Erika Heald is the host of the weekly #ContentChat LinkedIn Live video podcast for content marketers, held Mondays at noon Pacific. As a B2B marketing consultant, she helps organizations define and execute content marketing strategies that drive business and professional growth. As a creator, and gluten-free blogger helping people discover gut-friendly farm-to-table food. She frequently speaks at B2B marketing industry events on employee brand advocacy, content strategy, customer experience, AI readiness, and social media topics. You can find her on her blogs erikaheald.com and erikasglutenfreekitchen.com.
The #ContentChat Bulletin: Your Style Guide Already Exists (It’s Just Undocumented)
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Most organizations already have a style guide—it just isn’t documented. Instead, it lives:
And while those tiny decisions may not feel strategic in the moment, they add up fast. Every: “Would we say it this way?” Every: “Do we capitalize this?” Every: “Can you make this sound more on-brand?” …creates friction. And not the positive type my friend Robert Rose talks about in his fantastic book, Valuable Friction. Not just for your content team, but for your freelancers, your subject matter experts, your agencies, and increasingly, your AI tools. Because here’s the thing: AI can only follow the guidance you’ve actually documented. Not the standards your team assumes everyone somehow knows. That’s one of the biggest reasons I believe so strongly that content governance isn’t bureaucracy — it’s operational enablement. A strong style guide isn’t meant to control creativity or act as the Brand police. It exists to:
That’s exactly what we’re unpacking in today’s #ContentChat livestream as part of my 12-part Content Foundations series. Today’s focus is on Chapter 2 — Assembling a Comprehensive Style Guide. I'll talk about:
Because scalable content doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you document what “good” actually looks like. Start on your own style guide draft by answering this question: What’s one content decision your team has to revisit or re-explain repeatedly? Coming Up on #ContentChatContent Chat is my weekly LinkedIn Live video chat focused on sharing expertise and ideas amongst the content marketing community. Join the conversation on Mondays at noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern. RSVP for our upcoming conversations by clicking the chat date below to get a reminder and to access the chat. If you can't catch the livestream, you can view the archives on our YouTube channel or listen to the audio version on your favorite podcast platform.
Until next time, stay safe and be well! Cheers, Erika |
The #ContentChat Bulletin
Erika Heald is the host of the weekly #ContentChat LinkedIn Live video podcast for content marketers, held Mondays at noon Pacific. As a B2B marketing consultant, she helps organizations define and execute content marketing strategies that drive business and professional growth. As a creator, and gluten-free blogger helping people discover gut-friendly farm-to-table food. She frequently speaks at B2B marketing industry events on employee brand advocacy, content strategy, customer experience, AI readiness, and social media topics. You can find her on her blogs erikaheald.com and erikasglutenfreekitchen.com.
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