Brand Voice Skill

This skill helps maintain a consistent brand voice across all content types. Read this before writing any customer-facing content.

Quick Start

Before writing ANY content:

1. Review the brand personality below
2. Check tone adjustments for the specific channel
3. Refer to references/ for detailed examples
4. Use the writing checklist before finalizing

Brand Personality

Our brand is Friendly Expert - like a knowledgeable friend who's excited to help.

Core traits:

• 60% Friendly: Warm, approachable, conversational
• 40% Professional: Credible, reliable, knowledgeable
• Optimistic and empowering
• Human, never corporate

Think of us as: The friend who knows their stuff and genuinely wants to see you succeed.

Writing Principles

1. Use Active Voice

✅ "We help you save time" ❌ "Time can be saved through our solution"

Rule: 90% active voice, 10% passive (when passive is truly better)

2. Write Conversationally

✅ "Here's what we found..." ❌ "Our research indicates that..."

✅ "You'll love this feature because..." ❌ "This feature provides benefits such as..."

3. Keep It Simple

• Average sentence length: 15-20 words
• One idea per sentence
• Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
• Break up text with subheadings

4. Be Personal

✅ Use: you, we, your, our ❌ Avoid: one, they, the user, the customer

✅ "You can customize your dashboard" ❌ "Users can customize their dashboards"

5. Show, Don't Tell

✅ "Reply to customers in seconds, not hours" ❌ "Fast customer service"

✅ "Write once, publish everywhere" ❌ "Efficient content distribution"

Tone Adjustments by Channel

Social Media (Casual, Fun)

• More emojis (but not excessive)
• Shorter sentences
• Questions to drive engagement
• Trending formats okay
• Can be playful

Example:

Big news! 🎉

We just launched a feature you've been asking for: auto-save drafts.

No more lost work. No more panic. Just smooth writing.

Try it now → [link]

Email Marketing (Personal, Action-Oriented)

• Subject lines: curiosity + benefit
• First line: hook immediately
• Clear CTA (one per email)
• P.S. for extra value/urgency

Example:

Subject: Your content is taking too long (here's why)

Hey [Name],

Quick question: How long does it take you to write a blog post?

If it's more than 2 hours, you're probably stuck in the "perfectionist trap."

Here's what actually works...

Landing Pages (Benefit-Focused, Conversion)

• Headlines: clear benefit in <10 words
• Subheadlines: expand the promise
• Bullet points: specific outcomes
• CTAs: action verbs + benefit

Example:

Headline: Create Content 3x Faster
Subhead: Write, edit, and publish in one place. No more switching between tools.

- Draft blog posts in 30 minutes (not 3 hours)
- Optimize for SEO automatically
- Publish to all channels with one click

Product UI (Clear, Helpful)

• Ultra-concise (3-7 words)
• Action-oriented
• No jargon
• Helpful, not bossy

Example:

✅ "Save changes?"
❌ "Would you like to persist your modifications?"

✅ "Add image"
❌ "Upload media file"

✅ "This field is required"
❌ "Error: Null value exception"

Forbidden Phrases

These words/phrases damage our brand voice:

Corporate Jargon:

• ❌ Synergy, leverage, utilize, facilitate
• ❌ Value proposition, thought leader
• ❌ Best-in-class, world-class
• ❌ Cutting-edge, revolutionary, game-changing

Passive/Weak:

• ❌ "It should be noted that..."
• ❌ "One might consider..."
• ❌ "This allows users to..."

Overpromising:

• ❌ "Guaranteed results"
• ❌ "The best solution"
• ❌ "Never fail"

Use Instead:

• ✅ Use, help, make easier
• ✅ What we believe, our approach
• ✅ High-quality, excellent
• ✅ Modern, innovative, effective

Writing Checklist

Before publishing ANY content:

• Reads naturally when spoken aloud
• Uses "you" and "we" (not "the user")
• Active voice dominates (90%+)
• Sentences average 15-20 words
• No corporate jargon
• Specific benefits, not vague claims
• One clear call-to-action
• Matches channel-specific tone
• Brand personality shines through

Common Mistakes & Fixes

Mistake 1: Too Corporate

❌ "Our platform facilitates optimization of workflow processes" ✅ "We help you work faster"

Mistake 2: Too Vague

❌ "Improve your productivity" ✅ "Save 10 hours per week on admin tasks"

Mistake 3: Feature-Focused

❌ "Advanced AI algorithms" ✅ "Writes headlines that get 2x more clicks"

Mistake 4: Too Passive

❌ "The document can be edited by clicking the button" ✅ "Click the button to edit your document"

Mistake 5: Missing Emotion

❌ "Efficient project management software" ✅ "Finally, a project manager that doesn't stress you out"

Quick Reference Card

BRAND PERSONALITY
Friendly Expert (60% friendly, 40% professional)

WRITING RULES
✓ Active voice
✓ Conversational
✓ Simple (15-20 words/sentence)
✓ Personal (you, we)
✓ Specific benefits

FORBIDDEN
✗ Corporate jargon
✗ Passive voice
✗ Vague claims
✗ Feature dumps

THINK
"Knowledgeable friend helping you succeed"

NOT
"Corporate entity delivering solutions"

Remember: When in doubt, ask "Would I say this to a friend?"

If the answer is no, rewrite it.