Brand voice guide creator with tone spectrum and examples
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Prompt
You are a brand strategist. Create a comprehensive brand voice guide for [brand_name], a [brand_description]. The brand's core values are: [core_values].
Include:
1. Voice attributes (3-4 adjectives that define the voice)
2. Tone spectrum (how the voice flexes across different contexts)
3. "This, not that" examples for common copy scenarios
4. Writing dos and don'ts
5. Vocabulary list (words we use vs. words we avoid)
6. Channel-specific guidelines (website, email, social, support)
7. Example rewrites of generic copy into brand voiceCustomise this prompt
Fill in 3 variables to personalise this prompt
Preview
You are a brand strategist. Create a comprehensive brand voice guide for [brand_name], a [brand_description]. The brand's core values are: [core_values].
Include:
1. Voice attributes (3-4 adjectives that define the voice)
2. Tone spectrum (how the voice flexes across different contexts)
3. "This, not that" examples for common copy scenarios
4. Writing dos and don'ts
5. Vocabulary list (words we use vs. words we avoid)
6. Channel-specific guidelines (website, email, social, support)
7. Example rewrites of generic copy into brand voice
Example output
# Brand Voice Guide: Kinetic
**Brand:** Kinetic — developer productivity platform
**Core values:** Clarity, speed, craft, community
---
## 1. Voice Attributes
Our voice is defined by four qualities:
### Clear
We say exactly what we mean. No jargon without explanation. No filler words. If a sentence doesn't add information, we cut it.
### Confident
We know our product is good. We state facts, share data, and make direct claims. We don't hedge with "we think" or "we believe" — we know.
### Warm
We're humans talking to humans. We use contractions. We make jokes (occasionally). We acknowledge that building software is hard and we're here to make it less hard.
### Sharp
We choose precise words. "Fast" becomes "sub-100ms." "Better" becomes "3x fewer deploys." Specificity is our brand signature.
---
## 2. Tone Spectrum
Our voice stays the same. Our tone flexes based on context:
```
More serious ←————————————————→ More playful
Incident comms Docs Marketing Social Internal
"We're aware "Run "Ship "Friday "Someone
of the outage. this faster. deploy broke
Investigating command Sleep energy staging
now." to..." better." ⚡" again 🫠"
```
| Context | Tone | Example |
|---------|------|---------|
| Marketing website | Confident + warm | "Your code deserves better tooling. We built it." |
| Product documentation | Clear + precise | "Run `kinetic deploy` to push to staging. Deploys take 8-12 seconds." |
| Error messages | Helpful + direct | "Deploy failed: port 3000 is already in use. Run `kinetic ps` to see what's using it." |
| Social media | Sharp + playful | "Hot take: if your CI takes longer than your lunch break, it's not CI — it's a nap." |
| Support emails | Warm + patient | "I totally get the frustration. Here's what's happening and exactly how to fix it..." |
| Incident comms | Serious + transparent | "API latency is elevated. Root cause identified. ETA to resolution: 15 minutes." |
---
## 3. "This, Not That" Examples
### Feature Announcement
❌ "We are excited to announce the launch of our new deployment pipeline feature which allows users to deploy their applications faster."
✅ "New: deploy in 8 seconds. The new pipeline feature is live. Here's how to use it."
### Error Message
❌ "An error has occurred. Please try again later or contact support."
✅ "That didn't work — your API key is missing from the config. Add it with `kinetic config set API_KEY=your-key` and try again."
### Pricing Page
❌ "Our flexible pricing plans are designed to meet the needs of teams of all sizes."
✅ "Free for solo developers. $29/seat for teams. Enterprise pricing for 100+ seats."
### Email Subject Line
❌ "Important Update Regarding Your Kinetic Account"
✅ "Your deploy times just got 3x faster"
### Social Media
❌ "We're thrilled to be recognized as a leader in the developer tools space! Thank you to all our amazing users! 🎉🎊🥳"
✅ "We made the G2 Developer Tools top 10. Thanks for the reviews — keep the honest ones coming. 🛠️"
### Blog Post Opening
❌ "In today's fast-paced world of software development, continuous integration and deployment have become essential components of modern engineering teams."
✅ "Your CI pipeline is slow. Here's how to cut it in half without changing your test suite."
---
## 4. Writing Dos and Don'ts
### Do
- ✅ Use contractions (we're, you'll, it's)
- ✅ Start sentences with verbs when possible ("Deploy faster" not "Faster deployments are possible")
- ✅ Include specific numbers ("8 seconds" not "fast")
- ✅ Address the reader directly ("you" not "users")
- ✅ Use active voice ("Kinetic deploys your code" not "Your code is deployed by Kinetic")
- ✅ Keep paragraphs to 3 sentences max
- ✅ Use code examples in marketing copy (our audience appreciates it)
### Don't
- ❌ Use "leverage," "utilize," "synergy," or "innovative"
- ❌ Start with "We're excited to announce..." (show, don't announce)
- ❌ Use more than one exclamation mark per page
- ❌ Use buzzwords without proof ("AI-powered" must include what the AI actually does)
- ❌ Hedge with "we think," "we believe," "perhaps" — be direct
- ❌ Use ALL CAPS for emphasis (use bold or italics)
- ❌ Be negative about competitors by name (focus on our strengths)
---
## 5. Vocabulary
### Words We Use
| Instead of... | We say... |
|---------------|-----------|
| Utilize | Use |
| Leverage | Use (or be more specific) |
| Innovative | New / specific improvement |
| Solution | Tool / platform / product |
| Seamless | Smooth / automatic / in [X] seconds |
| Best-in-class | [Specific benchmark or comparison] |
| Enterprise-grade | Built for teams (or: SOC 2, 99.99% uptime) |
| Empower | Help / enable / give you |
| Journey | Path / process / workflow |
| Disrupt | Change / improve / rethink |
### Our Signature Vocabulary
These words feel like Kinetic:
- **Ship** (not "release" or "launch" for product updates)
- **Build** (our audience builds things; honor that)
- **Craft** (we care about quality; so do they)
- **Fast** (our core promise — always use specific numbers)
- **Simple** (not "easy" — our users are smart; the tool is simple)
---
## 6. Channel-Specific Guidelines
### Website (kinetic.dev)
- Headlines: 5-8 words, benefit-first
- Body: 2-3 sentences max per section
- Always include a code snippet or terminal command if relevant
- CTAs: action verbs ("Start building," "Try it free," "See the docs")
### Email
- Subject lines: under 50 characters, lowercase
- One CTA per email (maximum)
- Sign-off: first name only ("— Sarah from Kinetic")
- Never use "Dear [Name]" — use "Hey [Name]" or just dive in
### Social Media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn)
- Twitter: sharp, opinionated, occasional humor. Engage in dev conversations.
- LinkedIn: same voice but slightly more professional. Data-heavy.
- Never use corporate hashtags like #innovation or #digital
### Documentation
- No marketing language. Pure clarity.
- Every page answers: what, why, how, and what could go wrong
- Code examples are mandatory, not optional
### Support
- Acknowledge the problem first, then solve it
- Include the exact steps (numbered list)
- If it's our bug, say so directly: "This is a bug on our end. We're fixing it."
- Never blame the user
---
## 7. Example Rewrites
**Generic:** "Our platform provides a comprehensive suite of developer tools designed to streamline your workflow and enhance productivity."
**Kinetic voice:** "Everything you need to ship faster: deploys, previews, CI, and monitoring. One tool, not twelve."
---
**Generic:** "Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest features and improvements."
**Kinetic voice:** "Get changelog updates in your inbox. No fluff — just what we shipped and why."
---
**Generic:** "We encountered an unexpected error while processing your request. Our team has been notified and is working on a resolution."
**Kinetic voice:** "Something broke on our end (error code: KN-4021). We've been alerted and are investigating. Check status.kinetic.dev for real-time updates."