When we talk about creating copy for a business or organisation, one of the first questions that comes up is what the ‘tone of voice’ should be. Oddly enough, in this context the phrase tone of voice actually refers to written, rather than spoken words.
Every organisation projects a tone of voice, and the aim is to develop a language for your brand that is easily recognisable and consistent in every aspect of your communications. You could be running the largest, most successful business in the world, but when your customer picks up that brochure or logs onto your website, they are effectively talking directly to you, the company, on a one-to-one basis. The information you put out delivers the facts your potential customer needs in order to hire you, but your tone of voice tells them whether or not you’re a good fit for the kind of working relationship they prefer. Therefore, it’s not only what you say that counts, but how you say it.
For example, for this website, I decided I wanted the copy to sound just like me – as if I was talking to you face to face, or on the phone. I really am just one ordinary little person with a passion for what I do and a desire to get to know my clients on a personal as well as a professional level – but this informal, personal tone is a popular choice these days even for huge corporations, because it gives the impression of a much smaller and more intimate relationship for their clients. Probably one of the most famous examples is Apple, which uses uncomplicated, conversational copywriting as a cornerstone of its entire brand.
In a world where online has largely replaced face-to-face, at least for initial connections, tone of voice transforms your company into an entity that your customer can bond with and identify with – so you need to really think about how your written communications come across, and what that says about your organisation.
So, how do you figure out what your tone of voice should be? It might be tempting to go with the trend – after all, if it’s good enough for Apple, it’s good enough for anybody, right? Well, not exactly. Finding your voice means finding that sweet spot where the way you want to sound collides with what your customers expect to hear. Get it wrong and your communications will sound hollow or unprofessional – but get it right, and you’ll not only communicate essential information, you’ll also inspire confidence and lay the foundations for a relationship that both you and your client can feel good about.
Finding your voice means going right back to basics and making sure you have a really clear understanding of your business or brand, and what its aims are. As you examine what you are trying to achieve and the ways in which your business differs from its competitors, so too you will start to see a recurring theme in the words and the language you use to define your brand. An understanding of your market and your customer – his likes and dislikes, the things that influence him – will further inform and develop the tone of all your communications.
It’s helpful sometimes to imagine that you have your ‘dream’ customer sitting right in front of you. If you can imagine the words you’d use to pitch your business, what you’d wear, where you’d meet – you can imagine the overall tone of the exchange. And that will help you to develop the tone of your communications too. Take fashion outlet ASOS for example; they choose language that suits the average demographic of their customer so it’s often littered with modern slang, like this headline advertising gym attire: “Squat goals. Shop everything you need to be the best you at ASOS.” Head over to luxury brand Ted Baker, however, which shares a large proportion of the same demographic, and you’ll find a totally different tone – no slang, and much more ‘aspirational’ vocabulary: “From spacious suitcases to handsome holdalls, pack like a professional jet-setter with Ted’s luxury luggage.” When it comes to establishing your tone of voice, the right option is as unique as your business (and your customer) itself.
This is the part of the blog post when I remind you that a professional copywriter can work with you on all these things to help you establish the tone of voice you want to project, and then produce the written words accordingly. If this sounds like something you need help with, get in touch!
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