For a brand to establish a clear identity, it must be consistent in the way it represents itself across all channels. A style guide is a document that identifies the various elements of what you need to keep your brand consistent. This includes your tone, grammar, word usage and point of view. It also includes elements of design like your logo and brand design, color palette, typography, layout, imagery and more.

Many businesses do not take the time to create a style guide. This can result in inconsistent content and branding that may cause confusion among consumers. And once confusing messages are sent, they can be difficult to retract over time.