Find out how to create a content material type information [+ free guide & exa…

Each content material staff has a special thought of what ‘on model’ means — till you write it down. I’ve discovered that having a content material type information is important to getting it proper with out a number of revisions or rewrites.

I’ve seen lengthy paperwork and cheat sheets, and each work so long as they clarify why you do issues the best way you do.

That’s the actual energy: figuring out when one thing strengthens your message — and when it waters it down. Particularly now, with groups utilizing AI to jot down quicker, it’s by no means been extra essential to coach each your instruments and your individuals to sound such as you.

So, what precisely goes right into a content material type information — and why does it matter a lot? Glad you requested. I’m going to indicate you.

Desk of Contents

What’s a content material type information?

A content material type information — generally referred to as a model voice information or editorial type information — is your staff’s go-to useful resource for a way your model communicates in writing. It covers every part from what to say, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and tone of voice throughout every part you publish.

Sure, even whether or not or not you utilize em dashes or capitalize the phrase after a colon!

Why are content material type guides essential?

Debating the identical comma or tone alternative time and again?

Bored with giving your staff the very same suggestions time and again?

Getting pissed off with every editor requesting completely different stylistic modifications — that every one battle with each other?

These are all issues I’ve skilled as a author and editor. And guess what? They’re all indicators you want a method information.

Whether or not you are working with freelancers, companies, or in-house entrepreneurs, a stable content material type information helps you:

• Construct a constant model voice. Each author interprets “pleasant” or “authoritative” otherwise. A model voice information clears that up.
• Keep away from widespread errors. If your organization identify has a tough spelling or formatting ( you, HubSpot), you’ll be able to lock that down as soon as, as a substitute of correcting it each time.
• Make collaboration simpler. A well-documented information reduces nitpicky edits and helps you give constructive suggestions with out killing anybody’s confidence.

Type Information vs Model Information

A content material type information units the principles for a way your model sounds in writing — overlaying tone, voice, grammar, punctuation, and formatting throughout every part you publish.

A model information can imply lots of issues. It might concentrate on visible parts like logos, colours, and typography, or I’ve additionally seen them expanded to incorporate messaging, model values, and positioning.

Each play a key function in how individuals expertise your model. One shapes what they see, the opposite shapes what they hear.

Now that we have cleared that up, I’m going to indicate you how you can create a content material type information that truly works.

There’s no one-size-fits-all system right here — however there is a framework that works.

Whether or not you’re ranging from scratch or fine-tuning what you’ve already bought, I’m itemizing the 12 steps I like to recommend for creating a method information that clears issues up on your staff, brings consistency to your model, and sure, makes your AI instruments smarter, too.

1. Use a method information template.

A content material type information covers rather a lot — from model values to grammar guidelines. You can begin from scratch, however I like to recommend kicking issues off with a stable template. It’ll assist get your concepts on the web page quicker— and be sure to’re not forgetting one thing apparent (like whether or not to make use of title case in H2s).

HubSpot’s free type information template is a superb start line. Or pull inspiration from one of many examples on the finish of this put up and make it your individual.

2. Assessment your model’s mission and values.

Not each model has a proper mission assertion or core values. And truly, I type of find it irresistible once they don’t as a result of it’s an awesome dialogue and results in a session that creates a ton of readability for each inner and exterior communications.

Questioning what that appears like? I’ve discovered it could be tough to say what you wish to do, however determining what you don’t wish to be often creates a killer dialogue. Listed below are a few of my favourite inquiries to get this going:

• What drives you nuts concerning the business you’re in?
• How do you not wish to come throughout?
• What do you wish to ensure by no means to do?
• What do you by no means wish to sacrifice?

A couple of brief solutions to these questions will assist your content material type information come to life so your writers can rally behind why you do issues the best way you do.

What else must you contemplate?

In case your model stands for transparency, your content material ought to keep away from hype and lean into readability. If inclusivity is a core worth, your information ought to mirror that in each language and examples.

If what your model says and what it practices don’t match up, readers can (and they’re going to, belief me) see the disconnect — it’s like watching a TV present with dangerous lip-syncing.

Take it from Maddy Osman , founding father of The Blogsmith , who is aware of how significantly manufacturers ought to take conveying values like inclusivity via their content material.

“We wished our content material practices to mirror what The Blogsmith stands for, and wanted to discover a option to get a staff with various backgrounds on the identical web page,” says Osman.

To nurture these values, Maddy bought the ball rolling by establishing clear-cut tips in her type information.

“I sat down with staff members to brainstorm what inclusivity would appear like on paper — the issues we usually don‘t account for in day-to-day speech. Whether or not it’s itemizing options to outdated phrases like blacklist or manpower or examples of people-first language.”

The underside line right here is that your type information is the way you categorical your values.

3. Create purchaser personas on your audience.

Think about writing to a Gen Z purchaser vs. a Boomer. Identical product, completely completely different tone. That’s why I all the time embrace simplified personas in a method information — not full advertising profiles, however sufficient to floor content material creators in who they’re talking to.

New to purchaser personas? I’ve executed every part from semi-fictional characters with names to high-level descriptions of ache factors and messaging. Each are improbable. However if you happen to’re about to deal with this for the primary time, I like to recommend beginning with HubSpot’s persona generator.

Amanda Worth , content material supervisor at Imagefix, can also be completely on board: “Understanding who we’re speaking with is simply as essential as understanding our model itself.”

Worth provides that detailed purchaser personas ensure a method information “stops being about summary guidelines and begins being a correct and useful gizmo to construct an actual reference to our readers.”

She’s proper. And when personas are included, your information turns into much less about guidelines and extra about relationships.

At minimal, I like to recommend together with:

• A brief description of the viewers
• Key ache factors
• Communication preferences
• Options your model presents
• Most popular tone (formal, conversational, and many others.)

In the event you can go one step additional and embrace precise phrasing they use—or language that’s confirmed to win them over—you’ll assist your writers create content material that feels private, related, and often converts nicely

4. Outline your organization’s voice and tone.

Voice and tone get combined up and missed on a regular basis.

I’ve had quite a lot of animated discussions concerning the distinction with different copywriters. Which may say rather a lot about my persona… however it additionally speaks to how essential this part is.

As a result of if you’d like your content material (or your AI output) to sound on-brand, you’ve bought to spend a while right here.

Right here’s how I break it down:

• Voice is your model’s persona. Your model voice must be constant throughout all content material.
• Tone is how that voice adapts to completely different channels or conditions.

Consider it like this: After I discuss to my purchasers, I sound like me. After I discuss to my household, I nonetheless sound like me, however the tone is commonly very completely different. Your model ought to work the identical means.

To outline your tone, lots of manufacturers reference Nielsen Norman Group’s 4 tone dimensions:

• Formal vs. informal
• Severe vs. humorous
• Respectful vs. irreverent
• Matter-of-fact vs. enthusiastic

That’s a stable start line. That mentioned, I often wish to go deeper, taking my good friend Justin Blackman’s method from Model Voice Academy. He begins with over 100 tone descriptors and distills a model’s voice into certainly one of 9 kinds that fall into three classes:

• Authoritative
• Outlook-driven
• Accessible

It’s essentially the most complete (and efficient) method I’ve seen—and it really works fantastically, particularly once you wish to outline a voice that scales throughout channels, groups, and AI instruments.

No matter what method you are taking, ensure to codify it with examples. Assume “Say This, Not That.”

For instance, if you happen to’re a training model that trades on humor, however by no means desires to return throughout as sarcastic or mean-spirited, you may need these:

✅ Messy begins rely. So do snack breaks.

✅ You don’t want one other planner. You want a plan that matches your life.

❌ This isn’t that tough, you understand.

❌ You’re nice at quitting — congrats.

If it’s useful, you can even encourage individuals to channel their internal [celebrity name here]. (For me, it’s all the time Robin Arzon from Peloton.)

Questioning what else to incorporate on this part?

• Most popular perspective: First-person, second-person, third-person?
• Writing type: Pleasant information? Trusted professional? Straight-talking peer?
• Favourite phrases: A couple of go-to strains can assist writers (and AI instruments) seize your model voice quicker.

Particularly if you happen to’re utilizing generative AI, this part helps it be taught what “sounding such as you” truly means.

5. Resolve on a reference type guide.

Need to cease arguing about em dashes and serial commas? Think about choosing a reference type and keep it up — and simply observe any variations within the content material type information.

Numerous manufacturers use the Related Press Stylebook (AP) Chicago Handbook of Type. Personally, I discover AP a greater match for on-line content material — much less formal, simpler to recollect, and extensively utilized by media retailers.

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Bernard Meyer, senior director of communications and artistic at Omnisend, shares that he prefers AP Type because it helps Omnisend come throughout as friendlier and fewer formal.

Professional tip: Get your staff an internet subscription. It’s simpler to look — and more likely for use — than a dusty print copy.

6. Record troublesome phrases and branded phrases.

This is without doubt one of the most sensible (and used!) sections of any information.

Embrace:

• Correct formatting on your model identify (HubSpot, not Hubspot or Hub spot)
• Product names, slogans, or phrases with most popular spelling and punctuation
• Generally miswritten phrases (ecommerce vs. e-commerce, and many others.)
• Job title formatting (Director of Advertising vs. director of promoting)
• Diploma utilization (bachelor’s diploma vs. Bachelor of Arts)

Additionally you’ll want to make observe of language preferences based mostly on regional utilization (shade vs. color, condominium vs. flat) and inclusive options (blocklist vs. blacklist, “first-year pupil” vs. “freshman”).

This part saves editors a lot time — and helps AI instruments get extra correct, too.

7. Set up tips for graphics.

You don’t must rewrite your model design guide right here, but when your writers are anticipated to supply, edit, or write for visible content material, you do want to provide them some route.

Deal with widespread questions like:

• The place ought to photos come from, and the way ought to they be attributed?
• What number of photos per put up?
• Ought to photos embrace alt textual content?
• What are the popular picture sizes, file varieties, and alignment guidelines?
• Are screenshots allowed?
• Ought to textual content wrap round photos?
• How do you deal with video embeds?

If in case you have a paid inventory picture account, record it. If you’d like all graphics to have descriptive alt textual content (it is best to), make that clear.

Additionally, if you happen to anticipate writers to incorporate infographic content material for designers and you’ve got tips round what must be included, I extremely advocate sharing that right here, too.

8. Share your formatting suggestions.

That is the place you stop formatting chaos earlier than it occurs. At a minimal, cowl your tips for

• Physique textual content: Most popular font, measurement, shade (if relevant)
• Headers: What number of ranges? Use of title vs. sentence case?
• Hyperlinks: Ought to writers hyperlink complete phrases or simply key phrases?
• Lists: Bulleted or numbered? Punctuation on the finish?
• Styling: When to daring, italicize, or use citation marks
• Particular characters: When to make use of ampersands, em/en dashes, acronyms, and many others.

With constant formatting, your readers will be capable of skim and digest your info extra simply.

9. Describe your web optimization necessities.

No want to incorporate your full web optimization technique right here, however a primary overview helps writers keep away from key phrase stuffing or construction points. I all the time advocate overlaying:

• Key phrase utilization: The place to incorporate goal key phrases (title, headers, alt textual content, and many others.)
• Content material construction: Find out how to use headers and set up concepts
• Linking technique: Inner and exterior hyperlinks, plus hyperlink density tips
• Size expectations: Common phrase rely ranges for key content material varieties
• Meta tags: If writers are anticipated to jot down meta titles/descriptions, embrace steerage

Along with these sections, I additionally embrace hyperlinks to exterior sources like HubSpot’s information to web optimization to make sure writers can discover solutions to their questions from respected sources.

10. Add really useful strategies to supply dependable knowledge.

You’ve in all probability seen that stat about people solely having an 8-second consideration span. BBC debunked it in 2017.

That’s the issue with counting on secondhand (or fifth-hand) knowledge — as soon as it’s on the market, it spreads. So if you’d like your model to sound credible, it’s worthwhile to be choosy about your sources.

As a result of “Belief me, bro” doesn’t lower it.

Neither is that Medium put up that hyperlinks to a weblog that hyperlinks to a roundup from 2016. That’s lazy analysis and if you wish to be credible, it’s worthwhile to make it clear to your writers that it gained’t fly.

In the event you’re severe about belief and transparency, your type information must spell out what “good” appears to be like like.

If you wish to create reliable, authoritative content material, you’ve bought to be choosy about what you cite and the place it comes from. And which means educating your staff — and your AI instruments — how you can inform the distinction between stable knowledge and sketchy filler.

And AI is notoriously untrustworthy, each at following instructions and sourcing present knowledge. Typically it makes issues up, too.

So you’ll want to name out sources you need, what to keep away from, and tips.

For instance:

Examples of nice sources:

• Main knowledge and research: Surveys, interviews, buyer analytics, authentic analysis
• Prompt business research: Deloitte, Gartner, McKinsey, BCG, Pew, HubSpot Analysis
• Authorities + nonprofit sources: Census Bureau, World Financial institution, WHO, NIH
• Respected information retailers and commerce pubs: Assume Harvard Enterprise Assessment or AdWeek, not your cousin’s Substack

“Sources” to keep away from:

• Aggregator blogs with no clear quotation path
• Roundups that quote roundups (if it takes 3 clicks to get to the supply, cease)

• LinkedIn thought-leader posts that hyperlink to nothing
• Sketchy knowledge with no date
• Something that appears like: “In keeping with a current research I as soon as noticed someplace…”

You may additionally wish to embrace an instance of the way you need knowledge cited.

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Whereas that helps deal with most data-sourcing questions, you’ll additionally wish to resolve if competitor statistics and knowledge are allowed.

My basic rule is “sure!” if it’s dependable and reliable, however once more, you’ve bought to make the decision for your enterprise.

In the event you’re anxious about SEO (web optimization), Osman, who can also be ranked among the many prime 100 content material entrepreneurs by Semrush, shares that she’s not “in opposition to utilizing knowledge from rivals. However it’s important to watch out from an web optimization perspective if the info you’re referring to is a key phrase competitor.”

Past that, it additionally is dependent upon your model’s core values. Meyer prefers to incorporate “ useful knowledge even when the info comes from our rivals” as a result of Omnisend desires to return throughout as a customer-centric model.

11. Define prohibited subjects.

Even when your staff has common sense, it helps to spell issues out — particularly for freelance contributors.

Record any off-limits content material, together with:

• Politics or faith (except your model explicitly addresses them)
• Authorized recommendation (encourage linking to sources or consulting a lawyer)
• Controversial subjects with out professional enter

Consider this as setting good boundaries — so writers know what not to the touch. And if there’s ever a risk of an exception to the rule, define the method for requesting that.

12. Give examples to solidify the writing type information.

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That is the part most guides skip — and the one which makes the most important distinction.

Meyer agrees, “The extra particular you can also make [your style guide], the higher your staff will perceive how you can undertake it successfully.”

Osman additionally prefers including examples. In keeping with her, “type preferences make much more sense to writers once they see them executed if truth be told — very like a case research.”

Right here’s how I write content material type guides to indicate the staff what “good” appears to be like like:

• Use do’s and don’ts. Add an incorrect instance after which mark it as much as present how a author may repair it.
• Embrace visible examples. For formatting and graphics, I want including visible examples to assist the contributors visualize what the model requires.
• Most popular textual content. I discover that writers are extra possible to reach nailing down the model tone and voice if you happen to present examples of it in apply.
• Editorial course of. What are the steps concerned from task to modifying to publishing? You don’t want an in depth SOP, however a high-level overview of the movement makes it simple for writers to know and ship on expectations.

Type guides live paperwork. The world isn’t static, buyer expectations aren’t static, so I really feel prefer it’s unrealistic to suppose you’ll by no means edit them.

What to Embrace in Your Type Information [+ Checklist]

My favourite content material type guides are simple to comply with as a result of they’re hyper clear. WIth that mentioned, it’s not about creating guidelines for the sake of…nicely, having guidelines.

It’s about making every part easier on your staff and your buyer base.

Professional tip: This shouldn’t simply go to writers. I’d advocate sharing this with any core customer-facing groups. It’s useful when advertising, gross sales, and customer support discuss issues the identical means.

What To not Embrace in Your Type Information

Don’t attempt to do too a lot. I’ve shared a ton of issues you’ll be able to embrace and that I like to recommend together with on some stage. However you don’t have to enter element on all of them. Right here’s what I like to recommend leaving out — or no less than linking to particular SOP paperwork.

Content material Operation Notes

Sure, content material ops are the spine of your course of. However issues like editorial calendars, request types, approval workflows, and publishing timelines don’t belong in your type information. Maintain these reference hyperlinks in your venture playbooks. Your writers want writing steerage, not a lesson in Airtable.

Visible Type Suggestions

That is a kind of “your name” issues. I personally like to incorporate a web page with the corporate brand, typography, and shade palette. In any case, they’re essential for the model and it’s useful for onboarding new staff members.

However suppose high-level as a substitute of 6 pages on how you can use the emblem. As an alternative, embrace that element in a separate model and visible type information to convey the model id parts.

Coaching Supplies

Keep as high-level as you’ll be able to. If there’s essential info writers must confer with, embrace hyperlinks to reference paperwork or how-to movies within the type information, however don’t go overboard.

Rule of thumb: If it seems like a textual content, skinny it out.

Find out how to Get Others to Use Your Type Information

In the event you put in all that work, you need individuals to make use of it. Most will, however not everybody. I do know it feels private, particularly when individuals have paid me to seek the advice of on their stuff after which ignore it, however I promise it’s not private in any respect.

That is an space the place change administration ideas rule the roost — so right here’s what I’ve discovered works greatest:

1. Contain others early on.

Your freelancers gained’t care, however when you’ve got in-house writers, get their buy-in and make individuals really feel like they’re a part of the method. Even if you happen to don’t take all of their ideas, they really feel some possession in it.

The place potential, I wish to provide you with two equally superior choices for various classes after which let individuals weigh in on these choices. I’m all the time superb with no matter they select.

2. Make it simple.

Retailer it the place individuals already work. Hyperlink to it in onboarding docs, pin it in Slack, and reference it in briefs.

Personally, I like a residing doc with a desk of contents and quick-reference sections which are simple to skim.

3. Maintain updating it.

It’s not a static set-and-forget doc.

Not everybody ought to have edit entry, however I do ask groups to flag questions or inconsistencies as they arrive up, and we evaluate and replace the doc frequently. It doesn’t must be good on day one. Simply hold it helpful — and make updates a part of your workflow.

Writing Type Information Examples

If you wish to see a writing type information in motion, listed below are a couple of examples of writing type guides I’ve preferred from well-known firms like Google, Shopify, and Intuit.

1. Google

In Google’s type information, I observed that Google could be very specific in its aim of making clear, constant content material. It’s damaged up into easy sections so that individuals can simply navigate what may seem to be an advanced doc

What I preferred: My absolute favourite a part of this information is the assertion, “This information incorporates tips, not guidelines. Depart from it when doing so improves your content material.”

Any rule that claims “don’t comply with the principles” is a HUGE win in my e book.

2. Intuit

I nerd out over these things, so when I discovered issues damaged down into classes that spotlight what’s most essential to Intuit, I bought excited.

• Glossary — is sensible to begin with tax and cash phrases since that’s Intuit’s bread and butter.
• Anti-racist language — to make it simpler to concentrate on inclusivity and avoiding phrases which may be dangerous
• Formatting — no type information is full with out it
• Voice and tone — which is, after all, what I’ve targeted on right here. Whereas exploring Intuit’s type information, I discovered a prolonged thesaurus, which appears acceptable since Intuit offers with monetary subjects. Plus, their tips concerning anti-racist language and formatting are on level as nicely.

What I preferred: Not going to lie – I like this information. It’s fantastically laid out and really easy to comply with. Plus, for regulars, it features a what’s new part so individuals can simply see what could have modified.

3. Shopify

I discovered Shopify’s content material type information to be intensive. It walks the writers via voice and tone, inclusive language, grammar, and different style-related tips.

Not like Intuit, I observed that Shopify was clearer about its voice and tone necessities — they even included dos and don’ts with examples to elucidate how you can match Shopify’s tone.

What I preferred: Regardless of overlaying a spread of fashion preferences, I appreciated that Shopify included an instance for every idea.

4. Microsoft

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Like Shopify’s, Microsoft’s content material type information can also be intensive, overlaying every part from correct nouns to bias-free communications. I additionally preferred the examples Microsoft included. That mentioned, Microsoft tried to remain minimalist and didn’t embrace examples for every part like Shopify.

What I preferred: I discovered Microsoft’s type information simpler to navigate utilizing the sidebar. You’ll be able to filter the record of entries by title to search out stuff quicker. Plus, I like their headline, “Make each phrase matter.” I feel it speaks to the significance of phrase alternative and readability.

5. Apple

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As an alternative of overwhelming writers with a laundry record of do that, not that proper off the bat, it focuses the why behind every phrase. That mentioned, if individuals wish to dig deeper, notably on technical content material, they will actually dig into the A-Z of Apple’s type, beginning with AAC and wrapping with Zoom.

Moreover, it suggests customers comply with the Chicago Handbook of Type and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

What I preferred: Whereas many content material entrepreneurs won’t want it, I preferred Apple’s minimalist method since a method information is usually for issues the place you deviate from a reference guide. Plus it echoes Apple’s “much less is extra” method.

6. Mailchimp

I’ve been curious to see how Mailchimp’s notoriously scrappy method may change after its 2021 acquisition by Intuit. Whereas nonetheless playful and enjoyable, its language has turn into a lot clearer (no less than in my view). I’m unsure if I’d attribute this to Intuit or extra following what I’m seeing as a development within the business.

Whereas I’m typically not a fan of together with media-specific tips in a method information, Mailchimp does an awesome job. Since its type information isn’t based mostly on a single formal doc, it was in a position so as to add course of tips with out overwhelming readers.

What I preferred: I cherished Mailchimp’s thesaurus because it outlines precisely how you can deal with troublesome phrases in a minimalist means.

7. Yokel Native

This instance comes from HubSpot Companion Yokel Native. I like its simplicity, which makes it simple for each in-house contributors and freelancers to comply with with out going into the weeds.

What I preferred: Whereas Yokel Native remained minimalist, I cherished that it nonetheless included examples to assist writers get into the appropriate mindset.

Polish your editorial and content material type.

Type guides could seem to be a wierd factor to obsess over, however they make it a lot simpler for writers to select up voice and run with it.

At any time when I work with somebody who doesn’t have a content material type information, I create one — formally or informally — as a result of it saves everybody time, frustration, and back-and-forth edits down the road. I construct it proper into the method, whether or not it’s baked into an announcement of labor or simply one thing I develop naturally throughout onboarding and early drafts.

It’s price it. Each time.

It saves a boatload of time and frustration for all events — together with the AI “members” of your staff (wink, wink). When everybody is aware of what the expectation is and why you utilize the voice and tone you do, you have got a cohesive staff.

Keep in mind — hold it so simple as you’ll be able to and concentrate on readability. The consequence will likely be content material that feels and sounds such as you.

Editor’s observe: This put up was initially printed in Could 2015 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.