The Importance of Copywriting Brand Guidelines

Think about your favourite brands for a moment. No matter what they sell or which industry they’re in, the one thing in common is that they all have clearly defined brand guidelines. This is particularly important in terms of their copywriting, whether that’s website copy or social-media channels – in fact, any written content they produce.

All major newspapers have style guides they stick to religiously, and the same should be true with your business. Brand guidelines help customers make a connection between the company’s identity and their message. They’re effectively a manual that lays down a brand’s identity and how it should be used, both inside and outside the company.

Here, we take a look at the importance of copywriting brand guidelines and the benefits they bring to your business.

1. Consistency

The most important element of copywriting brand guidelines is that they bring consistency to your company and ensure a single, clear voice for your brand. No matter who writes your company’s content, by having agreed guidelines you’ll ensure that you stay on-message, which is crucial to creating trust and loyalty among your customers. It’s also been proven that consistent branding can increase revenue by 23%.

2. Tone of voice

Your company may have a free-and-easy informal vibe or a more corporate, professional approach. Whichever it is, it’s key that your brand guidelines reflect this. You want your content to reflect the values of your organisation, and by laying down set guidelines, it will. Tone is hugely important because it shapes so much of a brand’s identity. If you need help with this, it’s worth getting in touch with an agency that offers content writing services.

3. Personality

When people visit a website, they want to feel that they’re dealing with humans, not a faceless organisation. And by laying down copy guidelines, you have the chance to ensure that your content has that all-important human touch. Tesco is a great example – its Twitter feed not only promotes its products but is also quick to respond to customer feedback. Most importantly, it comes across as warm and approachable, not a faceless corporate brand.

4. Ease of use

Imagine a company that didn’t have any copywriting brand guidelines. Their output would be a jumbled mess of mixed messages, darting from one post to the next with no consistency. Brand guidelines make life so much easier for employees and gives them the direction they need to create compelling content that resonates with customers.

5. Recognition

You need people to have a consistent perception of your company, and having clearly defined brand guidelines helps with this, whether that’s recognition among customers, suppliers, journalists and bloggers. The most successful brands all have a tone, a point of difference that sets them apart from their competitors – brand guidelines help to achieve this.

It should go without saying that copywriting brand guidelines are an essential part of your company. If done well, they will ensure that your communications are unified, clear and easy to understand. They also make life easier for you to convey the key messages of a brand to the public – and that in turn should lead to success in your chosen field.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.