mcltyl Brand Voice Skill
Purpose
Maintain consistent brand voice across all AI-generated content by:
- Reading voice profile from
BRAND_VOICE.md - Applying tone, vocabulary, and style rules
- Flagging off-brand content
- Suggesting on-brand alternatives
When to Activate
Activation conditions:
- Writing marketing copy, social posts, emails
- Creating customer-facing content
- Any branded communication
- User mentions "brand voice" or "on-brand"
BRAND_VOICE.mdexists in workspace
Setup: BRAND_VOICE.md
This skill requires a BRAND_VOICE.md file in your workspace. Create one using the template below.
Template
# Brand Voice Profile
## Brand Identity
**Brand Name:** [Your brand name]
**Tagline:** [Your tagline if any]
**Industry:** [Your industry]
**Target Audience:** [Who you're talking to]
## Voice Attributes
Rate each attribute 1-5:
| Attribute | Level (1-5) | Notes |
|-----------|-------------|-------|
| Formal ↔ Casual | | |
| Serious ↔ Playful | | |
| Reserved ↔ Enthusiastic | | |
| Technical ↔ Simple | | |
| Traditional ↔ Modern | | |
## Tone Guidelines
### We Sound Like:
- [Descriptor 1, e.g., "A knowledgeable friend"]
- [Descriptor 2, e.g., "Confident but not arrogant"]
- [Descriptor 3]
### We Don't Sound Like:
- [Anti-descriptor 1, e.g., "A corporate robot"]
- [Anti-descriptor 2, e.g., "Pushy salesperson"]
- [Anti-descriptor 3]
## Vocabulary
### Words We Use:
- [Word/phrase 1]
- [Word/phrase 2]
- [Word/phrase 3]
### Words We Avoid:
- [Word 1] → Use [alternative] instead
- [Word 2] → Use [alternative] instead
- [Word 3] → Use [alternative] instead
## Grammar & Style
- **Contractions:** [Yes/No/Sometimes]
- **Exclamation marks:** [Rarely/Sometimes/Often]
- **Emoji:** [Never/Sparingly/Freely]
- **Sentence length:** [Short/Medium/Varied]
- **Oxford comma:** [Yes/No]
## Sample Phrases
### On-Brand Examples:
> "[Example sentence that nails your voice]"
> "[Another example]"
### Off-Brand Examples:
> "[Example of what NOT to write]"
❌ Problem: [Why this is off-brand]
## Channel Variations
### Email
- [Any email-specific rules]
### Social Media
- [Platform-specific rules]
### Website
- [Website copy rules]
## Reference Content
[Link or paste 2-3 examples of your best on-brand content]
Voice Enforcement Process
Step 1: Load Profile
When generating content, first read BRAND_VOICE.md to understand:
- Voice attributes (formal/casual, serious/playful, etc.)
- Vocabulary preferences
- Style rules
- Sample phrases
Step 2: Generate Draft
Create content following the profile guidelines.
Step 3: Voice Check
Before delivering, verify:
- Tone matches voice attributes
- No words from "avoid" list
- Grammar rules followed
- Sounds like "we sound like" descriptors
- Doesn't sound like "we don't sound like" descriptors
Step 4: Flag Issues
If content might be off-brand:
⚠️ Voice Check:
- [Issue 1]: Used "[word]" — consider "[alternative]"
- [Issue 2]: Tone feels [too formal/casual] for your brand
Voice Calibration
Formal ↔ Casual Scale
| Level | Example |
|---|---|
| 1 (Very Formal) | "We appreciate your inquiry and will respond promptly." |
| 2 (Professional) | "Thanks for reaching out. We'll get back to you soon." |
| 3 (Friendly Professional) | "Thanks for your message! We'll be in touch shortly." |
| 4 (Casual) | "Hey! Got your message — we'll hit you back soon." |
| 5 (Very Casual) | "Yo! Message received 👍 Talking soon!" |
Serious ↔ Playful Scale
| Level | Example |
|---|---|
| 1 (Very Serious) | "Our solution addresses critical business challenges." |
| 2 (Professional) | "Our solution helps businesses solve real problems." |
| 3 (Balanced) | "We built this to solve problems you actually have." |
| 4 (Light) | "We made something useful. Crazy, right?" |
| 5 (Very Playful) | "We fixed the thing! 🎉 You're welcome." |
Content Templates by Channel
Email Subject Lines
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "Your [Topic] Update: [Key Point]"
- Casual: "[Key Point] — here's what you need to know"
- Playful: "[Key Point] 👀 You'll want to see this"
Social Media Posts
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "[Statement]. Learn more: [link]"
- Casual: "[Conversational take]. [link]"
- Playful: "[Witty observation] 🔥 [link]"
Error Messages
[Brand voice applied]:
- Formal: "An error has occurred. Please try again."
- Casual: "Oops, something went wrong. Give it another shot?"
- Playful: "Well, that didn't work 😅 Mind trying again?"
Voice Consistency Checks
Quick Check (Before Every Output)
- Read first sentence aloud — does it sound like your brand?
- Check for any "avoid" words
- Verify tone matches context
Deep Check (For Important Content)
- Compare against sample phrases
- Read entire piece for consistency
- Check all vocabulary
- Verify channel-specific rules applied
- Get second opinion if high-stakes
Handling Edge Cases
When Tone Conflicts with Message
Sometimes the message requires a different tone (e.g., playful brand delivering serious news).
Approach:
- Maintain brand voice foundation
- Adjust intensity appropriately
- Don't abandon voice entirely
Example:
Off-brand (too different):
"We regret to inform you of a service disruption."
On-brand (adjusted):
"Hey — we hit a snag. [Service] is down right now.
We're on it and will update you in 30 minutes."
When Writing for Different Audiences
Same brand, different audience = same voice, different vocabulary.
Example:
To customers: "Your dashboard just got way faster."
To developers: "Dashboard load time reduced 60% via lazy loading."
Response Principles
- Profile first — Always check BRAND_VOICE.md before writing
- Consistency over perfection — Slight off-brand is better than inconsistent
- Context matters — Adjust intensity, not identity
- Flag don't fix silently — Tell user if something's off-brand
- Learn patterns — Note recurring issues to improve profile