How to create a style guide for your knowledge base

A knowledge base system is a crucial database for businesses as it can serve as a central hub for information and give users quick access to helpful resources, support, and self-service options

style guide

A knowledge base system is a crucial database for businesses as it can serve as a central hub for information and give users quick access to helpful resources, support, and self-service options.

Your knowledge base could be a jumble of different writing styles

You have a team of writers in charge of your KB articles: Given that they are being written by different people, those articles will likely have significantly diverse writing styles.
When different departments contribute to a knowledge base: Each department may have its own unique way of presenting information, using terminology, and formatting content. As a result, users navigating through the knowledge base may encounter varying tones, levels of technicality, and even conflicting information.
When a single writer manages knowledge base content: Without proper clear guidelines, the writer may unknowingly use different formatting styles, vocabulary choices, or sentence structures from one article to another.

A style guide could be the "content standard" for your knowledge base

A style guide can act as a frame for your knowledge base, providing a set of standards and guidelines that ensure consistency, clarity, and usefulness throughout the information.

A well-crafted style guide establishes guidelines for:

Content creation,
Formatting and
Presentation

Creating an effective style guide for your knowledge base: Key Steps

Identify the target audience

Find the ideal audience that will actually use your company knowledge base by digging deeper into the user personas provided by your marketing team. Collect and analyze important details like demographics, language proficiency, and tech literacy.

By doing this, you can figure out who you are actually talking to and strike the right balance between simplicity and technicality in your content.

Determine your “voice of service”

Consider the tone and personality you want to convey to your audience. Are you formal or informal? Friendly or professional? Work with the stakeholders to define a common style. Determining these aspects will help you establish a consistent voice across your knowledge base, fostering a stronger connection with your users.

Determine Content Structure and Organization

For a logical and intuitive content structure, decide on how you’ll categorize the information, whether there will be thorough topics, categories, sub-categories, or a combination of them. This structure will provide users with a seamless navigation experience, enabling them to find the information they need quickly and easily.

Refer to other style guides

To get a starting point for developing your own guide, refer to the style guides of other companies. When you refer to the prominent guides from Grammarly or Mailchimp, you can gain inspiration and learn from their structure, formatting conventions, and styling approaches. Leverage these insights to customize the style guide to suit your organization’s unique needs, branding, and target audience.

Tip: Know your customer’s language

No matter what the brand, tone, voice, or style guide says, the customer will always have their own words. Use their language to communicate that you understand and have heard them. Ask your support team to take notes while interacting with customers and use these insights in drafting knowledge-base documentation that supports the customer while also sticking to style.

Establish Formatting Guidelines

Consistent formatting improves comprehension and readability. Establish guidelines for font sizes, heading styles, and subheadings. To present information in an easy and structured way, take into account using bullet points, numbered lists, and tables.

Standardized Terminology

Establish a set of standardized terminology for your knowledge base to ensure clarity and avoid confusion. Define jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms used in the industry. Encourage writers to constantly use these words in all of their knowledge base writings.

Address Multimedia Elements

The visual appeal and effectiveness of your knowledge base can be improved by adding multimedia components like pictures, videos, and infographics. Set guidelines regarding image formats, sizes, and captions. Specify info about the video’s size and length.

Encourage Collaboration and Feedback

Don’t commit the mistake of thinking that creating a style guide is a one-time deal. Review and update the style guide regularly to accommodate new best practices and user feedback. Ensure weekly/monthly sync meetings to bring together content creators, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to discuss and review the style guide’s effectiveness and implementation. This iterative approach will help you refine your knowledge base and keep it relevant and user-centric.

Conclusion :

Developing a style guide is a crucial step for your knowledge base to be consistent and user-friendly. Following the steps mentioned in this blog will help you create a comprehensive style guide that will assist your team in creating quality articles for your knowledge base.