> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.snowdoughnut.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Brand Voice & Tone Workbook
*Fill in this workbook as you go. Each section has a "Concept review" dropdown underneath it. Open it if you want the full explanation, examples, and reasoning before you write your answer.*
Fill in the Core sections first. They're the foundation. Only fill in the Optional sections that apply to your channels, audience, product, and personality. It's fine to leave an optional section blank and come back to it later.
These are the foundation of your brand voice.
Use them only where they apply to your channels, audience, product, and personality.
A real line of copy is more useful than a vague adjective.
When copy feels off, this document should help explain why and how to fix it.
***
## Core sections
### 1. Voice vs. tone
**In a sentence or two, describe how our voice stays the same no matter who we're talking to:**
*E.g. We're direct, warm, and confident in every piece of copy, whether it's a homepage headline or a one-line error message.*
**How does our tone shift depending on the moment (e.g., talking to a close customer vs. someone who needs help)?**
*E.g. In a launch announcement we're upbeat and energetic. In an error message or support reply we slow down, stay calm, and focus on getting the reader unstuck.*
Voice is who we are. It stays consistent.
Tone is how our voice adapts to the reader's context, emotional state, and relationship with us. It changes depending on the situation.
A useful way to think about it:
> We have the same voice whether we're talking to a close friend, a new customer, or someone who needs help. But our tone changes depending on the moment.
This distinction matters because our brand should feel consistent without sounding robotic. A homepage headline, support reply, error message, and launch campaign should all sound like us, but they shouldn't all use the same level of energy, warmth, or personality.
### 2. Voice traits
Choose 3 to 5 core traits. Each one needs a name, a description, a contrast (what it's not), and a bad and good example. Generic traits like "friendly" or "innovative" only become useful once defined for your brand specifically.
#### Voice trait 1
| Field | Fill in |
| :---------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trait name | *E.g. Direct, not blunt* |
| Description | *E.g. We get to the point fast and say exactly what to do next, without talking down to the reader.* |
| Not | *E.g. Curt, cold, or dismissive of the reader's time or effort.* |
| Don't | *E.g. "Nope. Wrong plan. Upgrade or lose access."* |
| Do | *E.g. "You're on the Starter plan, which allows 3 custom fields. Upgrade to Team to add more."* |
#### Voice trait 2
| Field | Fill in |
| :---------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trait name | *E.g. Warm, not overly casual* |
| Description | *E.g. We sound like a helpful coworker, not a hype-driven startup or a distant vendor.* |
| Not | *E.g. Forced friendliness, excess exclamation points, or slang that doesn't fit a work tool.* |
| Don't | *E.g. "OMG we fixed it!! You're gonna love this."* |
| Do | *E.g. "We fixed the sync issue you reported last week. Your boards now update in real time."* |
#### Voice trait 3
| Field | Fill in |
| :---------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trait name | *E.g. Confident, not arrogant* |
| Description | *E.g. We state what the product does plainly, without hedging, and without overselling.* |
| Not | *E.g. Overpromising, superlatives, or vague hype like "revolutionary" or "best in class."* |
| Don't | *E.g. "Northlane is the most powerful project tool ever built."* |
| Do | *E.g. "Northlane keeps every task, file, and conversation about a project in one place."* |
#### Voice trait 4 *(optional, add if you're using 4 to 5 traits)*
| Field | Fill in |
| :---------- | :------ |
| Trait name | |
| Description | |
| Not | |
| Don't | |
| Do | |
#### Voice trait 5 *(optional, add if you're using 4 to 5 traits)*
| Field | Fill in |
| :---------- | :------ |
| Trait name | |
| Description | |
| Not | |
| Don't | |
| Do | |
Our voice is built around 3 to 5 core traits.
Each trait needs to be specific enough to guide actual writing. Generic traits like "friendly," "innovative," or "trustworthy" aren't useful on their own. They only become useful when we define what they mean for us and what they are not.
Each voice trait should include:
* A short name
* A clear description
* A contrast that explains what the trait is not
* A bad example
* A better example
The contrast is important. It prevents the trait from becoming generic or being stretched too far.
For example:
* Bold, not reckless
* Helpful, not hand-holding
* Confident, not arrogant
* Warm, not overly casual
* Direct, not blunt
### 3. Tone principles
Before writing, ask: what does the reader need right now? What are they feeling? How familiar are they with us? Is this high stakes or low stakes? Add rows for any other recurring situations.
| Situation | Tone we use | Notes |
| :----------------------- | :---------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Campaign / launch moment | *E.g. Energetic, clear* | *E.g. Still lead with what changed, not just excitement.* |
| Pricing page | *E.g. Clear, direct, trust-building* | *E.g. State numbers plainly, no hidden-fee language.* |
| Error message | *E.g. Calm, useful, human* | *E.g. Say what happened and what to do next.* |
| Support reply | *E.g. Respectful, specific, resolution-focused* | *E.g. Acknowledge the issue before explaining the fix.* |
| Social post | *E.g. Conversational, still on-brand* | *E.g. More personality allowed, but no slang that ages badly.* |
| \[add situation] | | |
Tone is how we adapt our voice to the moment.
Before writing, we should ask:
* What does the reader need right now?
* What is the reader likely thinking or feeling?
* How familiar are they with us?
* Are they excited, confused, skeptical, annoyed, curious, or ready to act?
* Is this a high-stakes or low-stakes moment?
Our tone should flex based on the context, but it should never abandon our voice.
For example:
* In a campaign, we can be more energetic and memorable.
* On a pricing page, we should be clear, direct, and trust-building.
* In an error message, we should be calm, useful, and human.
* In a support reply, we should be respectful, specific, and focused on resolution.
* In a social post, we can use more personality, but still need to sound like us.
Tone should never be random. It should respond to the reader's situation.
### 4. Voice and tone in practice
This is the most important section for day-to-day writing. For each situation, write a generic or off-brand version and then your on-brand rewrite. Add rows for other channels as needed.
| Situation | Off-brand | On-brand |
| :---------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Homepage headline | *E.g. "Unlock the future of teamwork with our revolutionary platform."* | *E.g. "Plan, track, and ship work with your team in one place."* |
| Product / service description | *E.g. "Our seamless, all-in-one solution empowers teams to maximize productivity."* | *E.g. "Northlane brings your tasks, docs, and conversations into a single board."* |
| Paid ad | *E.g. "Stop wasting time. Try the #1 productivity hack today."* | *E.g. "Move a task from idea to done without leaving Northlane."* |
| Email subject line | *E.g. "You won't believe this update!"* | *E.g. "Your weekly summary: 4 tasks due Friday"* |
| Social post | *E.g. "We're SO excited to announce our biggest update EVER!!!"* | *E.g. "New: assign a task to two people at once. Ships today."* |
| Error message | *E.g. "Oops! Something went wrong on our end. Try again later, we guess."* | *E.g. "We couldn't save your changes. Check your connection and try again."* |
| Support reply | *E.g. "Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you."* | *E.g. "Sorry about that. Your export failed because the file was over 50MB. Try splitting it into two."* |
| CTA | *E.g. "Unlock your free trial now!"* | *E.g. "Start your free 14-day trial"* |
| Launch announcement | *E.g. "Introducing the game-changing feature you've been waiting for."* | *E.g. "Now you can duplicate an entire project in one click."* |
| Pricing or offer copy | *E.g. "Affordable pricing for every team, guaranteed to save you money."* | *E.g. "Team plan: \$12 per person, per month. Unlimited boards."* |
| \[add situation] | | |
This is the most important section for day-to-day writing.
Include before-and-after examples that show what off-brand copy looks like and how we'd rewrite it.
Use a range of examples across our actual channels, such as:
* Homepage headline
* Product or service description
* Paid ad
* Email subject line
* Social post
* Error message
* Support reply
* CTA
* Launch announcement
* Pricing or offer copy
This section should make the rules obvious without forcing people to interpret abstract voice traits.
### 5. Core style rules
Check off the defaults you're keeping, uncheck and delete any that don't fit, and add brand-specific rules at the end.
* Use active voice.
* Use contractions where they sound natural.
* Write in plain language.
* Keep sentences short when clarity matters.
* Use "you" when speaking directly to the reader.
* Use "we" when the brand is taking action or responsibility.
* Avoid jargon unless the audience expects it.
* Avoid vague hype.
* Be specific instead of sounding impressive.
* Use examples when a claim needs proof.
* Lead with the point.
* Make CTAs clear and action-oriented.
* Never use em dashes. Use a period, comma, colon, or parentheses instead.
* \[add brand-specific rule]
These are the practical writing mechanics that help our voice show up consistently.
They should exist because of our brand voice, not because of random grammar preferences.
This section should stay short. It's not a full grammar guide. It's a set of writing rules that help our brand sound like itself.
***
## Optional sections
Include only the sections below that apply to your brand. Delete any you skip before publishing.
### A. Tone-by-channel matrix
Optional: include if the brand shows up across many content types
Fill in tone, how much personality to use, and any notes for each channel.
| Channel | Tone | Personality level | Notes |
| :------------- | :---------------------------------------- | :---------------- | :--------------------------------------- |
| Homepage | *E.g. Clear, confident, memorable* | *Medium* | *Explain the value quickly.* |
| Paid ads | *E.g. Direct, punchy, benefit-led* | *High* | *Lead with the hook.* |
| Email | *E.g. Helpful, focused, human* | *Medium* | *Match the reader's stage.* |
| Social | *E.g. Conversational, timely, expressive* | *High* | *More room for personality.* |
| Support | *E.g. Calm, useful, respectful* | *Low* | *Solve the issue first.* |
| Product UI | *E.g. Clear, simple, action-oriented* | *Low* | *Avoid cleverness when clarity matters.* |
| \[add channel] | | | |
Use this if the brand shows up across different types of content, such as ads, landing pages, email, social, product UI, and support.
Different channels need different amounts of personality.
A support message shouldn't sound like a paid ad. A campaign headline shouldn't sound like a help article. A pricing page shouldn't sound like a social caption.
### B. Point of view and pronoun rules
Optional: include if copy includes product screens, transactional emails, onboarding, notifications, or support content
**When do you use "you"? When do you use "we"? Is first-person singular ("I") ever used, and by whom (mascot, founder, assistant)?**
*E.g. We use "you" when guiding the reader through the product, as in "You can assign tasks to teammates." We use "we" when Northlane is taking responsibility, as in "We fixed the bug you reported." We never use "I" since Northlane has no mascot or single named speaker.*
Use this if your copy includes product screens, transactional emails, onboarding, notifications, or support content.
Define who is speaking and who you're speaking to.
Guidelines to decide:
* Use "you" when speaking directly to the reader.
* Use "we" when the brand is taking responsibility or explaining what it's doing.
* Avoid switching between "I," "we," and the brand name without a reason.
* Only use first-person singular if the brand has a clear assistant, mascot, founder, or individual speaker.
* Be careful with "our users" or "customers" when "you" would feel more direct.
The reader should always know who is talking and what action is being asked of them.
### C. Humor and wit
Optional: include if the brand has any level of playfulness
**Where and how do you use humor? Where is it off-limits (e.g., errors, health, money, frustration)?**
*E.g. Light humor is fine in social posts and release notes, for example: "Bug squashed. It didn't stand a chance." Humor is off-limits in error messages, billing communications, and support replies about a cancellation.*
Use this if your brand has any level of playfulness.
Humor can make copy more memorable, but it should never get in the way of clarity or trust.
Rules:
* Humor is a seasoning, not the meal.
* Never make the reader the joke.
* Don't use humor when someone is frustrated, confused, losing money, dealing with a health issue, or facing a serious problem.
* Avoid jokes in error messages unless the issue is very low stakes.
* Don't force wit into copy that needs to be clear.
* A simple line is usually better than a clever line that distracts from the message.
Humor should feel natural to the brand, not like a writer trying to prove they're funny.
### D. Inclusive and global-audience language
Optional: include if the brand writes for a broad or international audience
**What idioms, references, or assumptions should you avoid? Any specific inclusive-language notes for your audience?**
*E.g. Avoid idioms like "hit it out of the park," since they don't translate well. Use "team" instead of "guys." Avoid time references like "end of day" without naming a time zone.*
Use this if you write for a broad audience, operate across regions, localize content, or want your copy to be easier for more people to understand.
Guidelines:
* Avoid idioms that may not translate.
* Avoid culture-specific references unless they're intentional and relevant.
* Use plain language.
* Avoid stereotypes or assumptions about the reader.
* Use inclusive terminology.
* Avoid phrases with problematic origins where clearer alternatives exist.
* Write in a way that can be translated without losing the core meaning.
Good brand voice shouldn't depend on inside jokes, regional slang, or references that only part of the audience understands.
### E. Handling bad news, apologies, and sensitive topics
Optional: include if the brand communicates about errors, outages, pricing changes, delays, or other sensitive topics
**How do you acknowledge issues and apologize? What do you avoid (e.g., cheerful language, stiff legal language)?**
*E.g. State what happened, apologize once, then explain the fix. Example: "Northlane was down for 40 minutes today because of a database issue. Service is restored, and we're adding monitoring to catch this earlier next time." Avoid cheerful language and avoid stiff legal phrasing unless legally required.*
Use this if your brand has to communicate about errors, outages, pricing changes, delays, financial topics, health topics, legal topics, or service issues.
Guidelines:
* Be direct.
* Acknowledge the issue.
* Apologize when you caused the problem.
* Don't over-apologize when you didn't cause the issue.
* Say sorry once, sincerely, then move to the fix.
* Explain what happened if you can.
* Tell the reader what happens next.
* Avoid stiff legal language unless legally required.
* Don't use cheerful language to soften something serious.
Serious doesn't have to mean cold. Clear, calm, and human is usually better than formal and vague.
### F. Content-type-specific principles
Optional: include if multiple teams write for the same brand
**Marketing copy**
*E.g. Lead with what the reader can now do, not the feature name.*
**Product copy**
*E.g. Every button label describes the action, not the feature. Use "Add task," not "Task Creator."*
**Support copy**
*E.g. Always name the specific problem before the fix. Use "Your export failed because the file was too large," not "There was an error."*
Use this if multiple teams write for the same brand, such as marketing, product, support, sales, and social.
The same voice should carry across everything, but each type of writing needs its own rules.
**Marketing copy** should be clear, persuasive, and memorable. It should lead with the customer problem, outcome, offer, or reason to care.
* Lead with the value.
* Make the benefit specific.
* Avoid empty hype.
* Make the next action obvious.
* Use personality to sharpen the message, not decorate it.
**Product copy** should help people understand, decide, and act.
* Prioritize clarity over cleverness.
* Use familiar words.
* Keep labels short.
* Explain consequences before important actions.
* Help the reader recover when something goes wrong.
**Support copy** should make people feel heard and helped.
* Be calm and specific.
* Avoid blame.
* Give the next step.
* Use empathy without sounding scripted.
* Resolve the issue before adding personality.
### G. Word list and terminology guide
Optional: include if there are product terms, category language, or banned words writers need to use consistently
| Term | Use | Avoid | Why |
| :--------------- | :----------------------------------- | :------------------ | :----------------------------------------------------------- |
| *E.g. Workspace* | *"Create a workspace for your team"* | *portal, hub* | *Workspace is the defined product term.* |
| *E.g. Task* | *"Assign a task to a teammate"* | *ticket, to-do* | *Task is the object name shown in the product UI.* |
| *E.g. Team plan* | *"Upgrade to the Team plan"* | *Pro plan, Premium* | *Team is the actual plan name. Pro and Premium don't exist.* |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Use this if you have product terms, category language, internal phrases, or banned words that writers need to use consistently.
Keep it as a living table, separate from the main voice document, so it can be updated often without changing the brand fundamentals.
Include:
* Approved product names
* Category terms
* Words to avoid
* Preferred spellings
* Competitor comparison language
* Legal or compliance-sensitive phrases
* Internal terms that shouldn't appear in customer-facing copy
### H. Brand mascot or character voice
Optional: include if the brand has a mascot, avatar, founder voice, assistant, or recurring character
**Does the character speak? When does it appear? What would it never say?**
*E.g. Northlane has no mascot or character voice. All copy speaks as the brand itself, using "we," not as a persona.*
Use this if your brand has a mascot, avatar, founder voice, assistant, or recurring character.
Define what the character does and doesn't do.
Guidelines:
* The character shouldn't create a second brand voice unless that's intentional.
* The character should support the brand, not replace it.
* Define when the character appears.
* Define whether the character speaks.
* Define what the character would never say.
* Keep the character consistent across channels.
This prevents a mascot or assistant from becoming an accidental second personality for the brand.
### I. Rationale and rollout
Optional: include if the guide needs to be adopted by multiple people or teams
**Why does this guide exist? How should it be used (onboarding, copy reviews, revisiting cadence)?**
*E.g. This guide exists because the website, app, and support replies used to sound like three different companies. New writers read this guide during onboarding. Reviewers check new copy against Section 4 before publishing.*
Use this if the voice guide needs to be adopted by multiple people or teams.
Reasons a guide like this typically exists:
* Copy has become inconsistent across channels.
* Different teams use different levels of formality.
* Ads, website, emails, and support messages don't sound connected.
* The team needs a clearer system for reviewing copy.
* The brand should become more recognizable over time.
How the guide should be used:
* Onboard new writers with it.
* Use it during copy reviews.
* Add examples as new use cases come up.
* Revisit it when the brand strategy changes.
* Keep terminology and examples updated.
The goal isn't to police every sentence. The goal is to make better copy easier to write.
***
## Quick reference: build order
This structure draws on public voice, tone, and content guidelines used by PatternFly, Atlassian, Uber, Slack, Monzo, Mailchimp, and other large brand content systems.