A template to create your corporate style guide

Consistency in small details is an important part of building your brand and consistency. But it can be time consuming (and somewhat tedious!) to remember all those details to keep them consistent. For instance, did you use adviser or advisor last time and was it e-book, eBook or ebook?

Does it really matter? Well, yes it does as inconsistency can be distracting to anyone reading your materials and it doesn’t give a good impression of your attention to details.

Can it be made easier? Yes, it can 🙂 Having a comprehensive style guide means you can have all those details listed in one place as an easy reference for you, your team and even your suppliers.

How will a style guide help? A style guide simply lists all those details for you – which spelling to use, how to sign off letters, what the corporate (or brand) colours are, rules on image selection and so on. No longer do you have to remember all those details, nor do you have to check everyone else’s work for those details as they can also refer to the style guide.

Just think how much time can be saved in not having to look up previous documents to find a specific word. And how much time and money can be saved if you hand a supplier (writer, designer or marketing person) a guide instead of making them research those details themselves.

So how do you get a style guide? I see you have three options – make use of a generic style guide (quick to implement but ignores your specific needs), write a style guide yourself (tailored to your needs but very time consuming) or buy a style guide template and personalise it.

I have used and seen a  number of different corporate style guides, and they vary in length, usefulness and breadth (eg only list details for logo use or corporate colours). They also vary in effectiveness.

The corporate style guide template I have prepared is based on my experience using style guides and discussions with people about how to present certain information within a business. It is in sections so that people can be given as much or as little of it as necessary for their role – for instance, giving a graphic designer the design section only.

Simple instructions to make the most of your template

Along with the template, you get a set of instructions on how to personalise it, including tips on what certain topics mean. If you know your brand, you can have a fully customised style guide within an hour; if you need to think about things (eg does the logo go on the left or right?) it will take a little longer but at least you don’t have to think of the questions to ask yourself!

So, when will your business style guide be ready? Simply click on ‘buy now’ below and your style guide will be more than half done in a matter of minutes!