How do you enforce a content style guide?

In my experience, style guides are often introduced during onboarding and writers are expected to read, understand and apply them. Unfortunately the brain needs to be tested actively on style guidelines before writers become well-versed in them, so regularly testing your team’s knowledge of how to apply a style guide is essential. Test their knowledge little and often, with short, fun quizzes where you encourage them to spot mistakes, check their understanding and if someone is unclear on specific guidelines, give timely and direct feedback. Ease their cognitive load by using technology to highlight style guide violations while content is being written if your CMS allows it.

Imagine you're sharing something really cool with your buddies. You're the guide here, and you want them to understand why a certain way of doing things is important. Think of this like a rulebook for your content. Show them why it matters – it's like the secret recipe for making your content awesome. Explain how following these rules helps them too. It's like learning magic spells that make their work better and more effective. Show what's right and wrong. It's like sharing stories – some are awesome, some not so much. This helps them see how the rules make a real difference. So, that's the plan: teach, explain, show, train, and make it easy. You're helping your team become content masters!

Think of your style guide like a favorite recipe. Just as you might add new spices to make it even tastier, your style guide needs a sprinkle of updates from time to time. Imagine your style guide as a map, and your content journey is an ever-changing landscape. Stay updated on what's new, like the latest routes in your area. Picture yourself as the town crier – when there's news, you spread it. Let your team know about any changes, like saying, "Hey, we've got some exciting updates to our playbook!" You're not the only one with cool ideas. Ask your team for thoughts on how to make the guide even better. So, remember, your style guide is like a living thing – it grows, evolves, and stays hip with the times.

Think of tools like your trusty helpers. They're like having extra eyes to make sure your content follows the style rules. They help catch grammar mistakes and fix spelling slip-ups. They make sure your content is easy to read and understand, like a great storyteller. They guide you to create content that search engines and social media platforms love. They help you polish your work without breaking a sweat. They work behind the scenes to make sure your content shines, just like your style guide says. So, with these tools and plugins, your content becomes a star that follows the style guide's lead!

A review system is like a step-by-step plan to make sure that the stuff you create, like articles or documents, follows the rules and looks good. It involves different people who each do a specific job: 1. Writers: They create the content. 2. Editors: They fix mistakes and make the content sound better. 3. Reviewers: They check if everything makes sense and fits the rules. 4. Approvers: They give the final "OK" before the content gets published. This helps catch mistakes, make things better, and make sure everything is good to go before people see it.

To make sure everyone on a team follows the rules for creating content in a certain way, you can give them rewards and recognition when they do a good job. This can be things like prizes, compliments, or positive feedback. You can also make it fun by turning it into a game with challenges or competitions. By doing this, you're encouraging everyone to make consistent and high-quality content. This helps the team work better together and shows that the rules for creating content are important.