How Do You Know Where You're Going Without a Map?
Why even small B2B companies need writing guidelines.
Years ago, I took on a few small freelance writing tasks for United Way Winnipeg and was given the best content style guide I'd ever seen. It had all the information I needed to write some really solid first drafts.
It was like getting into a car and getting directions to the final destination for the first time instead of trying to make it there based on best guesses and vibes. đ¤Ż
It made me realize that writing without access to information about a brand and its style preferences often leads to frustrated writers, burnt out âbrand keepersâ (the people who have the writing/brand rules in their heads) and tons of revisions.
It's also hard to think outside of the box when you don't have a clear idea of where the box begins and ends, or what it looks like.
If youâre thinking âWTF are writing guidelines?â Donât worry I have you covered
A good set of writing guidelines will save time, reduce revisions and increase the quality of the writing. How?
They give any writer all the information they need to jump on the treadmill and sprint at full speed without a warmup. đ
Writing guidelines are also often referred to as a content style guide or editorial style guide.
So, why should you care about them?
Without writing guidelines, the wheels can start to fall off
Hereâs what it can look like:
Stagnating marketing engagement due to generic, bland content that doesnât resonate with the audience or take risks.
Publishing conflicting messaging across your marketing channels or branches so it looks like the left hand and the right hand arenât attached to the same âbody.â
Needing a SUPER long runway and lots of guidance to get new folks up to speed on how to write for the brand.
Sending every piece of writing to one or two people who know the brand best for edits or approvals.
Experiencing massive delays for approvals and projects that drag on forever.
Noticing everyone who tries to write for the brand is a little bit frustrated. đŁ
If any of this sounds eerily familiar, you need writing guidelines.
If you know you and/or your team are too swamped to create them, I have just the thing to help youâŚ
Introducing: Gold-Standard Writing Guidelines đ
Gold-Standard Writing Guidelines is a package that helps overwhelmed marketing and comms leaders free up their valuable time, empower their teams, streamline content production and boost marketing engagement.
Iâll help you create a custom set of writing guidelines that captures your brandâs story, audiences, voice, and tone, creating clarity across your organization.
When implemented correctly, this is what writing guidelines can do for your company:
â IMPROVE EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION
10-20% higher employee retention and satisfaction in roles related to content production
A 30-40% reduction in burnout amongst marketing leaders (the âbrand keepersâ who have the brand living in their heads)
â IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
40-60% fewer revisions (and fewer bottlenecks as a result!)
20-30% more content
Up to 25% less time spent writing first drafts
New hires producing quality content independently 2X faster
â IMPROVE MARKETING ENGAGEMENT
15-20% more email opens and clicks
20-25% more social media engagement
10-15% more website conversions
My first opening to start this work is in January â click here to learn more
p.s. Writing Guidelines are great for training custom GPTs
AI output is only as good as the content and direction you feed it. Writing guidelines are real good AI chow. Food for thought (sorryâŚcouldnât help myself).
Stay weird,
â Reggie