Top tips for finding an effective tone of voice for your online brand

This is a guest post by Marketing Island.

Tone of voice isn’t the words we say but how we say them. It is the language we choose, and the personality behind the screen. Brands often rely so heavily on graphics, colour pallets and typefaces, but having a distinct tone of voice is just as important for building brand affinity and familiarity.

In the wise words of Maya Angelou, ‘People won’t always remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel’. Mastering your own tone of voice is crucial, it’s a major part of what makes you unique. A consistent tone of voice ensures you are easily recognisable and can resonate with your customers.

When we speak face to face, we are not solely relying on the words leaving our mouths as we have the assistance of non-verbal communication. Using facial expressions, gestures and different pitches allow us to correctly communicate what we are trying to say to others. A carefully considered tone of voice is vital for the representation of a brand online, as we lose all these additional factors. Online marketing such as email and social allow you to build strong relationships with your consumers through one to one conversations. Therefore, portraying the correct tone of voice can help you stand out against competitors and communicate authentically and honestly.

‘If you’re looking for your voice, tap into how you write and talk to your best friends – when you’re not trying to impress or be someone else, but just telling your stories. That’s the quickest way to find it.’ – Jess Pan

Since establishing Marketing Island in 2017, our tone of voice has always been an important factor in our overall branding. Marketing Island was created with a specific audience in mind and this enabled us to quickly establish who we were talking to and how to talk to them – women like us!

Being human has always been the most important thing for us, we have always prided ourselves on being genuine and passionate about the topics we share. We have found this vital to our engagement; it allows us to build connections and bonds with our readers.

Our Top Tips:

Understand your values and personality
Your tone of voice should express your brand’s personality and values. Figure out if you want to be humorous, empathetic or serious (but always ensure you’re relatable!). Your customers are only human (like you), so be approachable and break down that fourth wall – you are not a robot!

Know your target audience
Who will you be talking to? As with all marketing, understanding your audience and their needs is vital. Ensuring your tone of voice aligns with their purpose and ethos as well as your product or service is extremely important.

Write down guidelines
Once you’ve nailed your tone of voice then document it, this can be a part of your overall brand guidelines. Having documentation in place informing of your tone of voice is extremely important to ensuring everyone in the organisation is on the same page.

Be consistent
Through finding your authentic tone of voice your audience will learn to understand your brand and expect a certain experience from you. They will begin to recognise you and build a trusting relationship. Consistency is key here, they need to have the same experience with you 24/7, 365 days a year.

Continue to check that your tone is relevant to your brand. Over time, external and cultural factors can influence organisational change. As important as it is to keep a consistent tone of voice, it’s just as important to be mindful when things may need to be adapted.

Marketing Island is an award-winning online marketing magazine set to inspire women in the digital industry. Find out more here, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.