Brand Voice Guidelines Template

BRAND VOICE GUIDELINES
[Company Name] | Social Media Communications

1. VOICE ATTRIBUTES
Our brand voice is defined by these four attributes:

[Attribute 1 — e.g., "Friendly"]:
We speak like a knowledgeable friend, not a corporate entity. We use everyday language and avoid jargon. We're warm and approachable but never unprofessional.

[Attribute 2 — e.g., "Confident"]:
We know our product and industry well. We make clear, definitive statements. We don't hedge or use wishy-washy language. We back up claims with data when possible.

[Attribute 3 — e.g., "Helpful"]:
Every interaction should leave the customer better off. We proactively offer solutions, links, and next steps. We never respond with just "thanks" — we always add value.

[Attribute 4 — e.g., "Authentic"]:
We admit mistakes, celebrate honestly, and don't oversell. We'd rather underpromise and overdeliver than the opposite. We speak like real people, not a marketing machine.

2. TONE SPECTRUM
Our tone adapts to context while our voice stays consistent:

Celebrating wins → Enthusiastic, exclamatory, emoji-friendly
Answering questions → Helpful, clear, informative
Handling complaints → Empathetic, solution-oriented, calm
Crisis situations → Serious, transparent, reassuring
Casual engagement → Playful, relatable, conversational

3. VOCABULARY GUIDE

We say: "Hey!" / "Hi there!" / "Thanks for reaching out!"
We don't say: "Dear valued customer" / "Per our policy" / "Unfortunately"

We say: "Let's figure this out" / "Here's what we can do"
We don't say: "That's not our fault" / "As per the terms and conditions"

We say: "Great question!" / "Love this idea!"
We don't say: "As previously stated" / "For your information"

4. EMOJI AND FORMATTING RULES
• Use 1-2 emojis per response maximum
• Never use emojis in complaint or crisis responses
• Approved emojis: 😊 🙏 ✅ 🎉 💪 🔥 ❤️ 👋
• Avoid: 😂 🤣 💀 (too casual) and ❌ 🚫 (too negative)
• Use bullet points for lists of 3+ items
• Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences maximum
• Use line breaks for readability on mobile

PLATFORM-SPECIFIC TONE GUIDE

INSTAGRAM:
• Tone: Warm, visual-forward, community-focused
• Length: Short and punchy (1-3 sentences for comments)
• Emojis: 1-2 per response, more acceptable here than other platforms
• Style: Conversational, use their name, ask follow-up questions

FACEBOOK:
• Tone: Slightly more formal, helpful, detailed
• Length: Medium (2-4 sentences for comments, can be longer)
• Emojis: Minimal (0-1 per response)
• Style: Informative, include links when helpful

TIKTOK:
• Tone: Casual, witty, trend-aware
• Length: Very short (1-2 sentences)
• Emojis: Sparingly, use current/trending ones
• Style: Match the energy of TikTok culture, humor welcome

YOUTUBE:
• Tone: Thoughtful, detailed, appreciative
• Length: Medium to long (can be more detailed)
• Emojis: Minimal
• Style: Thank viewers for watching, encourage subscriptions

LINKEDIN:
• Tone: Professional, thought-leadership oriented
• Length: Medium (2-3 sentences)
• Emojis: Rarely (professional emojis only like 👋 ✅)
• Style: Industry-focused, add value, avoid slang

X (TWITTER):
• Tone: Concise, witty, quick
• Length: Very short (stay well under character limit)
• Emojis: Occasional
• Style: Fast responses, personality-forward

BRAND VOICE IN ACTION — Before & After Examples

SCENARIO 1: Customer asks about product availability
❌ Off-brand: "Please check our website for current inventory levels."
✅ On-brand: "Great news — [product] is in stock right now! 🎉 Grab it here before it sells out: [link]"

SCENARIO 2: Customer complains about shipping delay
❌ Off-brand: "We apologize for the delay. Please reference your tracking number for updates."
✅ On-brand: "We totally understand your frustration, [Name]. Shipping delays are never fun. Let me look into this for you — DM us your order number and we'll get you an update right away."

SCENARIO 3: Customer shares a photo of your product
❌ Off-brand: "Thank you for sharing."
✅ On-brand: "This is incredible, [Name]! 😍 Love how you styled [product]. Mind if we share this on our page?"

SCENARIO 4: Someone asks how your product compares to a competitor
❌ Off-brand: "Our product is superior in every way."
✅ On-brand: "Great question! What sets us apart is [specific differentiator]. But don't just take our word for it — here's what our customers say: [review link]"

SCENARIO 5: Troll or negative comment
❌ Off-brand: "If you don't like it, don't follow us."
✅ On-brand: "Thanks for the feedback. We're always looking to improve — if you have specific suggestions, we're all ears! 🙏"

AI RESPONSE TOOL CONFIGURATION — Brand Voice Settings

For use with FeedGuardians, ChatGPT, or other AI response tools.

SYSTEM PROMPT / BRAND VOICE INSTRUCTIONS:

You are responding as [Brand Name]'s social media team. Follow these rules strictly:

PERSONALITY:
- Be [friendly/professional/casual — pick your attributes]
- Sound like a helpful friend who happens to work at [Brand Name]
- Never sound corporate, robotic, or scripted

RULES:
- Always address the commenter by name when visible
- Maximum 1-2 emojis per response
- Never use the words: "unfortunately", "per our policy", "dear customer"
- Always include a next step or call-to-action
- Keep responses under [X] words for comments, [X] words for DMs
- For complaints, always offer to move to DM
- Never make promises about timelines you can't keep
- Never share pricing that isn't publicly available
- Never engage with obviously trolling comments

APPROVED PHRASES:
"Thanks for reaching out!" / "Great question!" / "We hear you!" / "Let us help!" / "Love this!"

FORBIDDEN PHRASES:
"Per our policy" / "Unfortunately" / "We are unable to" / "As per" / "Please be advised"

ESCALATION TRIGGERS (flag for human review):
- Mentions of legal action or lawyers
- Requests for refunds over $[amount]
- Comments from verified accounts or influencers
- Any mention of safety issues or allergic reactions
- Comments in languages other than [primary language]