How to Define Your Brand's Tone of Voice
Feb 23, 2023
Design
Among the multitude of elements shaping a brand's identity, the tone of voice stands as a cornerstone. It serves as a vehicle for your brand’s personality, helping to humanise your business and forge stronger connections with your audience. But how do you define your brand's tone of voice?
This article seeks to elucidate this process.
What is a Brand's Tone of Voice?
The tone of voice of a brand is not about what you say but how you say it. It is the distinct persona, the emotional inflection applied to the message you convey through written words. As Margaret Minnicks reminds us,
"The tone of voice conveys a message through the words and the way they are put together. It is the voice that speaks behind the scene."
The Importance of a Defined Tone of Voice
A well-defined tone of voice provides consistency in your brand’s communication across all platforms, helping to establish brand recognition. It also fosters trust, making customers feel they understand your brand on a deeper level, akin to a personal relationship.
Steps to Define Your Brand’s Tone of Voice
Understand Your Brand Personality: Before you can define your tone of voice, you need to understand your brand personality. Are you formal or informal, sophisticated or playful, innovative or traditional? Your tone of voice should mirror these attributes.
Know Your Audience:
Your tone should resonate with your target audience. Research their demographics, psychographics, and communication preferences to inform your tone.
Identify Your Brand Values:
Your values should underpin your tone. If you're a brand committed to sustainability, for instance, your tone might be passionate and earnest.
Analyse Your Competitors:
Understanding your competitors' tone of voice can help differentiate your brand. Strive for a tone that sets you apart, providing a unique voice in your industry.
Craft Your Voice:
Based on your brand personality, audience, values, and competition, develop a tone of voice. It could be authoritative, friendly, professional, casual, humorous, or a combination of these.
Create a Tone of Voice Guide:
Document your tone of voice guidelines, including do's and don'ts, and examples. This document should be accessible to everyone responsible for crafting your brand's messages.
Tone of Voice in Action
Now that you've defined your tone of voice, it's crucial to apply it consistently across all communication channels, including website content, social media, emails, advertisements, and customer service interactions.
Consider Innocent Drinks, a brand renowned for its friendly and humorous tone. From witty product descriptions to playful social media posts, Innocent's tone shines through every piece of content they produce, creating a cohesive brand identity and cultivating an engaged and loyal audience.
Measuring and Evolving Your Tone of Voice
Once you've implemented your tone of voice, regularly evaluate its effectiveness. Gather feedback from customers, monitor social media responses, and measure engagement metrics. Your tone of voice may need to evolve as your brand grows or as your audience's preferences shift.
Defining your brand's tone of voice isn't a one-off task but an ongoing process of refining and aligning your brand's voice with its personality and values. It may be challenging, but the reward is a stronger brand identity that resonates with your audience. As branding expert David Ogilvy noted,
"The way you write your advertising copy will be the biggest deciding factor in whether or not your advertising will plunge into oblivion or rise to glory."
Sources:
"Ogilvy on Advertising," David Ogilvy.
"Tone of Voice," Innocent Drinks.
