What’s a style guide and why do you need one?

It’s a road map for everyone involved in a company's communication strategy (copywriters, translators, marketing directors etc.) helping them creating content that reflects the brand’s image and values, and ensuring consistency through all channels.

Beyond editorial and typography rules, it also includes guidelines regarding the use of the brand’s logo, its colors, fonts and visual style. In short, it’s an essential tool to create a consistent brand’s image and to help you win your clients' trust.

How can a style guide help you better communicate?

First, a style guide allows anyone working with you to have a good insight into your brand's identity. Reflecting your marketing strategy, it compiles all the information and concepts behind your company’s universe. It’s a good way for translators and copywriters working with you to get to know better your brand, especially if they can’t have an exhaustive training on site.

The style guide is also a unique reference for everyone involved in your brand’s communication. It helps creating consistent contents, which can be particularly helpful if you work with a team of translators and copywriters.

Furthermore, the style guide allows you to save time (and money): indeed, the more your partners will get to know your brand’s universe, the less they will spend time doing research and, ultimately, creating content. Before working with a new partner, I recommend planning an introduction meeting about your company and your style guide. Remote or on site, it will allow you to introduce your brand to your partners but also to actually meet and discuss with them.

Last but not least, the style guide helps ensuring consistency through every channel, creating a seamless brand experience. Publishing interesting, consistent, and regular content will allow you to create a loyal and engaged community.

What should you include in your style guide?

•    A brief introduction of your brand: its origins, history, products or services and USP
•    An introduction of your brand’s concepts and key values
•    Your brand’s tone of voice which basically is how you’d like to communicate with your clients through your channels (often described as a person, with adjectives such as empathetic, authentic, innovative, energic, funny etc.). This section often includes examples with a list of Do’s and Don’ts.
•    The target audience and its characteristics (B2B or B2C, age, profession, income, hobbies etc.)
•    A description of your products and services, along with rules on how to create or translate your products names (do they need to stay in English? Are there official translations?)
•    The editorial rules for each type of content (product descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, character limits etc.)
•    The general editorial rules of the target language
•    A list of useful resources (e.g. an access to a database with pictures of your products)

A very useful tool for translators and copywriters, the style guide is like your company’s ID card: it compiles all key information regarding your brand’s communication in order to help your partners creating a clear and consistent brand’s image. Also, it helps you working more efficiently with your partners and creating content that attracts your clients.

Do you want more information on how to create your own style guide?
Do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your project.