keeping your content aligned with your brand messaging.

In short, a Content Style Guide outlines how you communicate your brand voice, ensuring consistency in your content marketing.

Examples of details to include in your Content Style Guide:

• Things you say that nail your brand voice (e.g., Y'all vs. You all, gurl vs. girl, etc.)

• How your brand "speaks," including real-life examples of phrases (e.g., Hey, gurl... hey! or #LikeABoss)

• Lists of words or phrases to use or avoid. (e.g., customers vs. users or requirements for dates like 7 pm vs. 7PM)

• Standards for writing on different platforms (e.g., how your social posts read vs. blog posts)

How is your Brand Style Guide different from your Content Style Guide?

Your Brand Style Guide and Content Style Guide may overlap in many areas. Both govern and guide your brand's focus and dedication to consistency. 

Your Brand Style Guide is the foundation of your brand's identity and typically includes the following:

• Your Mission

• Vision

• Value Proposition Statement

• Business Goals

• Client Personas

• and the Visual Elements of your brand (e.g., your logo, color palette, font considerations, etc.).

💡Consider this: Your Brand Style Guide governs what you say (your core messaging). However, your Content Style Guide outlines how you say it.

Why is it essential to have a Content Style Guide?

Your Content Style Guide outlines your creative voice or style in written form so you "sound" the same in your messaging. It also helps keep your content team on the same page.

If a content team member doubts or questions how something should "sound" when read, they can refer to your Content Style Guide before posting or publishing content on your business's behalf.

Consistency in your messaging helps build familiarity and trust. The more your readers trust what you say and how you say it, the more likely they will become loyal supporters and clients.

Do you need to create or revise your Content Style Guide? I've done most of the work for you in an easy-to-follow template. You can grab it here.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you here next Monday.

~Jae

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