AI Tips

Create a Brand Voice Guide an AI Assistant Can Actually Use

Replace vague tone words with audience details, writing rules and before-and-after examples to make AI-assisted copy easier to edit.

“Make it sound like our brand” is hard to follow if the assistant has never seen your brand. A short voice guide can make drafts more consistent, but it works best when it describes observable choices rather than relying on adjectives alone.

1. Name the reader and the situation

Start with who will read the copy, what they already know and what they need to do next. “Email for first-time buyers who downloaded the free guide” is more useful than “marketing audience.” The same brand may write differently in a support reply, a product page and a launch email.

2. Translate adjectives into writing rules

Replace “friendly, modern and professional” with examples of what those words mean in practice:

  • Use contractions and everyday language.
  • Prefer short paragraphs and concrete verbs.
  • Explain technical terms the first time they appear.
  • Be warm without using forced jokes or excessive exclamation marks.
  • State limits and trade-offs directly.
  • Avoid unsupported superlatives and pressure tactics.

Keep rules that help a writer make a choice. Delete rules that simply repeat the same idea in different words.

3. Show one good example and one correction

Provide a short sample written by your team, then explain why it works. You can also include an anonymized before-and-after edit:

Before: Our revolutionary solution completely transforms your workflow!
After: Plan next week's campaign in one worksheet, then share it with your team.
Why: Name the concrete task. Avoid a broad promise we cannot prove.

Use examples you have permission to share. Do not include customer details, unreleased product information or sensitive internal notes in a third-party tool without approval.

4. Put the guide into a working prompt

Audience: [who will read this and what they know]
Purpose: [what the copy should help them understand or do]
Voice rules: [3–6 observable choices]
Example: [short approved sample]
Avoid: [specific phrases, claims or formatting]
Source facts: [approved information only]
Deliverable: [format, length and destination]

Ask the model to follow the rules, not to imitate a named writer. If the output is too formal or too salesy, point to the exact line and ask for a bounded revision.

5. Test the guide on different formats

Try one short email, one product description and one support response. Compare the drafts against the same guide and note where the rules are too vague. A good voice guide should keep the underlying personality consistent while allowing the structure to fit each format.

Review it quarterly or after a meaningful brand change. Keep the current approved version in one place so team members are not prompting from old copies.

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