How to Write a Brand Tone of Voice Guide (With Examples)

Voice traits, do and don't examples, a tone scale by situation and a word list: how to write a brand tone of voice guide that anyone, AI included, can follow.

By Hadrien Bonato-Pape · Published on October 15, 2026 · Strategy

A brand tone of voice guide fits on two pages: three or four voice traits, each with a "do" and a "don't" example, a scale showing how the tone shifts by situation, and a short word list of preferred and banned terms. Its only job is to let anyone, you, a new hire, a freelancer or an AI tool, write like the brand without you rewriting every sentence.

The tone guide follows directly from a one-page editorial line, the cornerstone of our strategy series: the editorial line says what you talk about and for whom, the tone guide says how you say it. It also draws on your brand DNA, which provides the raw material.

Voice vs. tone: what is the difference?

People mix them up, but the distinction is useful. Voice is the brand's personality: it does not change. Tone is how that personality adapts to the moment: it does. Mailchimp's public style guide puts it simply: you have the same voice all the time, but your tone changes, including with the emotional state of the person you are addressing (Mailchimp Content Style Guide).

Take a fictional brand, Cedar Lane Coffee, a roaster in Asheville. Its voice is "warm, precise, a little playful." Announcing the first pumpkin spice blend of the fall, the tone is upbeat. Replying to a customer whose bag arrived torn, the voice stays warm and precise, but the playfulness steps aside.

What goes into a brand tone of voice guide?

A useful guide is short. Past two pages, nobody rereads it before writing. These six sections are enough:

1. A positioning line: who the brand talks to and what relationship it wants with them (an expert who advises, a friend who recommends, a craftsperson who tells the story).
2. Three or four voice traits, each defined by what it is and what it is not.
3. Do and don't examples for each trait, written as real sentences from your business.
4. A tone scale by situation: launch, advice, reply to criticism, hard news.
5. A word list: words you use, words you avoid, and fixed choices (contractions, emojis, capitalization, how you write prices and times).
6. Off-limits topics and sensitive topics that need sign-off.

How do you define voice traits?

A trait on its own means nothing: every brand calls itself "authentic" and "customer-first." A trait becomes useful once it has edges. The simplest method is to write each one as "we are X, but not Y."

To position those traits, a well-tested grid comes from Nielsen Norman Group, which describes tone along four dimensions: formal vs. casual, serious vs. funny, respectful vs. irreverent, matter-of-fact vs. enthusiastic. Place your brand on each one as a slider rather than an either-or. It is a great exercise to run as a team: disagreements show you what was never clear.

How do you write do and don't examples?

This is the part that makes the guide usable. An abstract rule ("be warm") can be read a thousand ways; an example shows exactly what you expect. Take real situations from your business and write two versions.

Product announcement

• Do: "Our Guatemala single origin landed this morning. Think brown sugar and a little orange. We roasted 60 bags, and that's it until spring."
• Don't: "Discover our delicious new coffee, a unique taste experience that will delight your senses!"

Reply to criticism

• Do: "You're right, that bag should have arrived sealed. We're shipping a replacement tomorrow, and we're changing our packaging supplier."
• Don't: "We apologize for any inconvenience. Our team is committed to your satisfaction."

Practical tip

• Do: "Grind right before you brew. Ground coffee starts losing aroma within minutes."
• Don't: "Pro tip: elevate your morning ritual with freshly ground beans!"

Notice what every "don't" has in common: any brand could have written it. That is the best test. If a sentence stays true when you swap your name for a competitor's, it has no voice. We go deeper on that test in how to write a LinkedIn post that doesn't sound like AI.

How should tone change by situation?

Voice stays fixed, tone gets adjusted. A simple scale prevents missteps, especially in tense moments when improvisation goes wrong.

What belongs in the word list and off-limits topics?

The word list settles the small decisions that, left to chance, make a brand sound different from one post to the next.

• Register: contractions or not, first names or not, and written exceptions (more formal on LinkedIn, looser on TikTok).
• House words: what you call your products, customers and team. "Our roasters," not "our associates."
• Banned words: tics that sound fake or generic ("game-changer," "must-have," "elevate"), plus anything that creates legal risk in your industry.
• Style rules: emojis (how many, which ones), capitalization, how you write prices and times, hashtags.
• Off-limits topics: politics, religion, naming competitors, promises of results, and any regulated claims in your field.
• Sensitive topics: fine to address, but with review (pricing, product recalls, HR).

How do you get people, and AI, to follow the guide?

A guide sitting in a shared drive does nothing. Three habits keep it alive:

1. Attach it to every brief, whether it goes to a freelancer or an AI tool. A language model writes in the tone you describe, with examples; without them, it writes in an average tone. Our guide to writing an AI content brief covers the structure.
2. Review against the grid: before publishing, check the four traits and the word list, not your mood of the day.
3. Update it twice a year by adding your best real posts as new "do" examples. Over time, the guide becomes a record of what worked.

To keep a genuinely human voice when part of your copy is generated, see how to keep a human voice with AI, and to choose the themes that voice speaks about, how to find your content pillars.

A fill-in-the-blank tone of voice template

1. We talk to: … like: (an expert, a friend, a craftsperson…)
2. Our traits: we are … but not … (three or four lines)
3. Our sliders: formal or casual, serious or funny, respectful or irreverent, matter-of-fact or enthusiastic
4. Examples: an announcement, a reply to criticism, a tip, each with a "do" and a "don't"
5. Tone scale: launch, advice, criticism, hard news, serious news events
6. Word list: register, house words, banned words, emojis, style rules
7. Off-limits topics and topics that need sign-off

Your tone, applied to every post with Oposto

Oposto learns your brand from your website: voice, colors, products and audience become your content DNA. Every post, carousel or short video it drafts starts from that DNA, then gets adapted to each network. You review and approve, and it publishes on schedule. The free plan does not require a credit card: try Oposto.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a tone of voice guide and brand guidelines?

Visual brand guidelines cover what people see: logo, colors, fonts, layout. A tone of voice guide covers what people read: the brand's personality, vocabulary and the way it addresses people. They complement each other and should live in the same place.

How many voice traits should you pick?

Three or four. With one, the guide does not guide anything; beyond four, traits start to contradict each other and nobody remembers them. Define each trait by what it is and by what it is not.

Should your tone be the same on every platform?

Your voice, yes; your tone, no. You can be more buttoned-up on LinkedIn and lighter on TikTok, as long as the core traits stay recognizable. Write those variations into the guide instead of leaving them to improvisation.

Can AI follow a tone of voice guide?

Yes, if you give it the guide along with concrete do and don't examples. Without examples, a language model produces an average, generic tone. Always review the output against the guide before publishing.