Structuring Brand Voice Instructions

Every Brand Voice in Ongage Studio is made up of structured fields called Instructional Blocks. These fields define how the AI writes — from tone and rhythm to word choice, formatting, and audience targeting.

This structure ensures consistency across content while giving you the flexibility to capture complex editorial personalities, personas, and brand guidelines.

How Instructional Blocks Work

Each field in the Brand Voice builder serves a specific role. Some fields shape the emotional tone of the content, others define structural style, and some handle technical formatting rules or audience framing.

Instructional Blocks are made up of three field types:

Dropdown Fields — Use pre-defined values (single or multi-select)
Text Fields — Custom written input for goals, audience, etc.
Freeform Guidance — For house rules, voice quirks, or brand-specific logic

Full List of Instructional Blocks

Here’s a breakdown of every field in the Brand Voice editor, what it controls, and how to use it effectively.

Expertise

Type: Single Select Dropdown
Values:

Blog Posts
Social Media Captions
Email Newsletters
Product Pages
Ad Copy
Reports/Whitepapers
Video Scripts

What it does:
Signals the writing format(s) this voice is optimized for. Helps guide structure and output style based on common use cases.

Goal

Type: Text Field
What it does:
Defines what this voice is trying to achieve (e.g., “inspire trust,” “drive conversions,” “educate customers”).
Used to guide tone and CTA style.

Overview

Type: Text Field
What it does:
Short summary of the voice's personality and intended use. Appears in menus and voice selection screens.
Use this to help teams choose the right voice quickly.

Target Audience

Type: Text Field
What it does:
Describes who this voice is speaking to. Influences formality, vocabulary, cultural tone, and assumptions about reader knowledge.

Tone

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Assertive, Calm, Friendly, Confident, Warm, Humorous, Direct, Professional, Sincere, Urgent, Inspirational, etc.

What it does:
Sets the emotional mood and energy of the writing. Multiple tones can be layered for nuance (e.g., Calm + Confident).

Writing Style

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Storytelling, Conversational, Technical, Journalistic, Persuasive, Explainer, Bullet-Based, Interview Format, etc.

What it does:
Controls sentence flow, paragraph structure, and article layout. Choose based on content format or editorial intent.

Structural Preferences

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Short Paragraphs, Headings & Subheadings, Bullet Points, Dialogue Format, Active Voice, Simple Structure, etc.

What it does:
Provides layout guidance for the content. Used to enforce visual rhythm, skimmability, and section formatting.

Character

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Confident, Honest, Playful, Sophisticated, Quirky, Wise, Edgy, Humble, Visionary, Witty, Cheerleader, etc.

What it does:
Defines the “personality behind the pen.” These traits influence phrasing, humor, metaphor use, and attitude.

Emotion

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Hopeful, Trusted, Inspired, Curious, Empowered, Uplifted, Calm, Provoked, Encouraged, etc.

What it does:
Adds a subtle emotional undercurrent. Often shapes how headlines, transitions, and endings feel.

Preferred Sentence Length

Type: Single Select Dropdown
Values:

Short (8–12 words)
Medium (12–20 words)
Long (20+ words)
Mixed

What it does:
Controls rhythm and density. Choose Mixed for natural variation unless you want a distinct style.

Focus Words (Keywords to Use)

Type: Text Field
What it does:
Enter high-priority words or phrases that reinforce branding or expertise (e.g., “evidence-based,” “grace,” “sustainable,” “strategic”).

Blocked Words (Keywords to Avoid)

Type: Text Field
What it does:
Enter any words, phrases, or clichés you want excluded from content (e.g., “hack,” “miracle,” “LOL,” “guaranteed”).

Punctuation & Formatting Rules

Type: Multi Select Dropdown
Values Include:
Use the Oxford comma, Avoid em dashes, Light punctuation style, Use ellipses, Prefer colons for emphasis, Use hashtags, etc.

What it does:
Shapes typographic style and tone. Use to reflect brand voice conventions or publication standards.

Perspective

Type: Single Select Dropdown
Values:

First Person (singular)
First Person (plural)
Second Person
Third Person

What it does:
Sets the point of view for content. Choose based on relationship with the audience and format type.

Free Text

Type: Multi-line Text Field
What it does:
Catch-all field for additional instructions.
Use for house rules, disclaimers, narrative models, or editor notes that don’t fit standard fields.

Best Practices for Voice Structuring

Don’t overfill — Choose only what matters. Blank fields are okay.
Avoid conflicts — If you select both “Formal” and “Playful” tones, results may be inconsistent.
Use Focus/Blocked Words wisely — These are powerful tools for subtle brand alignment.
Preview outputs early — Then refine fields like Emotion, Style, or Sentence Length for better results.
Create variations — You can duplicate voices and tweak fields for different channels or content types.

Summary

Instructional Blocks are the engine behind Brand Voice control. By combining dropdown logic with custom language preferences, you can create voice systems that are expressive, repeatable, and scalable — whether you're channeling a professional brand, a fictional persona, or a specific editor’s tone.