How to find the right tone of voice for your business
Tone of voice refers to the way something is said or written.
- 7 min read
What does tone of voice involve?
It is important to use the right tone of voice in communication, to get the message across the right way and to get the desired response from the listener or reader.
In the business and marketing world it is confusing that the term ‘tone of voice’ relates to written, not spoken, words. A company’s written content, including its website, social media, emails and packaging, is influenced by its tone of voice.
Why is tone of voice important?
Tone of voice is important because it reflects the emotion and attitude of the writer. That can influence how a message is understood and received by the reader. Below we have listed some more benefits for you.
It is an expression of the people behind the brand
A tone of voice embodies and expresses the personality and values of the brand. It is about the people who make up the brand, the things that drive them and what they want to share with the world.
It makes you stand out from the rest
When defining your tone of voice, it is important that it is distinctive, recognisable and clear. This sounds like a big job, until we look at how we use our own language in everyday life.
After all, everyone uses their own unique language. Of course, culture and accent are the most important factors in understanding each other. But everyone has their own writing style. Think of your favourite expressions, for example.
It builds trust
According to Robert Cialdini’s book ‘Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion’, there is a strong link between familiarity and trust.
We feel more at ease with something familiar because it takes little mental effort.
It is therefore important that your business is consistent in its use of language, so that it becomes familiar to the customer. Defining the right tone of voice is very important here.
So it subconsciously builds trust in the reader. For more tips on influencing the subconscious, you can read the article on neuromarketing .
It can be used to persuade and influence people.
People don’t always remember what you say or even what you do, but they remember how you made them feel.
A certain feeling is often evoked by the way we say things. People can be very sensitive when it comes to language. They also often form an opinion of others as soon as they hear or read their words.
A simple request, for example, can be expressed in different ways:
“Do you happen to have a pen I could borrow?”
“Do you have a pen I can borrow?”
“Hand me that pen.”
People can be persuaded or influenced by carefully chosen words. That is why politicians, for example, often speak in a few simple sentences. That way they want to convey honesty and truths.
Financial service providers have also been accused of deliberately using jargon to convey a superiority complex.
It is important that tone of voice goes largely unnoticed. After all, the aim is for your target audience to compliment your business and not your writing style.
Let’s move on now, so you can define the tone of voice for your business.
Step 1: Start with your core values
Tone of voice is an expression of a company’s values and way of thinking. This tone can’t simply be made up or based entirely on a trend. Instead, it has to come from the business you are right now.
That is why it is important to define your core values. What makes your business unique and what does your brand or business stand for?
One way to find that out is by creating a mission statement.
Creating a mission statement
A mission statement is a concise, clear description of the goals of an organisation or business. It is meant to convey the organisation’s goals to staff, customers and your target audience.
Strong mission statements answer the following:
- What are your goals?
- How do you want to achieve your goals?
- Who is your target audience?
- What do you want your business to be known for?
There are many different examples of mission statements. Here are a few examples:
- Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
- Coca-Cola: “To refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness, and to create value and make a difference.”
- Nike: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
- IKEA: “To create a better everyday life for the many people.”
As you can see, mission statements are often short and to the point, and focus on the organisation’s purpose and the values that matter to it. They serve as a guide for the organisation’s decisions and activities.
Step 2: Define your tone of voice
There are several dimensions that can be used to describe an organisation’s tone of voice. These are often the following four dimensions:
Formal vs. informal: This concerns how formal or informal the communication is. A formal tone of voice is often found in official documents and legal texts, for example, while an informal tone of voice is better suited to social media and conversations with customers.
Professional vs. personal: This concerns how professional or personal the communication is. A professional tone of voice is better suited to business situations, while a personal tone of voice is better suited to social media and other informal communication.
Formal vs. emotional: This concerns how formal or emotional the communication is. A formal tone of voice sticks more to facts and figures, while an emotional tone of voice is more focused on appealing to the feelings and emotions of the target audience.
Serious vs. light-hearted: This concerns how serious or light-hearted the communication is. A serious tone of voice is better suited to serious topics and situations, while a light-hearted tone of voice is better suited to informal, fun topics.
It is important to define and document an organisation’s tone of voice, so that employees and other stakeholders know how to present themselves in their communication with the target audience
Observe your competitors
Let’s talk about how to adapt your tone of voice to your target audience, now that you understand how to define tone of voice.
Customers expect brands to be aware of their wishes and needs. Finding out which social media channels your customers use and how they communicate with each other is a great way to get to know them.
Find out which channels your target audience is active on.
Going straight to the source, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit or another platform, is the best way to do this.
But how can you find out which websites your target audience visits? Start by searching on Google.
Use the “site search” approach, which appears as follows: site: www.website.nl your brand/product here
Google only shows results from the sites you include when you search this way.
Search across multiple websites by putting an “OR” between them.
So if you want to see what people say about Adidas on Facebook and Instagram, it would look like this:
Spend some time researching your findings and taking notes. What positive comments are being made? What are the downsides? Are there any trends?
You can use this information to adjust your tone of voice in general or even to create social media content.
If your brand is new or this method doesn’t produce many results, you can try searching with the names of your competitors’ brands.
Once you know where your target audience spends their time online, you can pay attention to their language and draw inspiration from it.
Facebook groups can contain a wealth of knowledge.
When you research your customers’ opinions on social media, keep the following questions in mind:
- Do they use emojis?
- What jargon do they use?
- Do they interact directly with brands?
- Which generation do they belong to?
- What are they interested in?
- What do they object to?
Answering the same questions about your competitors’ target markets is also a smart idea. Find out from their past achievements and failures what would suit your target audience.
Step 4: Defining and implementing tone of voice guidelines
Defining set brand rules is the first step in successfully implementing your tone of voice. Review them every so often, especially if your target audience has changed.
Start by writing your guidelines in the brand tone of voice you have defined. That way you create a perfect example of correct usage while writing.
Include both correct and incorrect examples of your tone of voice, to show your team members what to do and what to avoid.
It is important that your internal guidelines include the following:
- A description of your target market and their voice
- The way your business treats its customers (how formal or informal you should be)
- Your brand’s core values
- A description of your mission.
- The structure of your message
- Vocabulary to use
- Vocabulary to avoid
- Grammar rules
Contact
Still unclear on anything about defining your tone of voice? Then feel free to get in Contact with us. Our specialists are ready to give you tailored advice.
A tone of voice only works when it comes back consistently in your copy. We pay attention to that when writing SEO copy: easy to find and in your voice.
Frequently asked questions
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Wat is het verschil tussen tone of voice en huisstijl?
Huisstijl gaat over hoe je merk eruitziet: logo, kleuren en lettertypes. Tone of voice gaat over hoe je merk klinkt in teksten. Samen zorgen ze dat je overal herkenbaar bent.
Spreek je klanten aan met je of u?
Dat hangt af van je doelgroep en je merk. Je klinkt persoonlijker en directer, u past bij een formele of oudere doelgroep. Kies één vorm en gebruik die consequent op je website, in mails en in offertes.
Hoe zorg je dat het hele team dezelfde tone of voice gebruikt?
Leg de tone of voice vast in korte richtlijnen met goede en foute voorbeelden en een lijst met woorden die je wel en niet gebruikt. Deel die met iedereen die teksten schrijft, ook met externe partijen. Zo bewaken wij jouw stem bij het schrijven van SEO copy.
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