Building a Brand Voice from Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide

Every brand has a voice, whether they've defined it or not. The question is: is yours intentional?

An undefined brand voice leads to content that feels inconsistent, generic, or worse—schizophrenic. One blog post is casual and fun, the next reads like a legal document. Your social media sounds nothing like your product copy. Customers notice, even if they can't articulate why.

Defining your brand voice isn't just a nice-to-have. It's the foundation of every piece of content you'll ever create.

What Is Brand Voice, Exactly?

Brand voice is the consistent personality and style expressed through your written and verbal communication. It includes:

• Tone: The emotional quality of your writing (friendly, authoritative, playful, serious)
• Language: The words you choose and avoid (technical vs. accessible, formal vs. casual)
• Rhythm: How your sentences flow (short and punchy vs. long and flowing)
• Perspective: How you address your audience and talk about yourselves

Think of it this way: if your brand were a person, how would they talk? What words would they use? What would they never say?

Step 1: Audit Your Existing Content

Before defining where you want to go, understand where you are. Gather samples of your existing content:

• Website copy
• Blog posts
• Social media
• Product documentation
• Email newsletters
• Customer support responses
• Marketing materials

Read through them critically. Look for:

• Inconsistencies: Does the tone shift dramatically between channels?
• Patterns: What voice characteristics appear consistently?
• Outliers: Which pieces feel "off-brand" (even if you haven't defined the brand)?
• Favorites: Which pieces best represent how you want to sound?

This audit reveals your accidental voice—the one that's emerged without intention. It's your starting point.

Step 2: Define Your Brand Attributes

Brand voice starts with brand identity. Before you can decide how you sound, you need clarity on who you are.

Answer these questions:

Who is your audience?

• What's their expertise level?
• What problems do they face?
• What language do they use?
• What do they value?

What's your brand's personality?

Pick 3-5 adjectives that describe your brand. Be specific:

What makes you different?

Your voice should reinforce your positioning. If you're the affordable alternative, your voice might be more direct and no-nonsense. If you're the premium option, perhaps more sophisticated and detailed.

What do you believe?

Brand values shape voice. A company that values transparency will communicate differently than one that values exclusivity.

Step 3: Create Voice Characteristics

Now translate your brand attributes into specific voice characteristics. For each attribute, define:

1. What it means in practice
2. What it looks like in writing
3. What it doesn't mean (to prevent misinterpretation)

Example: "Confident but approachable"

What it means: We know our stuff and aren't afraid to share opinions, but we're never arrogant or condescending.

What it looks like:

• State things directly without hedging ("This approach works best" not "This approach might work well")
• Use "we" and "you" to create connection
• Explain complex topics without dumbing them down
• Acknowledge when things are hard

What it doesn't mean:

• We're not cocky or dismissive
• We don't claim to have all the answers
• We don't talk down to readers

Step 4: Develop Concrete Guidelines

Voice characteristics are conceptual. Guidelines are practical. Transform your characteristics into specific, actionable rules.

Grammar and Mechanics

• Use of contractions (we're, you'll, it's)
• Oxford comma (yes or no)
• Sentence length preferences
• Active vs. passive voice

Word Choices

• Preferred terms (customer vs. user vs. member)
• Words to avoid (leverage, utilize, synergy)
• Technical vocabulary level
• Formality level

Structure and Format

• Paragraph length
• Use of lists and headers
• Question usage
• Call-to-action style

Examples

For each guideline, provide clear examples:

Do: "We built this feature because you asked for it."

Don't: "This feature was developed in response to customer feedback."

Examples are more memorable and actionable than abstract rules.

Step 5: Create a Glossary

Every brand develops specific terminology. Document yours:

• Product terms: What do you call your features, plans, or services?
• Industry terms: Which technical terms do you use, and how do you explain them?
• Branded terms: Any proprietary language or coined phrases?
• Forbidden terms: Words that competitors use or that don't fit your brand

Your glossary should include:

• The term
• The definition
• Usage examples
• Common alternatives to avoid

Step 6: Address Different Contexts

Voice isn't monolithic. It adapts to context while maintaining core consistency. Define how your voice flexes for:

Different channels

• Website (typically more polished)
• Social media (typically more casual)
• Email (varies by purpose)
• Documentation (typically more neutral)

Different situations

• Celebrating wins (enthusiastic but not over-the-top)
• Delivering bad news (direct but empathetic)
• Handling complaints (helpful, never defensive)
• Technical content (clear, never condescending)

Different audiences

• New visitors (welcoming, explanatory)
• Power users (efficient, assumes knowledge)
• Decision makers (focused on outcomes)

Step 7: Document Everything

Your brand voice guidelines are only useful if people can access and apply them. Create documentation that's:

Searchable

Don't bury rules in a PDF. Use a system that lets writers find specific guidance quickly.

Structured

Organize by topic (voice characteristics, grammar, terminology) so users can navigate intuitively.

Updated

Brands evolve. Your guidelines should too. Build in a process for regular review and updates.

Accessible

Everyone who creates content needs access—not just writers. Product teams, support, marketing, executives.

Step 8: Train Your Team

Guidelines without training are just documents. Help your team internalize the voice:

• Workshops: Walk through guidelines with examples and exercises
• Before/after examples: Show how to transform generic content into branded content
• Review process: Catch voice issues early through feedback
• Champions: Identify voice advocates in each team

Step 9: Integrate with Tools

Your brand voice should be embedded in your content creation workflow:

• AI tools: Feed your guidelines to AI writing assistants
• Style checkers: Configure tools to flag voice violations
• Templates: Pre-populate documents with voice-appropriate structures
• APIs: Make guidelines available programmatically

Step 10: Iterate and Evolve

Brand voice isn't set-and-forget. Schedule regular reviews:

• Are guidelines being followed?
• What new situations have emerged that need guidance?
• Has the brand evolved in ways the guidelines don't reflect?
• What feedback have writers provided?

Update your guidelines based on real-world usage. The best style guides are living documents.

Getting Started

Building brand voice from scratch feels overwhelming. Start small:

1. This week: Audit your existing content
2. Next week: Define 3 core voice characteristics
3. Week three: Write 10 specific guidelines with examples
4. Week four: Share with your team and gather feedback

Perfection isn't the goal—progress is. A imperfect brand voice consistently applied beats a perfect one gathering dust.

Stylus makes brand voice documentation and distribution effortless. Create comprehensive guidelines, train your team, and integrate with AI tools—all from one platform. See how it works →