FIND YOUR TONE OF VOICE

Separating brand voice and tone of voice enables your business to create more meaningful conversations with your audiences. Empathy is the vital ingredient, making the difference between simply meeting people’s needs and really engaging with them. This is crucial when survey after survey reveals the importance people apply to purchasing from brands that they trust.

Careful consideration of words, images, communication style and emotional tone shapes how customers view a brand. A clear tone of voice is vital to helping your brand gain authority, popularity and an original style within a crowded marketplace.

How do you create the distinction between brand voice and tone of voice?

Start by creating tone of voice guidelines.
This is an important first step in defining and documenting your brand’s tone of voice. Your existing brand guide will provide helpful context on brand voice and tone, guiding you in language, punctuation, expression, imagery and method of delivery.

Extensive research into your communications should reveal the core elements of your tone of voice. How are you communicating? Is your brand personality coming through? Do you change your tone depending on audience or circumstance? Are your conversations engaging? You should also research how your audiences interact with one another, observing on relevant Facebook groups will provide useful insight.

Your guidelines should include…
Your tone of voice guidelines should be a series of short, helpful tips covering simple ‘do’s and don’ts’ when communicating on behalf of your brand. Content is generally…

• Your brand’s audience groups
• Your brand’s core values
• Your mission statement
• Your message architecture
• Right use of vocabulary
• Wrong use of vocabulary
• Grammar rules

How many voices should be included?
This largely depends on the width of band reach. Different audience groups with different views and opinions will require differing tones of voice. The right level of formality may also vary based on who you are talking to. For example, technical support may require a more ‘matter-of-fact,’ approach, whereas an owner /driver group could be more informal.

How many voices should be included?
This largely depends on the width of band reach. Different audience groups with different views and opinions will require differing tones of voice. The right level of formality may also vary based on who you are talking to. For example, technical support may require a more ‘matter-of-fact,’ approach, whereas an owner /driver group could be more informal.

Who should have access to tone of voice guidelines?
Common practise is to distribute guidelines to anyone responsible for writing on behalf of a brand in the public domain. We would argue that anyone within your organisation who comes into contact with your customers and followers should receive this document. A brand is the sum of a collection of experiences, it makes sense to take steps to ensure those experiences are consistent for the right reasons.

This is just for big brands – right?
Wrong. This activity isn’t just reserved for big multinational brands. It is for any brand that wants to raise their profile above that of their competitors’, by communicating directly with their audiences in a unique, engaging style.

Moments of truth
If your brand lives up to each moment of truth in the customer journey, you build long-term customer loyalty. This in turn, increases the likelihood that your customers will recommend you and will repurchase another of your products. So, brands must walk the walk, but they must also talk the talk.

In summary
Getting your tone of voice right…

– Builds connections
65% of customers say that they’re emotionally connected to a brand that makes them feel like the company cares about them.

– Builds trust
64% of customers cited that shared values are the primary reason to trust a company, among those who said they have a brand relationship.

– Increases revenue
23% increase in revenue on average when a brand is presented consistently.

– Memorable image
80% improvement in recognition of brand when key colours used with language.

All figures courtesy of Semrush.