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Content Style Guides: What Are They and Why Do You Need One?

Katie Froggatt

Updated: Jan 31

Bring consistency and clarity to your company's words no matter who writes them with an in-house content style guide.


Written content plays a vital role in your company, working hard to communicate messages and news, sell products/services, attract new clients, impart essential information and establish a brand voice. So how do you make sure that copy is always consistent and clear, even if it’s created by numerous people, departments or freelancers? One solution is to create a content style guide.


Creating a content style guide can bring consistency and clarity to your words, no matter who writes them.
Creating a content style guide can bring consistency and clarity to your words, no matter who writes them.

What is a content style guide?

A content style guide outlines your company’s preferences or ‘house style’ for your written materials. Here, I’m specifically talking about the guidelines that cover the actual words you use and how they’re written – spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. For example, whether you use British or US English, how you format bullet points, how you handle abbreviations, where capital letters are used, or any words that should be avoided. These guidelines will work in tandem with – or may incorporate – other resources, such as your mission statement, brand/design style guide and tone of voice, to give a complete picture of how your company presents itself.

 

Why do you need a content style guide?

As a proofreader and copywriter, it’s always a bonus when a client has a content style guide. It means I can take care of many inconsistencies without reaching for the 'New Comment' button. But creating – and following – a content style guide doesn’t just keep word nerds like me happy, it also brings clear business benefits:

 

  • It shows you care about quality and clarity: Consistent, clear copy gives a positive impression of your business. On the flip side, if it looks like you don't care about your words, readers (possibly potential clients) might wonder how much you care about other aspects of your business.

  • It keeps everyone on the same page: Having guidelines to follow ensures your copy is always harmonious, even if multiple people, departments or freelancers are creating it.

  • It saves time: Everyone brings their own opinions/habits on how things should be written. With your preferences already set out, you’re less likely to spend time debating minor issues or checking for inconsistencies.

 

Everyone brings their own opinions or habits to their writing – creating a content style guide could reduce the time spent debating minor issues or correcting inconsistencies.
Everyone brings their own opinions or habits to their writing – creating a content style guide could reduce the time spent debating minor issues or correcting inconsistencies.

What should a content style guide cover?

Your content style guide can cover numerous areas – from general issues to more company- or industry-specific subjects. If you’re starting from scratch, the number of decisions required can seem daunting; however, these decisions only need to be made once (although regular reviews are advisable as your company's needs – as well as language usage – evolve). Below is a broad outline of what to consider including.

 

Spelling

Stipulate whether to use British English or US English spelling. If there’s more than one option for how to spell a word, list the preferred option. Also give a preferred source for guidance on the spelling of any words not listed (e.g. Dictionary.com, BBC News Style Guide). Include the correct spelling/formatting of any regularly used words, such as company names, products or services, or industry-specific terms. And note any relevant legal requirements when including such terms – for example, does anything require ® or ™ after it?


Hyphenation

There are many rules around the use of hyphens, but it’s also an area where use evolves (e.g. e-mail to email) or it can be a style choice (e.g. breath-taking/breathtaking). If there’s a word or term that could be open (separate words), hyphenated or closed (one word), make a note of the preferred option – bearing in mind the choice might depend on the word’s position in a sentence. If relevant, note preferences for splitting words over two lines in justified text.

 

Capitalisation

Again, aside from the general rules around using capitals, this is often a style choice, so note any preferences – for example, how headings are capitalised, whether minimal capitals are preferred in text or whether job titles are capitalised.  

 

Abbreviations

Cover acceptable use of any abbreviations (e.g. tech, app, min), contractions (e.g. Ltd, vs, hr, don’t, I’ve), and acronyms or initialisms (e.g. NATO, BAFTA, USA). Also note whether any abbreviations should be fully defined on first use (e.g. ‘Axxx Bxxx Cxxx (ABC)’) and then just the abbreviation given on all later uses.

 

Punctuation

Include notes on punctuation use, such as whether single or double quotation marks are used, the use of en dashes or em dashes and spacing around them, whether full stops are used at the end of bullet points, or your stance on the Oxford comma. General notes on commonly misused punctuation, such as apostrophes or semicolons, could help avoid unnecessary errors.

 

Numbers and dates

Outline how numbers and dates should be presented. For example, words for numbers below 10 and numerals for 10+ (so ‘nine’ but ‘19’), percentages as 10% or 10 percent, durations as 1 hr or 60 mins, dates as 17 Feb 2025 or 17th February 2025.

 

Word preferences and acceptable use

If you prefer to use certain words over others or if there are words that should be avoided, include details here. Language and acceptable/appropriate use evolve, and there are plenty of resources you can use to ensure your writing is inclusive. For example, the Conscious Style Guide offers numerous guides on inclusive language, the UK government provides guidance on writing about ethnicity and disability, GLAAD provides a Media Reference Guide, and the Chartered Institute of Linguists provides various Inclusive Language Resources.

 

Formatting

Preferences for how text is formatted/displayed may also be covered in your brand/design guidelines, so you could point to those or reiterate anything relevant. Formatting or display preferences could include how to style headings and subheadings, font size and line spacing, use of bold and italics, text alignment, etc.

 

Where do you start?

Review the materials your company is using/producing now – a lot of these decisions may have already been made, so don’t reinvent the wheel if there are obvious preferences. Take inspiration from published style guides, such as BBC News Style Guide, Telegraph Style Book, Guardian and Observer Style Guide, or CIPD Style Guide. Companies such as Mailchimp, Intuit and Microsoft have also made their style guides available online. If you’re short on time, focus on company- or industry-specific info and redirect people to one of the above resources for more general guidance.

 

The content style guide is for everyone, so collaborate with other teams when developing it. Consider their needs/preferences and have a member of each team review it before it’s finalised. When it’s ready, tell people about it. Don’t just bury it in a shared folder – make sure it’s easily available to all. Make it part of your employee induction packs. Encourage people to refer to it. Review it regularly and share updates.

 

And if you need a grammar-aware, punctuation-friendly buddy to help with all that decision-making, call on me and I’ll be happy to help add clarity and consistency to your writing.


Need a word about your words? Use the contact form to get in touch or email katie@copykate.co.uk.

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