Brand voice

/brand-voice -- Brand Voice Engine

Generic copy converts worse than copy with a distinct voice. Not because the words are different -- because the reader feels like they're hearing from a PERSON, not a marketing team.

This skill defines that voice. Either by extracting it from existing content, building it strategically from scratch, or auto-scraping a URL to analyze a brand's public presence.

For output formatting, see /cmo rules/output-format.md.

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On Activation

1. Read brand/ context:
   • positioning.md — If available, use market angles to inform voice differentiation. A brand positioned as "the anti-course course" needs a different voice than one positioned as "enterprise-grade."
   • audience.md — If available, tailor vocabulary and tone to the target reader. Technical builders get different language than busy executives.
   • If neither exists, proceed with defaults. Ask the user about their market and audience during the question sequence.
2. Check if ./brand/voice-profile.md already exists:
   • Exists → Update mode: show current profile summary, ask what to change.
   • Does not exist → Proceed to Mode Selection below.
3. Assess the user's request to determine which mode to use (Extract, Build, or Auto-Scrape).

Three Modes

Mode 1: Extract (analyze existing content)

User provides 3-5 pieces of existing content (blog posts, emails, social posts, about page, etc).

The analysis process:

1. Read all provided content -- look for patterns, not individual word choices
2. Identify the voice DNA:
   • Sentence structure (short/punchy vs. flowing/complex)
   • Vocabulary level (everyday vs. technical vs. academic)
   • Emotional register (warm/friendly vs. authoritative vs. irreverent)
   • Perspective (first-person storytelling vs. objective analysis)
   • Rhythm (varies sentence length? staccato? musical?)
3. Map the personality axes (see Voice DNA Framework below)
4. Generate the voice profile
5. Write to ./brand/voice-profile.md

Mode 2: Build (construct from scratch)

No existing content. Build voice strategically through guided questions.

The question sequence:

1. "If your brand were a person at a dinner party, how would they talk?"
2. "Who is your audience? Technical builders, creative professionals, busy executives, everyday consumers, or a mix?"
3. "Name 2-3 brands whose tone you admire (not their product -- their VOICE)."
4. "What words should NEVER appear in your marketing? What feels off-brand?"
5. "Show me something you've written that felt 'right' -- even a Slack message or email."

Mode 3: Auto-Scrape (URL analysis)

User provides a URL. Skill uses Exa MCP to research the brand's public presence.

1. Use Exa MCP to search for the brand's website content, social profiles, and public-facing copy
2. Analyze homepage, about page, social bios, recent posts
3. Extract voice patterns using the same DNA framework as Mode 1
4. Present findings and ask user to confirm/adjust
5. Generate voice profile

Mode Selection

Not sure which mode? Here's the decision tree:

• Have 3+ pieces of existing content (blog posts, emails, landing pages) → Mode 1: Extract
• Starting fresh with no content → Mode 2: Build via interview
• Have a live website URL → Mode 3: Auto-Scrape

If the brand has both a website AND existing content, prefer Mode 1 (Extract) — it captures the voice the brand already uses, which is more authentic than what a URL scan reveals.

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Voice DNA Framework

Every voice maps across these axes:

Personality Spectrum

Rate each 1-10 with brief justification:

• Formal / Casual
• Reserved / Expressive
• Serious / Playful
• Traditional / Progressive
• Complex / Simple
• Cautious / Bold

Voice Markers

Sentence patterns: Average length, variation, structure (simple/compound/fragmented)

Vocabulary: Jargon level (none/light/technical), power words, forbidden words

Perspective: Person (I/we/you), distance (intimate/conversational/professional), authority (peer/mentor/expert/challenger)

The Do/Don't Table

Minimum 5 rows, maximum 10. Specific voice behaviors and example phrases.

Platform Adaptation Table

Platform	Tone Shift	Length	Special Notes
LinkedIn	More professional, authority-forward	Medium	Lead with insight
Twitter/X	Punchier, more direct	Short	Fragment sentences OK
Instagram	Warmer, more visual language	Short-Medium	Casual, aspirational
Email	Most personal, conversational	Medium-Long	First-person storytelling
Blog/SEO	Most detailed, structured	Long	Can be more technical
TikTok	Most casual, spoken-word feel	Very short	Conversational, raw
Threads	Thoughtful, conversational	Short-Medium	Opinion-led
Bluesky	Nuanced, substantive	Short	Informed, not aggressive

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Output Format

Header

  BRAND VOICE PROFILE
  [Brand/Person Name]
  Generated [Month Day, Year]

Content

1. Voice Summary (2-3 sentences capturing the essence)
2. Personality Spectrum (rated axes)
3. Voice Markers (sentence patterns, vocabulary, perspective)
4. The Do/Don't Table
5. Platform Adaptation Table
6. Sample Copy (3 examples: short social post, email opener, landing page headline)

Files Saved

Write to ./brand/voice-profile.md.

What's Next

  -> /positioning-angles   Find your market angle
  -> /direct-response-copy Write copy in your voice
  -> /content-atomizer     Create social content

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File Output Protocol

Write ./brand/voice-profile.md with: last updated, voice summary, personality spectrum, voice markers, do/don't table, platform adaptations, sample copy.

If ./brand/voice-profile.md already exists: Read existing file, show what will change, ask for confirmation before overwriting.

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Feedback

After the voice profile is saved and used in at least one downstream skill, collect feedback:

• "How did the voice feel in that [email/post/page]? (a) Nailed it, (b) Close but edited, (c) Off, (d) Haven't used yet"
• For (a) or (b): append what worked to brand/learnings.md with date and skill name.
• For (c): ask what felt wrong, adjust the voice profile, and log the change to brand/learnings.md.

Voice Test Loop (Required)

After generating a voice profile from ANY mode, validate before saving. Full details in references/voice-modes.md.

1. Generate 3 sample paragraphs in the brand's voice: email opening, social post, landing page hero.
2. Present with options: (1) Nails it → save, (2) Close but needs adjustment → ask what's off, revise, re-test, (3) Not quite right → ask for examples, rebuild relevant sections, re-test.
3. After 3 rounds without confirmation, offer: save current version, one more round, or restart with a different mode.

Never skip this step. Never save a profile without user confirmation.

Anti-Patterns

Anti-pattern	Instead	Why
Generating a generic "professional yet approachable" voice	Extract specific patterns from real content or deep questioning	Generic profiles are useless — every downstream skill produces the same bland output. The whole point is differentiation.
Skipping the Voice Test Loop	Always validate with 3 samples before saving	A profile that looks right on paper can sound wrong in practice. The test loop catches mismatches before they propagate to all other skills.
Copy-pasting platform adaptation template defaults	Each brand has different platform behaviors — think about each one	A casual brand might be MORE formal on LinkedIn. A formal brand might loosen up on Twitter. Defaults are wrong by definition.
Writing the profile without reading existing brand context	Check positioning.md and audience.md first	Voice should align with positioning and audience. Writing voice in isolation means rewriting it later when those files exist.
Overwriting an existing profile without showing diff	Read existing file, show what will change, get confirmation	The user may have manually tweaked the profile. Blindly overwriting loses their refinements.
Producing a profile with no example phrases	On-brand and off-brand examples are required	Examples are the fastest way for downstream skills to calibrate. Without them, other skills have to interpret abstract axes, which leads to drift.

Invocation

This skill activates when:

• User asks "what's my voice" or "analyze my brand"
• User says copy sounds "generic" or "off-brand"
• Another skill needs voice context but ./brand/voice-profile.md doesn't exist
• User provides a URL and asks to analyze the brand

What This Skill Is NOT

• Does NOT write copy (that is /direct-response-copy)
• Does NOT define positioning (that is /positioning-angles)
• Does NOT research the audience (that is /audience-research)
• Does NOT create visual identity (that is /creative)