There are two sides of the coin when it comes to content: what you say, and how you say it. The former is a lot sexier and gets more attention than the latter. But the fact is, when it comes to content, consistency + quality = credibility. And no matter how cool and creative your message, you can tank the whole thing with amateurish delivery.
McDonald’s goes to great lengths to ensure their Big Mac looks the same, tastes the same and is wrapped and served the same way no matter where you go because they know it builds customer loyalty and trust in their brand.
Strive for that same level of consistency with your content. Your messaging and communications should look and sound the same — and reinforce your brand identity — everywhere it appears.
We’re surprised at just how often basic things like company and product names aren’t handled the same way across a client’s internally generated content — inconsistency in capitalization, registration mark usage, Inc. or LLC after the business name, etc. This looks unprofessional and undercuts credibility.
One of the best way to ensure consistency across all your web content, social media, email outreach and corporate communications is with a company style guide (the other is professional editing). This is similar to — and overlaps with — the type of brand guidelines often used by graphic artists or marketing teams.
If you don’t have one already, assemble a short reference document as a starting point. Distribute it to everyone who creates content or corresponds on behalf of your brand. This should not only include those who post to your blog or social channels, but anyone who communicates internally, with business partners and with clients/customers.
Here are 10 things to include in a company style guide based on our client work. The document header should always indicate the date of the last revision.
- Primary style reference. Many businesses use one of three common references: The Associated Press Stylebook, The Chicago Manual of Style or the American Psychological Association Stylebook. AP style is prevalent in journalistic reporting, Chicago style is popular in publishing houses and APA style is often preferred for scholarly writing. Selecting one of these for your content will make many subsequent editorial decisions for you. However, this will probably be most useful for professional writers and editors — whether in-house or outsourced.
- Dictionary reference. Common ones include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary. Direct writers to a single source to clarify any questions regarding spelling or word usage.
- Brand-specific taxonomy. This includes: company name, sub-brands, products, services and employee titles. Provide guidelines for capitalization rules and registration/service marks, as well as the treatment of professional credentials.
- Document formatting. Choose a font and point size for email and all written communications. Note that sans serif fonts are generally more readable online but some don’t reproduce reliably across the web. Choose a Google Font to ensure consistent cross-platform rendering.
- Hashtag strategy. List all hashtags currently in use for social media campaigns, as well as capitalization preferences for multi-word tags.
- Presentation of numerical information. Include how to express currency for product pricing and financial reports (USD, decimals), dates and times, phone numbers and addresses.
- Abbreviations and commonly used terms. Review product- or industry-related terminology and indicate which common abbreviations and acronyms are accepted or preferred. This may vary depending on the type of content produced. For example, you might allow certain abbreviations on social media channels, but not in formal business communications.
- Email protocol. Specify standards for: heading, salutation, complimentary close and email signatures. Provide a clear example for employees to follow.
- Tone and style. Give voice and tone careful consideration, especially for your marketing and communications departments. Tone should vary depending on the audience and subject matter. Guidance on global/cultural sensitivity as well as use of slang and other informal language should also be included.
- Capitalization. This should include any relevant product names and titles, as well as case treatment for document headings.
Content that’s stylistically consistent helps your business look professional, competent, reliable and trustworthy. Make a positive impression by creating — and adhering to — a company style guide. And whenever a question comes up, or you notice an inconsistency in your business content, simply update your guide to address it.
What content challenges does your organization face most often? We’ll try to address them in a future post.