Why do styles guides have what not to do?

1. Why does a style guide matter?
2. What should a style guide include?
3. How and why do style guides differ?
4. What is the purpose of a style guide in the editing process?

Why does a style guide matter?

A style guide is essential to keep your brand identity consistent, recognizable, and ownable, even as several different people develop content for your brand. Since a style guide defines the guidelines for maintaining a brand's identity, it's important to spend the time and resources to get it right.

What should a style guide include?

All style guides should include an introduction. This might include a mission statement, letter from the CEO, about us page, or general overview of the company's brand and audience. Next, create a section on how your brand talks and writes and another section on branded visuals.

How and why do style guides differ?

Most writing style guides contain information specifically about how to cite sources and format research correctly to reduce accusations of plagiarism. The AP Style Guide goes a bit further and discusses the proper uses of punctuation, abbreviations and how to specifically write names, dates, addresses, etc.

What is the purpose of a style guide in the editing process?

A style guide contains a set of standards for writing and designing content. It helps maintain a consistent style, voice, and tone across your documentation, whether you're a lone writer or part of a huge docs team.