I have experience developing verbal identity guides for SMEs—documents that help define and unify a company’s voice and tone of communication. Here is a more detailed description:
What is a Verbal Identity Guide?
It is a strategic document that sets out how a brand should communicate with its audience. Unlike a visual identity guide, which focuses on defining visual elements such as the logo or corporate colours, a verbal identity guide focuses on the language and style your company wants to use to convey your brand message. This guide ensures that all employees and all marketing materials maintain a consistent, recognisable tone.
Key components of a verbal identity guide
- Tone of voice definition:
- Brand personality: describing the characteristics that define how the brand sounds. Is it friendly, professional, innovative?
- Tone consistency: adapting the tone to the context while always maintaining the brand’s essence.
- Language and style:
- Keywords: identifying words and phrases that should be used to reinforce the brand’s values and key messages.
- Writing style: guidelines on how to structure messages, from emails to social media posts.
- Key messages:
- Core values: a clear description of the values the brand wants to communicate.
- Brand narrative: developing stories that highlight the company’s mission and vision.
- Practical application:
- Concrete examples: verbal identity guides include practical examples of how to apply voice and tone in different situations.
- Guidelines for different channels: these guides include rules for adapting language to different platforms (for example, the website, social media, and internal communications).
