You have a lot to say as a business. Deciding on your brand tone of voice (ToV) early, and reconfirming it often, help make sure that no matter where your customers find you, they still hear your unique brand voice in what they’re interacting with. Your tone of voice sets the stage for how your current and potential customers interact with your brand, shaping the way your relationships with your audience will evolve as you grow.
Why does ToV matter?
We’ve already touched on it here a little, but your tone of voice is kind of a big deal. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it, and it determines who your message will really resonate with once it’s out in the world. When your ToV is well-developed and tightly aligned to your marketing, it can:
Differentiate your brand by reflecting your unique brand personality
Create a sense of reliability by delivering a consistent communication experience
Keep you front of mind and easily recognizable
Establishing your ToV
There is some groundwork you’ll need to do to be able to get your tone of voice guidelines created.
Be clear about your brand identity and values. What does your brand stand for? What are your core beliefs? Your tone of voice should be a natural connection to those foundational elements.
Know who you’re talking to. Make sure you’ve done the work to lay out who your audience is and what they care about so that you can make sure you’re meeting their needs and speaking the way they want to be spoken to. A beautiful ToV strategy is no use if it doesn’t work for your business.
Take a look around. See what your competitors and others in the industry are doing, and feel free to take what works for you and leave what doesn’t.
Be comprehensive. Make sure your tone of voice establishes some aspects that are always true, but also allows some flexibility for different needs. After all, even the most playful brand isn’t going to want to send an invoice reminder the same way they’ll invite someone to an event or share a meme on social.
Get specific. Your ToV guidelines should include specific this-not-that or before/after examples that make the guide easier for your users to internalize.
Offer training. Give your entire marketing organization the opportunity to walk through the guidelines together so that everyone understands the importance of the ToV and how to implement it in their own work.
Keep the feedback loop open. Make sure you’re touching base with your marketers, your sales team, your customer service reps, and your customers themselves to make sure your tone of voice is still resonating for everyone. Keep track of your feedback, share it with the team, and make plans to regularly optimize your approach.
Your tone of voice might feel like just a nice-to-have when there’s so much at stake, but you’d be surprised how big a difference these small consistency-drivers can make when it comes to really making your audience feel something. Your tone of voice not only gives life to your business personality but also creates connections that drive engagement.
Comments