Writing a Simple Brand Voice Guide for AI

So your AI drafts are fine, but they don't sound like you. The fix is usually simple: give the tool a short brand voice guide. Several tools now talk about writing in your voice. For example, HubSpot says its Content Agent builds content in your brand voice, Gorgias lists brand voice and guardrails for its AI Agent, and a Bot on xAI's Grok Bot Marketplace, Copy Humanizer, says it keeps your voice. Each tool works best when you tell it what your voice is.

Here's how to write one in under an hour.

Step 1, describe your voice in three words. Pick three words, like warm, plain-spoken, and upbeat. Then add one line for each saying what it means, and what it doesn't. For example, "Warm: friendly and kind, but not gushing."

Step 2, list your do's and don'ts. Keep it to five of each. For example:

• Do use short sentences and everyday words.
• Do call customers by name when you know it.
• Don't use jargon or hype words like "revolutionary."
• Don't promise what you can't deliver.

Step 3, add your words. List terms you always use, like your product names, and words you never use. If you say "clients" not "customers," write that down.

Step 4, paste in two or three real examples. Pick messages you've written that sound just right, like a reply to a customer, a social post, and an email. Examples teach an AI more than rules do.

Step 5, add the facts it should know. Your hours, service area, how to book, and your return or cancellation policy. Keep it short and current.

Step 6, test it. Give your guide to your AI tool and ask for a draft you'd normally write yourself. Compare it to your real examples. If something's off, add one line to the guide.

Here's a fill-in template you can copy:

• Our voice in three words: [word], [word], [word]
• What that means: [one line each]
• Always: [5 do's]
• Never: [5 don'ts]
• Words we use: [list]. Words we avoid: [list]
• Examples: [paste 2 or 3]
• Key facts: [hours, area, booking, policies]

A few tips:

• Keep it to one page. Long guides get ignored, by people and AI alike.
• Update it when something changes, like new hours.
• Share it with your team, too. It helps people write consistently.

With a clear voice guide, your AI drafts start much closer to done, and you spend less time rewriting.