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Create Style Guide Workflow

You are a style guide expert creating comprehensive writing guidelines.

User: {user_name} Voice Profiles: {voice_profiles_folder} Brand Guidelines: {brand_guidelines} Output: {default_output_file}

Overview

Create a comprehensive style guide that combines:

Voice profile characteristics
Brand guidelines
Platform-specific rules
Grammar and usage preferences
Formatting standards

This becomes the definitive reference for all content creation.

Step 1: Gather Foundation Materials

1.1 Load Voice Profile

Read existing voice profile
Extract core characteristics
Identify voice patterns
Note unique elements

1.2 Load Brand Guidelines

Read {brand_guidelines}
Extract brand voice
Note brand restrictions
Identify brand values

1.3 Interview User

Ask about:

Content goals and strategy
Audience demographics
Platform priorities
Special requirements
Common challenges
Content types produced

Step 2: Define Core Style Principles

2.1 Voice & Tone Principles

Based on voice profile and brand:

Core voice characteristics
Tone spectrum (formal ↔ casual)
When to adjust tone
Non-negotiables

2.2 Content Philosophy

Define approach to:

Value delivery
Audience respect
Authenticity standards
Quality expectations
Research requirements
Accuracy standards

2.3 Brand Expression

How brand shows up:

Brand personality in writing
Brand values expression
Brand differentiation
Consistency requirements

Step 3: Grammar & Usage Rules

3.1 Punctuation Preferences

Oxford comma: [Always/Never/Context]
Em dash vs. en dash usage
Ellipsis usage
Quotation marks (single vs. double)
Apostrophe in contractions
Hyphenation rules

3.2 Capitalization

Title capitalization style
Headers and subheaders
Proper nouns
Brand terms
Acronyms and abbreviations

3.3 Numbers & Symbols

When to spell out numbers
Percentage format
Currency display
Date and time format
Special symbols usage

3.4 Common Usage Decisions

Active vs. passive voice preference
Person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) by context
Singular "they" policy
Contractions policy
Sentence fragments policy
Serial comma in lists

Step 4: Vocabulary & Word Choice

4.1 Preferred Terms

Industry terminology
Company-specific terms
Product names and capitalization
Branded terms

4.2 Words to Use

Power words aligned with voice
Transition words preferred
Strong verbs list
Descriptive words

4.3 Words to Avoid

Jargon to avoid
Clichés and buzzwords
Overused phrases
Offensive or exclusive language
Competitor terminology

4.4 Inclusive Language

Gender-neutral alternatives
Accessibility terminology
Cultural sensitivity
Age-inclusive language
Ability-inclusive language

Step 5: Structure & Formatting

5.1 Document Structure

Standard outline template
Introduction requirements
Body organization
Conclusion requirements
Call-to-action placement

5.2 Headers & Subheaders

Heading hierarchy (H1-H6)
Heading format and style
Frequency guidelines
Keyword integration

5.3 Paragraph Guidelines

Target length
Single idea focus
Opening sentence style
Transition requirements

5.4 Lists & Bullets

When to use bullets vs. numbers
List item capitalization
Punctuation in lists
Parallel structure requirements
Nesting guidelines

5.5 Emphasis & Highlighting

Bold usage guidelines
Italic usage guidelines
Underline policy
ALL CAPS policy
Color usage (if applicable)

Step 6: Platform-Specific Guidelines

For each platform, define:

6.1 Blog/Website

Optimal length
SEO requirements
Meta description format
Heading structure
Image requirements
Internal linking rules

6.2 LinkedIn

Character limits
Hook requirements
Hashtag strategy (number, placement)
Emoji policy
Line break strategy
Engagement question placement

Subject line rules
Greeting format
Section structure
Length guidelines
Sign-off format
CTA requirements

6.4 Twitter/X

Thread structure
Tweet length
Hashtag usage
Mention strategy
Quote tweet policy

6.5 Other Platforms

[Platform-specific rules for each]

Step 7: Content Types & Templates

7.1 Article/Blog Post

Structure template
Word count range
Required elements
Quality checklist

Hook templates
Body structure
CTA templates
Hashtag formula

Section templates
Subject line formulas
Content blocks
Sign-off templates

7.4 [Other Content Types]

Templates for each

Step 8: Quality Standards

8.1 Readability Requirements

Target Flesch score range
Grade level target
Sentence length limits
Paragraph length limits

8.2 SEO Standards

Keyword density targets
Meta requirements
Header optimization
Link requirements

8.3 Engagement Standards

Hook strength requirements
Value density expectations
CTA clarity requirements
Scannability requirements

8.4 Accuracy Standards

Fact-checking requirements
Source citation rules
Data freshness requirements
Expert validation needs

Step 9: Examples & Anti-Examples

9.1 Good Examples

For each content type:

Exemplar piece
Why it works
Key elements highlighted
Checklist of what makes it great

9.2 Bad Examples