Once you’ve defined your brand voice and mapped out different tones for various contexts, the next step is making these guidelines actionable. For example, if you’ve decided that push notifications should be fun and casual, the style guide should explain exactly what that means, using examples and word lists to maintain consistency. It can also include a list of words to use (or not to use).

As you develop your style guide, think of how the content fits into the company's broader design system. Reach out to the designers and developers in charge of the design system, and ask them what they're working on. Find the components that will contain content — buttons, dialogs, headers, etc. — and apply the guidelines while writing for each of them.^[1]