Here’s the thing: your company is both an art and a science. It’s an art because it should be intuitive, emotionally driven, and exists to connect with your audience. Branding is a science because, in order to create a beautiful brand that’s effective, you need data-proven strategies to support it.
Developing an editorial style guide for your brand is one seamless way to bridge the gap between art and science.
Besides the promising statistics that come out of having an editorial style guide (we’ll get to those momentarily), it’s crucial to have this resource for your employees and any new team members who come on board. It allows you to ensure that your brand is consistent everywhere—from your social media posts to your weekly blog feed. And consistency is key.
Let’s look at three data-backed ways an editorial style can support your brand, grow your audience, and ultimately boost revenue. But first...what even is an editorial style guide?
An editorial style guide is established rules and guidelines for the writers of your brand. The same way your color palette and logo have do’s and don'ts, so too should your writing!
For some inspiration, check out Spotify’s clean and crisp guide or get a kick out of Buzzfeed’s different rules about words.
When it comes to preparing a style guide, here’s a high-level overview of what you should include.
Believe it or not, correct writing and grammar aren’t always black and white. Personal preferences can arise when writing copy, and if it ventures away from another one of your writers, you have a case of inconsistency. Using a frame of reference like an editorial style guide allows you to create a baseline for your brand to build upon.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: consistency is key. The brain can detect inconsistencies in your brand, which is why it’s so important to have systems in place that prevent them from happening. Excitingly enough, there are even more ways that an editorial style guide can help your business grow—with the facts to prove it.
Customers are attracted to what’s familiar. For your brand, that means key colors, consistent language, and an authentic voice.
Think for a moment about your favorite commercials and what you think of them for. Is the choir singing “Liberty Mutual”? Or the voice of the neighbor who spends all day in his garage for Home Depot?
Remeber, language is only the beginning for creating a memorable brand. Remaining consistent with your colors as well has been shown to improve brand recognition by 80%.
Actionable ways to start being consistent today:
How do you build trust for your brand? The answer is two-fold: be transparent, and do what you say you’re going to do. Companies that show empathy and put actions behind their words are those with personalities consumers are more likely to trust. In fact, one survey found that 81% of respondents said it was important for them to purchase from brands that shared their values.
Action items:
It’s true. The State of Brand Consistency by Lucidpress shows the average increase attributed to presenting the brand consistently, estimated by those organizations with brand consistency issues, is 23%.
Where does this get tricky? Having the same brand identity across all channels. This goes back to the essential nature of a style guide. For ways to be successful and streamlined on all channels, answer these questions:
There are many moving pieces to building a successful brand. An editorial style guide is one way to help do just that.
At Sauce Agency, we help clients align their messaging for their teams and customers for a brand that beckons. The result? Increased sales and brand awareness so that your best customers become your best brand ambassadors.
Have a conversation with a Growth Guide today to learn how Team Sauce can help you #GrowSmarter!