Simple Social Media Style Guide

To create consistency and less complication when creating content for social media, it is recommended to start by putting together a basic social media style guide for the brand.

Number 1 is Mission Statement focused. Why does the business exist and why do they need to be on social media? The second half of this question may be different for each platform because the platforms may target different audiences for the brand.

Number 2 is about audience and persona summary. Briefly describe your core audience on social media. Who are you writing for? The answers to this will help you develop engaging content that caters directly to the audience demographic.

Number 3 revolves around social media brand voice. Describe what your social brand voice “sounds” like (casual, serious, professional, flippant, etc.). This could be different according to the platform but regardless should connect to the brand’s already established voice that could possibly be displayed on the website.

Number 4 builds on 3, the brand’s social media tone. Describe your social tone whether that be helpful, funny, authoritative, etc. A brand can consist of more than one tone as long as they work together.

Number 5 connects directly to how to use the business’s branding online. List requirements for brand spellings, logo use, and other copy-related branding elements. This is important for setting up or optimizing social media accounts for the brand and developing campaigns for socials visually and textually.

Lastly, every platform has its own purpose, tools, and audience. Create some guidelines on which type of messaging are appropriate on which social platforms, visually and textually.