Learn how Compass Production sets up and maintains shared editorial guidelines so your whole team and our writers create on-brand, consistent website content together.
Overview: Why Shared Editorial Guidelines Matter
When multiple people contribute to your website, it’s easy for tone, formatting, and terminology to drift. Shared editorial guidelines are how Compass Production keeps everything consistent, on-brand, and easy for your audience to read.
This article explains how we create, store, and use your editorial guidelines, and what your team needs to do to keep them current.
What’s Included in Your Editorial Guidelines
Your editorial guidelines are usually a living document (often a Google Doc or Notion page) that we maintain together. It typically includes:
- Voice and tone rules (formal vs. conversational, first person vs. third person)
- Audience notes (who you’re speaking to, what they care about)
- Grammar and style preferences (Oxford comma, capitalization rules, tense)
- Formatting standards (headings, bullets, callouts, CTAs)
- Terminology and word list (preferred terms, words to avoid, internal jargon)
- SEO conventions (how we use keywords, internal links, and meta data)
- Compliance or legal notes (required disclaimers, restricted claims)
How We Create Your Editorial Guidelines
Step 1: Discovery and Existing Materials
We start by gathering what you already have:
- Existing brand or messaging guides
- Sample emails, brochures, or presentations you like
- Live pages on your current site that feel “on brand”
We review these to understand your natural voice and what should be preserved or improved.
Step 2: Drafting the First Version
Based on discovery, Compass Production drafts a first version of your editorial guidelines. This draft usually includes:
- Voice and tone summary (1–2 short paragraphs)
- Do/Don’t examples for key situations (e.g., sales pages vs. blog posts)
- Initial terminology list pulled from your existing content
We share this draft in your shared folder and link it from your project task board so everyone can find it.
Step 3: Collaborative Review with Your Team
We then walk through the draft with you in a call or async comments. During this review, we’ll ask:
- Which examples feel most like your real voice?
- Where does the tone feel too casual or too formal?
- Are there any terms we must always use or always avoid?
After your feedback, we update the document and mark it as Version 1.0.
Where Your Guidelines Live and How to Access Them
To keep things simple, we store your editorial guidelines in the same ecosystem as your other project assets.
Typical Storage Locations
- Shared Drive or Cloud Folder – A clearly named document (for example, “Editorial Guidelines – [Your Organization]”).
- Linked from Your Task Board – A pinned card or resource column in your shared task board.
- Linked in Recap Emails – We often include the link in kickoff and training recap emails so new team members can find it quickly.
What You Should See
When you open your guidelines, you should see:
- A clear title and version number at the top
- A short “How to use this document” section
- Sections with headings like Voice & Tone, Formatting, Terminology, SEO, and Compliance
- Examples in callout boxes or bullet lists for quick scanning
How Editorial Guidelines Connect to Your Website Workflow
During Content Planning
When we plan new pages or articles together, we reference your guidelines to decide:
- How formal the language should be for each content type
- What reading level we’re aiming for
- How we’ll handle calls to action and next steps
During Drafting and Writing
Our writers and your internal contributors use the guidelines as a checklist:
- Are headings following the agreed pattern (H2, then H3, etc.)?
- Are we using the preferred terms and avoiding banned phrases?
- Is the tone aligned with the audience notes?
During Review and QA
When we review content together, the guidelines become the standard we measure against. This keeps feedback objective and repeatable:
- Instead of “I don’t like this sentence,” we ask, “Does this match the tone rules?”
- Instead of rewriting everything from scratch, we adjust to align with the documented examples.
How Your Team Should Use the Guidelines Day-to-Day
For Internal Content Creators
If your team writes blog posts, landing pages, or support articles, we recommend this simple process:
- Skim the guidelines before starting a new piece, especially the Voice & Tone and Formatting sections.
- Keep the document open while writing so you can quickly check terminology and examples.
- Run a final pass using the guidelines as a checklist before sending content to Compass Production for review.
For Approvers and Stakeholders
When you review drafts, use the guidelines to focus your feedback:
- Flag areas where the draft doesn’t match the documented tone.
- Suggest new examples or rules when you see recurring patterns.
- Avoid introducing brand-new preferences that contradict the guidelines without updating the document.
Keeping the Guidelines Up to Date
Versioning and Change Requests
Your brand and messaging will evolve. To keep the guidelines useful, we treat them as a living document with light version control:
- Minor edits (typos, small clarifications) are updated by Compass Production as needed.
- Major changes (tone shift, new audience, new product line) are discussed in a call or strategy session.
- Each major update gets a new version number (for example, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0) and a short changelog at the top.
How to Request Updates
To request changes to your editorial guidelines:
- Collect examples of content that better reflect your current voice.
- Submit a support ticket or task on your shared board titled “Editorial Guidelines Update.”
- Note what has changed (audience, offers, tone) and what you want the new standard to be.
- We’ll review, propose edits, and walk you through the updated version.
Common Pitfalls and How We Help You Avoid Them
- Too long, no one reads it: We keep your guidelines concise and example-heavy so they’re practical, not theoretical.
- Hidden in a random folder: We link them from your task board, recap emails, and training materials.
- Out of date: We review them during major website updates or strategy check-ins.
- Ignored by new team members: We can include the guidelines in onboarding checklists and training sessions.
What to Do Next
If you don’t see a clearly labeled editorial guidelines document in your shared assets, or if it feels outdated, let us know via your usual support channel. We’ll either create a new set of guidelines or schedule a short working session to refresh what you already have.
