WHAT IS TONE OF VOICE AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Your tone of voice is how your business is portrayed through the words you write. It isn’t about what you say, but the way in which you say it. Essentially, it’s your brand’s personality. Think of your brand as a person – are they friendly and chatty? Approachable? Professional? An expert in their field? Or perhaps a combination of all of these? However you want to come across, your tone of voice is how you can achieve it.
To create a strong tone of voice that’s recognisable and identifiable, you need to be consistent. Everything you write – from your website copy to your marketing emails – should follow the same guidelines.
Tone of voice makes up just one part of your overall brand identity. As well as your words, you can build a persona through your use of images, colours, video and sound.
Now you know what it is, why is tone of voice important?
It makes you human
Whether you’re selling to other businesses or direct to consumers, the person making the decision to buy from you will always be a human. And humans relate to other humans! If you can make people feel some kind of emotion – whether that’s excitement, joy or trust – they’re more likely to favour you over your competitors.
It helps you to stand out
In crowded marketplaces, having a distinct tone of voice can help you shout louder than your competitors. Of course, strong messaging comes into play here, too, but your tone of voice can also help differentiate you from the crowd.
It helps build credibility
If you speak with confidence, people will believe almost anything you tell them. And after all, as a business owner, you are an expert in your field. The way you write can help portray that, and build trust and confidence amongst potential customers.
How to develop your brand’s tone of voice
Developing a tone of voice for your business or brand doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few of our top tips:
· Start by thinking about what characteristics you want to represent your brand – for example, friendly, trustworthy, reliable. Then, imagine a person who possesses all of these traits.
· Every time you write something on behalf of your brand, read it out loud. Remember that person you imagined? Ask yourself, ‘does this sound like them?’ If you imagine your brand as a friendly, approachable person, for example, you may want to write in a more conversational tone.
· Be consistent – your tone of voice will only ever be apparent to your audience if it shines through in every single piece of copy they read from you.
Need help writing or re-writing copy to suit your tone of voice?
Get in touch with us at Sell it with Science – we’re always happy to chat.