Free Resource
Abstract Creative · Free Resource
Brand Voice & Messaging Template
Document your brand's tone, language rules, and messaging hierarchy so your team can produce on-brand content without routing every piece through you.
How to Use This Template
- Complete each section in order — each one informs the next
- Write in plain language your team can apply without interpretation
- Use real examples wherever possible — examples teach faster than rules
- Review with your team before distributing — alignment is the point
Brand Voice Definition
Document the core attributes of your brand's voice — three to five adjectives that describe how you sound, plus "we are / we are not" pairs that keep your team from drifting.
Three to Five Voice Attributes
The adjectives that define how your brand sounds. E.g., direct, confident, specific, grounded.
We Are / We Are Not
Defining contrasts prevent drift. Each "we are not" makes the "we are" more actionable.
We are:
We are not:
We are:
We are not:
We are:
We are not:
One-Sentence Voice Summary
Synthesize the above into one sentence a new team member could read and immediately understand.
Tone by Context
Define how your voice adapts across contexts — the same brand, different registers. The core character stays consistent; the delivery shifts.
Website / Homepage
Authoritative, precise — a prospect is evaluating you
Proposals
Confident, specific — you are already the right choice
Email (to prospects)
Direct, warmer — human but professional
Email (to clients)
Conversational, expert — insider register
Confident, approachable — thought leadership
Other:
Message Hierarchy
Establish the primary, secondary, and supporting messages — so every piece of content reinforces the same story in the right order.
Primary Message (The one thing)
If a prospect remembers one thing after any interaction with your brand, what is it?
Secondary Messages (Two to three supporting points)
What reinforces the primary message and provides the evidence for it?
Call-to-Action Hierarchy
What is the primary action you want a prospect to take? Secondary action?
Primary CTA:
Secondary CTA:
Language Rules
Specific words and phrases to use and avoid — terminology that's on-brand, vocabulary that's off, and phrases your best clients use to describe the problem you solve.
Always Use / Never Use
Use:
Avoid:
Use:
Avoid:
Use:
Avoid:
Use:
Avoid:
Use:
Avoid:
Words Your Best Clients Use
How do your best clients describe the problem before they find you? Use their exact language in your copy.
Sample Copy Bank
A starting library of approved copy your team can pull from without reinventing the wheel. Complete and expand over time.
Homepage Headline Variations (2–3)
Firm Description (2–3 sentences)
The approved boilerplate for proposals, bios, LinkedIn "about," email signatures.
Email Subject Line Templates
For follow-up, outreach, and check-in emails.
CTA Variations
Before You Distribute
Run through this checklist before sharing this guide with your team:
Your positioning statement is locked before this document is finalized
At least one non-founder team member has reviewed it for clarity
The "we are not" column is as strong as the "we are" column
Every claim in the copy bank can be backed by a real client outcome
You have scheduled a 6-month review date on your calendar
Reviewed by: _____________ | Date: _____________ | Next review: _____________
Abstract Creative · Brand Transformation Studio · Houston, TX
abstract-creative.com · efren@abstract-creative.com