Brand Voice & Tone Guide Generator

When to use this skill

• User asks to create brand voice guidelines

• User needs tone documentation

• User wants writing style consistency

• User mentions brand personality

• User needs messaging pillars

Workflow

• Define brand personality traits

• Establish voice dimensions

• Create tone variations

• Document vocabulary guidelines

• Write example comparisons

• Build messaging pillars

Instructions

Step 1: Brand Personality Discovery

Brand personality questionnaire:

Question Purpose

If your brand were a person, how would you describe them? Core personality

What 3 adjectives describe your brand? Voice attributes

What adjectives do NOT describe your brand? Voice boundaries

What brands do you admire (any industry)? Tone inspiration

What brands feel opposite to yours? Differentiation

How should customers feel after reading your content? Emotional goal

Personality archetype mapping:

Archetype Traits Voice Style Example Brands

The Hero Bold, confident, empowering Action-oriented, direct Nike, FedEx

The Sage Wise, knowledgeable, trusted Educational, authoritative Google, BBC

The Creator Innovative, imaginative, expressive Inspiring, visionary Apple, LEGO

The Caregiver Nurturing, supportive, warm Empathetic, reassuring Johnson & Johnson

The Explorer Adventurous, independent, pioneering Exciting, authentic Patagonia, Jeep

The Rebel Disruptive, bold, provocative Edgy, unconventional Harley-Davidson

The Jester Playful, fun, irreverent Witty, casual Old Spice, M&Ms

The Everyman Relatable, honest, friendly Conversational, inclusive IKEA, Target

Step 2: Voice Dimensions

Define your voice on each spectrum:

Voice Dimensions

Rate your brand on each scale (1-5):

Formal ←→ Casual

1 = Corporate, traditional, third-person 5 = Conversational, first-person, contractions

Our position: [1-5] Rationale: [Why this fits your brand]

Serious ←→ Playful

1 = Straightforward, no humor 5 = Witty, jokes, puns welcome

Our position: [1-5] Rationale: [Why this fits your brand]

Reserved ←→ Enthusiastic

1 = Understated, measured 5 = Exclamation points, emphatic language

Our position: [1-5] Rationale: [Why this fits your brand]

Technical ←→ Simple

1 = Industry jargon, expert-level 5 = Plain language, accessible

Our position: [1-5] Rationale: [Why this fits your brand]

Respectful ←→ Irreverent

1 = Polite, traditional 5 = Challenges norms, provocative

Our position: [1-5] Rationale: [Why this fits your brand]

Step 3: Core Voice Attributes

Voice attribute template:

Our Brand Voice

Attribute 1: [Adjective]

What this means: [Definition in your brand's context]

How it sounds:

• [Characteristic 1]
• [Characteristic 2]
• [Characteristic 3]

Example: ✅ "[Example sentence that embodies this attribute]" ❌ "[Example that violates this attribute]"

Attribute 2: [Adjective]

[Repeat format]

Attribute 3: [Adjective]

[Repeat format]

Example voice attributes:

Attribute Means Sounds Like

Confident We know our stuff, no hedging "This works." not "This might work."

Approachable Friendly, not corporate "Hey there" not "Dear valued customer"

Clear Simple words, short sentences "Sign up free" not "Complete registration"

Helpful Focused on user benefit "Save 2 hours" not "Advanced automation"

Step 4: Tone Variations

Tone adapts to context while voice stays consistent:

Tone by Context

Marketing/Sales Content

Tone: Enthusiastic, benefit-focused Energy level: High Example: "Ready to 10x your productivity? Let's go!"

Support/Help Content

Tone: Calm, reassuring, patient Energy level: Medium Example: "No worries—here's how to fix that in two steps."

Error Messages

Tone: Empathetic, solution-oriented Energy level: Low Example: "Something went wrong. Let's try again."

Legal/Compliance

Tone: Clear, direct, professional Energy level: Neutral Example: "Your data is protected under our privacy policy."

Social Media

Tone: Conversational, reactive, current Energy level: High Example: "That Friday feeling hits different when your inbox is at zero 📭"

Email Newsletters

Tone: Personal, valuable, respectful Energy level: Medium Example: "Here's what we've been working on (you're going to love it)."

Tone matrix:

Situation Emotion Tone Adjustment

Good news Excited More enthusiasm, celebratory

Bad news Concerned Empathetic, solution-focused

Onboarding Welcoming Warm, encouraging

Upselling Helpful Value-focused, no pressure

Win-back Understanding No guilt, focus on value

Complaint Caring Apologetic, action-oriented

Step 5: Vocabulary Guidelines

Words to use:

Our Vocabulary

Words We Love

Industry Terms We Use

Branded Terms

Words to avoid:

Words We Don't Use

Banned Words

Competitor Terms

Exclusionary Language

Step 6: Grammar & Style Rules

Writing Style

Punctuation

• Oxford comma: [Yes/No]
• Exclamation points: [Sparingly/Freely/Never]
• Emojis: [When appropriate/Social only/Never]
• Ellipses: [Avoid/Occasionally]

Capitalization

• Headlines: [Title Case/Sentence case]
• CTAs: [Title Case/Sentence case]
• Product names: [Always capitalize]
• Features: [Lowercase unless trademarked]

Numbers

• Spell out: Numbers one through nine
• Use numerals: 10 and above
• Percentages: 25% (numeral + symbol)
• Money: $10 (symbol + numeral)

Formatting

• Contractions: [Yes/No]
• First person: [We/I/Our team]
• Second person: [You, always]
• Sentence length: [Max words, aim for variety]

Step 7: Do's and Don'ts Examples

Side-by-side comparisons:

Voice Examples

Headlines

✅ Do: "Build better products, faster" ❌ Don't: "Revolutionary AI-Powered Solution for Enterprise Product Development"

Why: Short, benefit-focused, no jargon.

CTAs

✅ Do: "Start free trial" ❌ Don't: "Click here to begin your complimentary trial period"

Why: Action-oriented, concise, value clear.

Error Messages

✅ Do: "Couldn't save. Check your connection and try again." ❌ Don't: "Error 503: Service temporarily unavailable"

Why: Human language, solution included.

Social Posts

✅ Do: "Your Monday just got 10x better. New feature drop 👇" ❌ Don't: "We are pleased to announce the release of our new feature"

Why: Conversational, exciting, direct.

Support Responses

✅ Do: "Great question! Here's how to do that..." ❌ Don't: "Thank you for contacting our support team. Your query has been received."

Why: Warm, immediate help, no fluff.

Step 8: Messaging Pillars

Messaging Framework

Core Value Proposition

[One sentence that captures your primary value]

Tagline/Slogan

[Short, memorable phrase]

Messaging Pillars

Pillar 1: [Theme]

Key message: [Core claim] Supporting points:

• [Proof point 1]
• [Proof point 2]
• [Proof point 3] Proof: [Evidence, stats, testimonials]

Pillar 2: [Theme]

Key message: [Core claim] Supporting points:

• [Proof point 1]
• [Proof point 2]
• [Proof point 3] Proof: [Evidence]

Pillar 3: [Theme]

Key message: [Core claim] Supporting points:

• [Proof point 1]
• [Proof point 2]
• [Proof point 3] Proof: [Evidence]

Elevator Pitches

5 seconds: [One line] 30 seconds: [Paragraph] 2 minutes: [Full pitch with pillars]

Step 9: Channel-Specific Guidelines

Channel Guidelines

Website

• Headline style: [Benefit-led/Feature-led]
• Paragraph length: [Max sentences]
• CTA style: [Examples]

Email

• Subject line style: [Examples]
• Greeting: [Hi [Name]/Hey/Hello]
• Sign-off: [Thanks/Cheers/Best]

Social Media

Ads

• Headline formula: [Pattern]
• CTA examples: [List]
• Character limits: [By platform]

Output Format

[Brand Name] Voice & Tone Guide

Quick Reference

• Personality: [3 adjectives]
• Voice: [Brief description]
• Archetype: [Primary archetype]

Brand Personality

[Archetype and traits section]

Voice Dimensions

[5-dimension scale with positions]

Voice Attributes

[3-4 core attributes with examples]

Tone by Context

[Context-specific tone guidance]

Vocabulary

Use These Words

[Table]

Avoid These Words

[Table]

Style Rules

[Grammar and formatting]

Do's and Don'ts

[Side-by-side examples]

Messaging Pillars

[Framework with pillars and proof points]

Channel Guidelines

[Platform-specific guidance]

Version: [1.0] Last Updated: [Date] Owner: [Team/Person]

Validation

Before completing:

• Personality traits are specific, not generic

• Voice dimensions have clear positions

• Each attribute has do/don't examples

• Tone variations cover all content types

• Vocabulary lists are actionable

• Grammar rules are defined

• Messaging pillars have proof points

• Channel guidelines are specific

Error Handling

• Brand not clearly defined: Start with personality questionnaire; ask about target audience and competitive positioning.

• Voice too generic: Push for specific adjectives; use "not X but Y" format (e.g., "not formal, but professional").

• No existing content: Create sample content in different tones for stakeholder feedback.

• Conflicting input: Identify primary audience; prioritize voice for them.

• Too many attributes: Limit to 3-4 core voice attributes; more becomes unmemorable.

Resources

• Mailchimp Content Style Guide - Industry-leading voice guide

• Shopify Voice & Tone - E-commerce voice example

• NN/Group Voice & Tone - UX writing voice principles

• Voice & Tone (Figma) - Design tool voice example