Your business may have a clear and well-thought-out guide that requires a few adjustments. Or it could be a DIY design guide that has been passed down over the years without thinking about what`s in it or if it works. Dig up the currently used style guides and design standards and decide what`s left and what`s okay. At this point, it`s helpful to get feedback from your team on what they`d like to see, as they`re the ones who will be creating the content and using it most often. This section of your editorial style guide doesn`t need to be long. Just write down the rules and give some examples of correct citations so that authors can easily attribute their sources correctly. The best way to make sure no one is using your style guide is to write it down and then tell everyone to obey it. The purpose of a style guide is to ensure that multiple authors write clearly and consistently that reflects the company`s style. Therefore, it is best to involve other authors in the process as soon as possible. Screen the draft in front of a small group of people and ask for feedback. When the final version is published, ask for feedback. If you have a company portal, set up a forum where users can discuss the guide. Plan revisions based on feedback and the style guide will become something that all interested parties can participate in.
This example is from HubSpot`s partner Yokel Local. Your writing style guide keeps your internal contributors and freelancers on the same page when writing and editing marketing content for clients. The Associated Press Stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage of the news organization. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style guide for most American newspapers, magazines, public relations, and consulting firms. A style guide is a reference point that sets standards for writing documents in your organization. The style guide usually does not focus on “correct” or “wrong” grammar or style, but provides guidance for cases where there are many possibilities. The Gregg Reference Manual is popular with authors, publishers, and corporate communicators. It is considered the best style manual to maintain the standards of business people and those of content marketing.
Students preparing for a career in business often use this guide. It also provides additional online resources for students, instructors, and trainers. The configuration used by Apple is also very much in line with the brand. The style guide includes the “Previous” and “Next” buttons that mimic a step-by-step tutorial you`re familiar with if you`re familiar with Apple products. Apple is also encouraging its editors to come back for updates. Writing changes over time, so writers must adapt to changes Apple has made to its writing style guide. If you`re the CMO and you`re frustrated that the tone of voice in your company`s external documents is at odds with your brand, a style guide can help. These conventions are set out in our Writing Style Guide.
Simply put, it is a set of rules for writing and designing. It also helps put everyone in your business on the same page when it comes to the look of your brand`s content, from brochures and business cards to blog posts and landing pages. As an added bonus, a style guide is great for reducing the lengthy review and revision process and creating content faster. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th editionThe University of Chicago Press, 2017″Chicago” is the bible of book publishers. We talk about “Chicago,” but it is a volume of specialists. Unless you`re a professional editor or proofreader, this style guide isn`t necessary for most business journalists. Almost everyone who has written for high school, college, or work has read the pages of The Elements of Style. This classic is one of the first style guides to introduce to authors, and it remains timeless. Warm and relaxed, crisp and clear and ready to help: this is Microsoft`s approach to writing for its customers. Microsoft is another company with a different perspective on how it presents its writing style guide. With a web page in the middle, it contains links to valuable information, including the “Top 10 Tips for Mastering Microsoft Style and Voice.” With good research comes great responsibility. And unfortunately a great choice.
Eliminate confusion about how to properly cite research by deciding on a methodology and documenting it in your editorial style guide. Explain how to create footnotes, references, links to external websites, or even bibliographies if they are relevant to your business. Creating an effective style guide requires certain elements. Here are seven key elements that each style guide needs to create a consistent experience across the organization. Each section of your editorial style guide can benefit from concrete examples of the concepts you explain, whether you include these examples on the same page or as an appendix at the end of the guide. If you found this train of thinking terribly mundane, you might think that writing style guides is the most boring thing in the world, and have a burning desire to click right now. On the contrary, my brother. However, you should add information to your written style guide if your writers are responsible for creating visual assets and/or editing visual assets created by designers.