Planning a Blog Post Template for Explaining Brand Voice and Tone Guidelines
Why Brand Voice Needs a Template
Most clients can describe what their business does, but few can describe how it should sound. That gap creates inconsistent copy across homepages, service pages and social feeds. A blog post template for brand voice and tone guidelines solves this by turning a vague discussion into a repeatable structure.
At design-logix.co.uk, we use a template format because it forces decisions early. Instead of debating adjectives forever, clients fill in defined sections. The result is a document writers, designers and social managers can actually apply.
Section One: Define the Core Voice
The first section asks clients to choose three to five voice traits. Each trait needs a plain-English definition and a counter-example. "Friendly" means nothing until you add "we use contractions and direct address, but we never use slang in legal or pricing content."
Pair each trait with a short blockquote from existing copy that either nails it or misses it. This makes the guideline concrete and gives future writers a reference point rather than an abstract mood board.
- Confident, not arrogant
- Warm, not over-familiar
- Clear, not simplistic
- Expert, not academic
Section Two: Map Tone by Channel
Voice stays constant; tone shifts with context. The template includes a table with columns for channel, audience intent and tone adjustment. A homepage hero, a support article and a LinkedIn post should not sound identical.
Ask clients to complete one row per channel they actually use. This prevents the common mistake of writing one master guideline that ignores how people read on social versus on a product page.
| Channel | Audience Intent | Tone Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Website homepage | Quick orientation | Bold and welcoming |
| Service page | Detailed evaluation | Precise and reassuring |
| Social post | Casual discovery | Conversational and short |
Section Three: Rules for Grammar and Formatting
Brand voice guidelines fail when they ignore mechanics. The template dedicates a section to sentence length, punctuation, capitalisation, emoji use and reading level. Clients decide whether they write "we" or the company name, and whether headings use sentence case or title case.
This section also covers banned words and clichés. A numbered list works well here because priorities matter: first remove jargon, then remove filler, then tighten every sentence.
- Replace jargon with everyday language.
- Cut filler phrases such as "in order to".
- Keep paragraphs under four lines on mobile.
- Use active voice unless passive is clearly better.
Section Four: Examples and Review Process
Every template should end with a before-and-after example for each main channel. Show a weak sentence, explain why it fails the guidelines, then show the rewritten version. This teaches by demonstration rather than instruction.
Finally, add a short review process. Who approves copy, how often the guidelines are revisited, and where the document lives. Without ownership, even a well-structured brand voice template becomes another forgotten file in a shared drive.
Used properly, this template turns brand voice from a subjective argument into a practical tool that keeps web and social copy consistent as a business grows.
