Brand tone of voice. It's one of those things that's easy to talk about but can be slippery to pin down. That's because tone of voice is a bit harder to define. Think about it. If you brand guidelines say you need to use a specific red - then you can use a specific red. But a tone of voice won't tell you the exact words to use.
That said, lots of brands are now more known for their tone of voice than their visual advertising (think Innocent, Oatly and Specsavers.) So if you're wondering how to define your tone of voice, then look no further.
Start with words
OK, yep. That's a bit obvious isn't it? But hear us out. Unlike design guidelines, it's best to skip formal tone of voice guidance for a while at least. That's because your tone of voice will come out over time as you write articles, ads and more. Once you've got your tone loosely sorted - that's the time to make a document about it.
Do the opposite of the others
There's a reason Innocent didn't sound like other smoothie makers at the time. While they all whispered about "100% pure pressed fruit juice, not from concentrate," Innocent shouted " anything innocent will always taste good and do you good." Notice how this is about the customer and not the product itself?
That's one teeny tiny example of why you want a top quality writer that you trust to build your brand. The key thing they'll do is make sure that you're not copying Innocent or any other brand. A lot of brands fell into the trap of "wackaging" where businesses tried a bit too hard to be cool after Innocent came on the scene. Customers can sniff out trying too hard in a moment or two.
Write like you talk
Something we see loads of businesses do is to talk like a business. And yes it's true that if you're a solicitor, you don't want to be writing "all the legalz for the lols." Not appropriate. But that doesn't mean you have to be stuffy. A top tip for starting your tone of voice is to listen to people talking to customers. What's that tone like? You'll find some clues for tone of voice starting points in the language they used.
Show your personality
Building on that step, another thing to do is look for ways to add personality. Think of your brand as a cartoon character. Chances are they like some things, and don't like others. Don't be shy of making that known. If you're not sure what this should be, chances are you need to go back to your brand strategy to make sure your brand message is coming through in your tone.
Start with things your customers will see most
Chances are there are some touchpoints that your customers always see first. That could be packaging, your website, or an instore experience. Work on these first, and then adapt everything else to support your tone of voice in these key areas.
Tone of voice is a tricky thing to get right. But if you map your tone to your brand strategy, and find your own way of writing, you'll be in a great place to build a tone of voice that works for you.
