The Brand Voice Document Every Marketing Team Needs
You know your brand voice when you see it. But can you describe it?
Most marketing teams have an intuitive sense of how their brand should sound. The problem is intuition doesn’t scale. It doesn’t onboard new team members. And it definitely doesn’t guide AI tools.
A brand voice document fixes this. It turns “I know it when I see it” into “Here’s exactly how we sound and why.”
This guide gives you a practical template you can fill out today.
Why Brand Voice Documents Matter More Now
Brand voice documents have always been useful. But with AI entering content workflows, they’ve become essential.
| Scenario | Without Brand Voice Doc | With Brand Voice Doc |
|---|---|---|
| New team member writes copy | Inconsistent until they “get it” | Consistent from day one |
| Agency creates content | Endless revision cycles | Clear expectations upfront |
| AI generates drafts | Generic, could-be-anyone output | On-brand starting point |
| Multiple writers on campaign | Patchwork of styles | Unified voice throughout |
The AI Factor: When you give an AI tool a well-written brand voice document, output quality jumps from ~60% on-brand to ~85% on-brand. The document is the difference between usable drafts and complete rewrites.
The 6-Part Brand Voice Framework
A complete brand voice document covers six areas:
| Section | Purpose | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Voice Attributes | Define personality | ”If our brand were a person, how would they talk?“ |
| 2. Tone Spectrum | Show situational flexibility | ”How does our voice shift by context?“ |
| 3. Writing Style | Establish mechanics | ”What are our rules for sentences, paragraphs, formatting?“ |
| 4. Vocabulary | Control word choice | ”What words do we use and avoid?“ |
| 5. Examples | Demonstrate application | ”What does this look like in practice?“ |
| 6. Channel Guidelines | Adapt by platform | ”How does voice change by channel?” |
Section 1: Voice Attributes
Start with 3-5 adjectives that describe how your brand sounds. Then add context to make them actionable.
Template
| Attribute | We Are | We’re Not | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Attribute 1] | [Description] | [Contrast] | [Sample sentence] |
| [Attribute 2] | [Description] | [Contrast] | [Sample sentence] |
| [Attribute 3] | [Description] | [Contrast] | [Sample sentence] |
Example: B2B SaaS Company
| Attribute | We Are | We’re Not | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confident | Direct, assured, clear about what we offer | Arrogant, dismissive of competitors, boastful | ”Our platform cuts reporting time by 80%.” (not “We’re the best in the world.”) |
| Approachable | Friendly, conversational, human | Casual to the point of unprofessional, slangy | ”Let’s get you set up.” (not “Yo, let’s do this thing.”) |
| Smart | Knowledgeable, insightful, helpful | Jargon-heavy, condescending, academic | ”Here’s why that matters for your pipeline.” (not “Leveraging synergies to optimize outcomes.”) |
Common Mistake: Choosing attributes that sound good but don’t differentiate. “Professional, trustworthy, innovative” describes every company. Push for specificity. How are you professional? What kind of innovation?
Section 2: Tone Spectrum
Your voice stays constant. Your tone shifts based on context.
Template
| Context | Tone Shift | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebrating wins | [Description] | [Reasoning] | [Sample] |
| Addressing problems | [Description] | [Reasoning] | [Sample] |
| Educational content | [Description] | [Reasoning] | [Sample] |
| Sales conversations | [Description] | [Reasoning] | [Sample] |
| Crisis/issues | [Description] | [Reasoning] | [Sample] |
Example: Tone Spectrum
| Context | Tone Shift | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebrating wins | Enthusiastic, proud (but not boastful) | Share excitement without alienating | ”We just hit 10,000 customers. Grateful for every one of you.” |
| Addressing problems | Empathetic, solution-focused | Acknowledge frustration, show you’re helping | ”We know the dashboard issues are frustrating. Here’s what we’re doing about it.” |
| Educational content | Patient, thorough, encouraging | Build trust through helpfulness | ”Let’s break this down step by step. By the end, you’ll have a working campaign.” |
| Sales conversations | Helpful, low-pressure, consultative | Nobody likes being sold to | ”Here’s how teams like yours typically use this. Does that match what you need?” |
| Crisis/issues | Calm, transparent, accountable | Trust requires honesty | ”We made a mistake. Here’s what happened and what we’re doing to fix it.” |
Section 3: Writing Style
This is where you get specific about mechanics.
Template
| Element | Guideline | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence length | [Preference] | [Sample] |
| Paragraph length | [Preference] | [Sample] |
| Point of view | [Preference] | [Sample] |
| Contractions | [Yes/No/When] | [Sample] |
| Punctuation style | [Specific rules] | [Sample] |
| Formatting | [Headers, lists, emphasis] | [Sample] |
Example: Writing Style Guide
| Element | Guideline | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence length | Short sentences preferred. Mix lengths to create rhythm. No sentence over 25 words. | ”This works. This is why. Here’s how to do it yourself.” |
| Paragraph length | 1-3 sentences max. White space is your friend. | Break up walls of text. Each paragraph = one idea. |
| Point of view | ”You” for the reader. “We” for the company. Avoid “I” except in bylined content. | ”You’ll see results in the first week. We designed it that way.” |
| Contractions | Yes, always. We’re conversational. | ”We’re here to help” not “We are here to help” |
| Punctuation | Oxford comma: yes. Exclamation points: sparingly (1 per email max). Em dashes—use them. | ”We offer email, social, and ad automation.” |
| Formatting | Use headers liberally. Bullet points for 3+ items. Bold for emphasis, not ALL CAPS. | Headers every 2-3 paragraphs. Lists for anything sequential. |
Section 4: Vocabulary
Words matter. This section catches the subtle choices that shape perception.
Words We Use
| Category | Preferred Terms | Instead Of | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Platform, tool | Solution, system | More concrete, less corporate |
| Customers | Teams, customers | Users, organizations | More human |
| Actions | Launch, create, build | Deploy, implement, execute | More active, less formal |
| Results | Growth, results, wins | Outcomes, deliverables | More natural |
| AI | AI agent, AI-powered | AI/ML, artificial intelligence | More accessible |
Words We Avoid
| Word/Phrase | Why We Avoid It | Use Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Revolutionary | Overused, hyperbolic | Specific claim: “3x faster” |
| Best-in-class | Meaningless | Specific differentiator |
| Synergy | Corporate speak | Plain English: “works together” |
| Leverage | Jargon | ”Use” |
| Utilize | Pretentious | ”Use” |
| Cutting-edge | Vague | Specific capability |
| Seamless | Overused | Describe the actual experience |
| Robust | Empty | Specific feature |
Pro Tip: Keep a running list of words that creep into your content that you don’t like. Update this section quarterly based on real examples.
Section 5: Examples
This is the most important section. Show, don’t just tell.
Good vs. Not-So-Good Examples
| Type | Not Our Voice | Our Voice | What Changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | ”Revolutionary AI-Powered Marketing Solution for Enterprise" | "AI that runs your campaigns while you sleep” | Specific benefit, conversational, no jargon |
| CTA | ”Submit" | "Get started free” | Action-oriented, reduces friction |
| Error message | ”Error 403: Access Denied" | "You don’t have access to this page. Need it? Ask your admin.” | Human, helpful, next step |
| Feature description | ”Leverage our robust integration ecosystem" | "Connects to 50+ tools you already use” | Concrete, specific, plain English |
| Email subject | ”Your Monthly Product Newsletter" | "3 features you missed this month” | Curiosity, benefit-focused |
Before/After Rewrites
Email intro - Before:
Dear Valued Customer, We are pleased to announce the launch of our new analytics dashboard, which provides enhanced visibility into your marketing performance metrics.
Email intro - After:
Hey Sarah, Your new analytics dashboard is live. Here’s what you can see now that you couldn’t before.
What changed: Removed formality, added personalization, led with value, cut the corporate speak.
Section 6: Channel Guidelines
Voice stays consistent. Execution adapts to the platform.
| Channel | Tone Adjustment | Length | Special Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website | Most polished, benefit-focused | Scannable, headers every 2-3 paragraphs | First impression—clarity over cleverness |
| Conversational, personal | Short paragraphs, clear CTA | One goal per email | |
| Blog | Educational, thorough | Long-form okay, but chunked | Personality can show more |
| Professional but human | Hook in first line, 1300 chars max for preview | Thought leadership angle | |
| Twitter/X | Punchy, direct | Under 280, but don’t force it | Personality forward |
| Support | Helpful, patient, solution-first | As short as possible while being complete | Empathy before explanation |
| Ads | Benefit-first, urgent | Extremely short, every word counts | Test everything |
Channel-Specific Examples
Same message, different channels:
| Channel | Copy |
|---|---|
| Website hero | AI marketing agents that run your campaigns. You focus on strategy. |
| LinkedIn post | Most marketers spend 60% of their time on repetitive tasks. We built AI agents to handle that part. Here’s what that looks like in practice… |
| Twitter/X | Your AI agent just scheduled 47 posts, wrote 12 emails, and generated 8 ad variations. You drank coffee. |
| Email subject | Your campaigns are running. Here’s what they did. |
| Ad headline | Stop writing. Start launching. |
Quick-Start Template
Copy this template and fill in your answers:
# [Company Name] Brand Voice Guide
## Voice Attributes
We are: [3-5 adjectives]
We're not: [3-5 contrasts]
## Tone Spectrum
- Celebrating: [description]
- Problem-solving: [description]
- Educating: [description]
- Selling: [description]
## Writing Style
- Sentences: [short/medium/varied]
- Paragraphs: [1-2 sentences / 3-4 / varies]
- POV: [you/we/they]
- Contractions: [yes/no/sometimes]
## Vocabulary
Words we use: [list 5-10]
Words we avoid: [list 5-10]
## Examples
[Include 3-5 before/after examples]
## Channel Notes
[Key differences by channel]How to Use This Document
For Human Writers
- Read it once fully when you join the team
- Reference vocabulary section when drafting
- Use examples section for self-review
- Update with new examples quarterly
For AI Tools
- Include the full document (or relevant sections) in your knowledge base
- Reference specific sections in prompts: “Following our brand voice guide, especially the vocabulary section…”
- When output is off, identify which section it violates and add that to your prompt
- Treat AI output as a first draft that needs voice review
For Review/Feedback
| Voice Issue | Section to Reference |
|---|---|
| ”This doesn’t sound like us” | Voice Attributes |
| ”Too formal/casual” | Tone Spectrum |
| ”Too long/complex” | Writing Style |
| ”Wrong word choice” | Vocabulary |
| ”I can’t picture what this means” | Examples |
| ”Works in email but not social” | Channel Guidelines |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too vague | ”Be professional” means nothing | Add contrast: “Professional but not stiff” |
| Too rigid | Real content never fits perfectly | Give ranges, not absolutes |
| No examples | Rules without illustration fail | Add 2-3 examples per section |
| Never updated | Voice evolves, document doesn’t | Review quarterly |
| Too long | Nobody reads 50 pages | Keep under 10 pages, make scannable |
| Created in isolation | One person’s interpretation | Get input from 3-5 team members |
Key Takeaways
| Principle | Application |
|---|---|
| Voice is constant, tone flexes | Define both clearly |
| Show, don’t just tell | Examples are the most valuable section |
| Specificity beats vagueness | ”Confident but not arrogant” > “Professional” |
| Built for use, not filing | If it’s not referenced, it’s not working |
| AI needs this more than humans | Quality of AI output directly tied to quality of voice doc |
What’s Next?
You have the template. Now fill it in.
Start with the sections that will have the most impact:
- Voice Attributes - Foundation for everything
- Vocabulary - Quick wins for consistency
- Examples - Makes everything concrete
You can build the rest over time. A partial brand voice document beats no document.
Ready to put your brand voice to work?
Try Marqeable: marqeable.com
Load your brand voice document into your AI marketing agent and generate on-brand content from day one.
Related Resources
Building Your First AI-Powered Campaign
The 5-step framework for AI campaigns, including knowledge base setup.
AI vs Human: What to Automate
Where brand voice fits in the human vs. AI decision framework.
How AI Marketing Agents Are Replacing Copy Workflows
Why brand voice documents matter more in the AI era.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a brand voice document be?
Keep it under 10 pages. If it’s longer, people won’t read it. The examples section can be a separate living document that grows over time.
How often should we update it?
Review quarterly. Update when you notice recurring feedback (“this doesn’t sound like us”) or when the brand evolves intentionally.
Who should create the brand voice document?
Ideally, someone who writes for the brand regularly, with input from 3-5 stakeholders. One person drafts, others react and refine.
What if we have multiple products with different voices?
Create a master voice document for the company, then product-specific appendices that note variations. Keep the core consistent.
Can AI help write the brand voice document?
AI can help draft sections and generate examples, but the strategic decisions (what attributes, what vocabulary) should come from humans who know the brand.
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