Hubspot-Inspired Content Style Guide Template
A clear, practical content style guide based on Hubspot principles helps every writer on your team create consistent, polished, and on-brand content without guesswork.
This how-to article walks you through building a simple, thorough style guide that any marketer, editor, or freelancer can apply immediately.
Why Use a Hubspot-Style Content Guide
A documented style guide aligned with Hubspot-style best practices brings order to your content process. Instead of rewriting the same notes in every brief, you centralize expectations in one accessible document.
Key benefits include:
- Consistent tone and voice across all channels
- Fewer editing rounds and faster publishing
- Stronger brand recognition and trust
- Better user experience and on-page SEO
The template below is inspired by the structure described in the original Hubspot article and adapted into a repeatable framework.
Step 1: Define Your Hubspot-Like Brand Overview
Start your style guide with a concise brand overview. This aligns everyone on what your company does and who you serve before they write a single sentence.
Include:
- Company description: 1–2 sentences in plain language.
- Audience snapshot: core segments, roles, and pain points.
- Content mission: how your content helps readers solve problems.
Keep this section short and scannable. The goal is quick orientation, similar to how Hubspot explains context before diving into tactics.
Step 2: Document Your Hubspot-Style Tone and Voice
Your tone and voice guidelines make sure every article, email, or landing page sounds like it came from the same brand, even when many writers contribute.
Describe Your Core Voice
Use 3–5 adjectives to summarize your brand voice, just as you might see in a Hubspot editorial framework. For example:
- Helpful
- Clear
- Data-informed
- Conversational
Under each adjective, add a short explanation and one do/do-not example.
Set Tone Rules by Context
Explain how tone shifts by channel or format:
- Blog posts: friendly, educational, lightly conversational.
- Product pages: concise, benefit-focused, confident.
- Support content: empathetic, direct, solution-oriented.
These tone rules mirror the way Hubspot adjusts voice between educational and product content while staying consistent overall.
Step 3: Establish Hubspot-Driven Grammar and Mechanics
A strong style guide clarifies grammar details that otherwise trigger slow, subjective debates. Choose one main reference (such as AP or Chicago) and then list your custom variations.
Core Grammar Decisions
Document decisions like:
- Oxford comma: use it or skip it.
- Capitalization for headlines and subheads.
- Rules for abbreviations and acronyms.
- How to format numbers, dates, and times.
Make these rules explicit so every writer can imitate the consistent approach often seen in Hubspot content.
Word List and Preferred Terms
Include a running list of words, phrases, and spellings that matter to your brand, such as:
- Approved product names and exact capitalization.
- Preferred industry terms and definitions.
- Words to avoid (jargon, clichés, or internal-only terms).
This section prevents subtle inconsistencies—an important detail for long-term SEO and credibility.
Step 4: Create Hubspot-Like Formatting Standards
Formatting guidelines ensure every page is easy to scan and mobile-friendly, following patterns that tools and readers both appreciate.
Headings, Paragraphs, and Length
Set rules such as:
- Use clear
<h2>and<h3>subheadings roughly every 200–300 words. - Keep paragraphs short: one main idea per paragraph.
- Favor bullet points and numbered steps to break up text.
These practices reflect the style of many Hubspot guides, which prioritize readability and structure.
Links, CTAs, and Media
Detail how writers should handle links and calls to action:
- Use descriptive anchor text, not generic phrases.
- Limit on-page CTAs to a few clear actions.
- Add images, diagrams, or videos only when they clarify the concept.
For example, you might include an internal resource like Consultevo to support strategy execution, and an external reference such as the original Hubspot style guide template article for additional context.
Step 5: Add Hubspot-Friendly SEO and On-Page Rules
On-page SEO guidelines make your style guide operational for traffic growth, not just consistency.
Keyword and Structure Rules
Outline simple, repeatable rules like:
- Define a primary focus keyphrase for every article.
- Use it in the title, URL slug, opening paragraph, and at least one subheading.
- Maintain reasonable keyword density and avoid keyword stuffing.
This mirrors how Hubspot structures educational articles around a single, clear topic that search engines and readers can understand.
Meta Data and Snippets
Require writers or editors to provide:
- Unique meta titles and descriptions for each piece.
- Concise summaries that promise a clear benefit.
- Meaningful alt text for images to support accessibility and search.
Adding these fields to your content templates keeps optimization built into your workflow instead of treated as an afterthought.
Step 6: Provide Hubspot-Style Examples and Templates
The most effective style guides include real examples, not just rules. Show what success looks like in practice.
Before-and-After Samples
Include a few short samples demonstrating:
- Weak, unclear copy transformed into concise, helpful content.
- Long, dense paragraphs broken into scannable sections.
- Off-brand tone refined into your approved voice.
Writers can then compare their drafts to these samples, just as many learn from published Hubspot content.
Reusable Content Checklists
Create quick checklists for writers and editors to use before publishing, such as:
- Headlines and subheads follow the formatting rules.
- Voice and tone match the brand guidelines.
- Links, CTAs, and meta data are added and correct.
Integrate these checklists into your editorial process so they become a normal part of producing every article or page.
Maintaining Your Hubspot-Inspired Guide
A style guide should evolve over time. Review it regularly and update it as your brand, audience, and channels change.
Recommended maintenance steps:
- Revisit the guide every quarter to add new examples.
- Collect common editing feedback and turn it into written rules.
- Share updates with your team and archive older versions.
By treating your document as a living resource, you build a content system that is as durable and scalable as the best Hubspot-inspired editorial operations.
Need Help With Hubspot?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.
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