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of 5— Gather your client's brand voice details
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have ChatGPT Custom Instructions configured with a client's brand voice — so every AI-assisted task for that client automatically starts from the right tone, vocabulary, and style, without you having to re-explain it in every prompt.
What you'll need
- A ChatGPT account (Plus at $20/month for Custom Instructions; free tier has limited access)
- Your client's brand voice guide, style guide, or a few examples of their approved copy
- 20 minutes to write the custom instructions
- Time needed: 20 min setup; saves 10–20 min per client work session
- Cost: $20/month (ChatGPT Plus)
How-To Guide: Set Up ChatGPT Custom Instructions for Client Brand Voices
Step 1: Gather your client's brand voice details
Before opening ChatGPT, collect these from your brief or brand guide:
- Tone adjectives (3–5): e.g., "confident, direct, conversational, no-nonsense"
- Vocabulary rules: Words they use / words they avoid. e.g., "Say 'people' not 'users,' say 'easy' not 'seamless'"
- Sentence structure preference: Short punchy sentences? Long complex ones? Mix?
- Things to never do: "Never use exclamation points," "never say synergy or leverage," "avoid bullet lists — use paragraphs"
- Audience description: Who the content is for, in one sentence
What you should see: A short notes document with these 5 elements captured.