Rebekah Carter
Editorial standards, and editorial policies aren’t the most thrilling topic in the B2B marketing world. Terms like those prompt most of us to think of dry lists of rules, or editors with red pens. But as trust continues to wane in the tech landscape, your approach to editorial standards matters.
B2B buyers are more skeptical than other, more alert to mistakes, inaccuracies, and inauthentic content, and more comfortable ignoring brands that don’t live up to their expectations.
Combine that with the fact that publications and regulatory bodies are cracking down on unethical, and misleading content worldwide, and it’s clear the stakes are getting higher.
Ultimately, following editorial standards in 2025 isn’t just about proofreading and editing checks, or seeing whether you’ve hit your SEO goals.
Your policies form the backbone of credible, consistent, and human-first content. They protect brands from sounding robotic, biased, or just like everyone else. Whether you’re a journalist, marketer, or B2B brand looking to scale influence, this is your editorial wake-up call.
Defining Editorial Standards: Meaning and Core Components
So, what are editorial standards exactly? Basically, they’re the “rules” for content creation.
Editorial standards are made up of a mix of values and practices intended to ensure content is accurate, fair, transparent, and trustworthy. In journalism, these have been codified for decades in bodies like the IPSO Editors’ Code, which sets clear boundaries around things like:
- Accuracy: Check it before you wreck it. Misreporting damages your credibility
- Transparency: Be clear about your sources, your sponsorships, and when you’re using AI
- Fairness: Avoid undue bias – make sure readers can form their own opinions
- Safety: Never manipulate, sensationalize, or distort the truth
- Accountability: Own up to your mistakes, and be ready to correct them
- Integrity: Be real, human, and authentic.
In the B2B tech space, editorial standards are guidelines for truth, honesty and credibility. They’re what stop whitepapers from becoming white lies, or reviews from becoming glorified sales pitches.
They do more than protect your readers from misinformation (which is running rampant in the age of AI), they protect your brand’s reputation. Follow them, and you have the antidote to clickbait, lost trust, and unnecessary backlash.
Editorial Standards vs Editorial Policies: A Clarification
One quick note, editorial standards and editorial policies are a little different. Editorial standards are universal. They’re the principles that should always guide content, focusing on fairness, accuracy, transparency, and so on. Editorial policies are more subjective.
They build on editorial standards, outlining the specific rules and processes your team should follow. Take Today Digital’s editorial values. Our policies focus on informing, educating, and guiding customers, with trustworthy, credible, and accurate content.
We align with editorial standards, but we also encourage our writers to use a distinct tone of voice, consider the specific needs of different audience groups, and connect with our community.
Why Do Editorial Standards Matter in B2B Tech Journalism?
Editorial standards matter everywhere. Without them, no-one would be able to trust the “news” they read, online or in-person. But lately, these standards and policies have become more important for tech journalists, and B2B tech brands.
Today’s tech buyers are savvier, smarter, and more skeptical. They don’t read content looking to be “sold to”- they’re analyzing for evidence that you understand their company, share their values, and prioritize authenticity. If your content reeks of brand bias or reads like it was written by a PR bot, you’re never going to make your buyer’s shortlist.
Alternatively, companies that follow editorial standards and policies carefully earn trust by guiding buyers through complex decisions with clarity, empathy, and objectivity. That trust leads to shorter sales cycles, and stronger relationships.
Editorial standards are also how you ensure consistency throughout your content, even when you’re connecting with different members of the buyer committee. Most tech purchasing decisions are made by cross-functional groups. One hint of bias or sensationalism, or one disconnect between the claims you make on your owned channels and earned media, causes everyone to lose trust.
Following editorial standards in every type of content you publish, from owned blogs, to news reports posted on reputable sites strengthens your credibility. It shows you’re constantly committed to educating, leading, and supporting your audience ethically, not just driving sales.
Editorial Standards: Examples in Action
Virtually all (official) publications follow editorial standards. Examples include everyone from HubSpot, to Copyblogger, even us at Today Digital. Usually, these companies create policies that combine globally accepted rules with specific priorities.
For instance, at Today Digital, we make sure that every piece of sponsored or editorial content we publish is checked for:
- Clear sourcing (no anonymous or unverified statistics)
- Transparency around sponsorships and partnerships
- Educational, informative value – not just generic fluff
For a wider look at some well-known editorial standards, you can check out companies like the BBC, Reuters, and the New York Times. They all have similar guidelines to follow, primarily aligning with the fact-checking, accuracy-defining, and transparency-building needs of great editorial content.
Notably, as journalism changes, so do editorial standards. For instance, now that AI is making its way into journalism, and raising new concerns about deepfakes and widespread “fake news”, most companies (including us) have policies about how editors can and should use AI content.
For instance, Horizons, the Swiss Research Magazine requires authors to outline exactly how they use AI for content. Other organizations, like the Reuters institute, also make sure to disclose how AI was used in any intelligence-enhanced content they publish.
How to Create an Editorial Policy That Builds Trust
We’ve addressed what editorial standards are, how they work, and shared some examples of editorial policies and how they’re evolving. Now, it’s time to start building your own. Successful B2B journalism relies on your ability to train your writers, editors, and external contributors to follow the right guidelines – the ones that really drive trust forward.
Whether you’re running a lean startup content team or a full-stack editorial operation, here’s how to build a practical, scalable policy that works:
Define Your Editorial Goals and Tactical Use Cases
Before you worry about Oxford commas or headline formats, start with a simple question:
Why are you creating content in the first place?
Is your goal to:
- Educate C-suite decision-makers?
- Simplify complex technical concepts?
- Spark thought leadership conversations on LinkedIn?
- Convert traffic from email into pipeline?
Clarify this early. Your editorial policy should ensure every article, podcast script, or webinar recap is fit for purpose, and written with that purpose in mind.
Once goals are clear, get tactical. If your goal is to “educate,” then fact-checking and unbiased sourcing need to be non-negotiable. If your goal is to “inspire action,” then clarity, emotional resonance, and strong CTAs should be prioritized.
Establish Editorial Values That Reflect Your Brand
Your brand isn’t just what you sell, it’s how you speak. And your editorial standards should protect that voice.
Ask:
- What tone and language sets us apart? (Casual but confident? Authoritative but human?)
- Are we avoiding technical jargon, or leaning into it?
- Do we prioritize originality over speed?
For example, Today Digital’s editorial standards emphasize authentic sourcing and a reader-first tone. The more your team understands your values (and how to express them), the more consistent and differentiated your content will be.
Define Your Target Audience Like a Real Person, Not a Persona
Great content is empathetic. And empathy starts with clarity.
Your editorial policy should include a sharp, specific profile of your audience. Don’t just target “IT buyers,” think about the real humans with pain points, pressures, and buying power you’re going to be talking to. Identify:
- Pain points and knowledge gaps
- Decision-making roles (technical evaluator vs. economic buyer)
- Preferred tone (formal? punchy? visual-heavy?)
Make sure you know how you’re going to adapt your content for different members of the buyer committee too. The more your writers can “step into the shoes” of your audience, the more useful and credible your content becomes.
Put Integrity and Ethics First
This is where your editorial standards become a checklist, not to micromanage creativity, but to safeguard quality and credibility.
Your integrity and ethics checklist might include:
- Sourcing rules: Always use primary sources where possible; avoid anonymous “stat dumps.”
- Fact-checking protocols: Every stat should be traceable and no older than two years.
- AI usage disclosure: Was AI used in any part of the content creation process? If yes, how—and is that clear to the reader?
- Name accuracy and pronouns: Respect matters. Double-check every attribution.
Include best practices from industry leaders like the IPSO Code of Practice and standards evolving in real-time with AI ethics.
Outline Your Content Standards: Format, Style, and Ethics
Finally, give your team a simple operating manual. Here’s what to document clearly:
- Formatting requirements (subheadings, image attribution, link structure)
- Style and grammar preferences (US vs. UK English, title case vs. sentence case)
- Publishing workflow (draft > edit > final review > CMS > QA)
- Ethical standards and legal protocols (what happens if content needs a correction or retraction)
This section is where your editorial policies meet your day-to-day reality.
Final Tip: Keep It Living
Your editorial policy isn’t a PDF you email once and forget. It’s a living, breathing resource.
Schedule quarterly reviews. Update your policies as platforms evolve, AI capabilities change, or your business pivots. Encourage feedback from writers, editors, and even external partners.
The more adaptable your policy is, the more powerful it becomes.
Elevate Authority Through Integrity
Following editorial standards and policies isn’t just about living by the rules. They’re about respect for your audience, their needs, and the importance genuine, authentic, accurate content.
By embedding strong editorial policies, learning from real editorial standards examples, and evolving with AI and ethics in mind, your actively make your content better. You pave the way for a leadership position in your industry, and show customers they can actually trust you.
These days, when trust is harder to win, and easier to lose than ever before – that’s important.
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