Creating a branding style guide helps others understand why your branded content is set up a certain way. In this webinar, guest speaker Maddy Osman explains why these style guides are essential and how to create them.
What is a branded content style guide?
Essentially, a Content Style Guide is a reference that helps writers, editors, and clients understand how and why certain things are laid out a certain way.
Just like brands have color schemes, specific font types, and precise aesthetics, content also has a specific flow. And when style guides are created, everyone is in sync about how and why.
In this video, Maddy dives into the text side of the style guide. She also describes some of her required visual elements.
Why Content Style Guides Matter
Content is king. Whether it’s in text form or setting up a YouTube video, having the right flow of how to create that content makes the process easier.
Sure, you can always “wing it” when it comes to content. Maddie explains why it matters in this webinar.
Process streamlining
Having a style guide available keeps everyone on the team on the same page. This reduces the amount of time he spends editing that content to match the theme and flow of his website.
Even if you’re working alone, you can reduce the amount of time you spend on your work by organizing how you create your content. Especially when it’s tailored specifically for your audience.
Consistency and Professionalism
Having a consistent way of setting up certain types of content makes your site look more elegant. The structure doesn’t look like bullshit, people know what to expect from your particular kind of article.
Think of it like building a house. Every house has a door, roof, walls and foundation. All structures now use different materials, but all homes have these elements.
In this case, what is used as the “material” is text, but the content is well structured by following the layout of the building. The best way to do that is to follow a specific blueprint.
attract your target audience
Target audience is the most important aspect of building any kind of website. As such, you need to deliver content that is effective in grabbing and retaining attention.
Styling content specifically for such people greatly increases the likelihood that they will return, subscribe to email notifications, or otherwise interact with your content.
visual styling issues
The style of your content draws visitors in from search results. But it’s the visual element that keeps them on the website. And since humans are a visual-first species, styling makes a huge difference in engagement.
This means that logos, typography, colors, etc. are very important to brand style.
In this video, Maddy explores the most important aspects of visual style, including different types of graphics that highlight your content.
Streamline your content process
Creating content that people want to read is the cornerstone of your success. That said, it takes more than just the best keywords and phrases to really engage your audience.
After all, you want them to come back, right?
Whether you’re a blogger or run a large business, setting up a content style guide for your brand can make a difference in how your audience perceives your brand.
Thanks to Maddy Osman for this informative webinar and looking forward to trying out some of these tips.