Today I want to talk about tone of voice (TOV). TOV is all about how you convey your messages to your customers. It’s in the wording, the punctuation, and even in the length of the sentences and how they flow. The way you converse with your customers has a very strong influence over how they feel about your brand and purchasing with you.
It’s not about what you say but how you say it, both verbally and in writing. In much the same way that when you speak with someone face to face you use tone of voice and visual cues to help you decipher the true meaning of the message. In business, the same principle applies, except in this case you don’t have those all important visual cues.
So let’s break it down.
Tone refers to the attitude we express when delivering our message. Are we being sassy or funny, motivational or serious? While voice, refers to the message itself, the types of words we use and how we use them. Are your messages short and to the point or do you prefer to be more eloquent and let the words flow into the mind of your reader?
Done right and with consistency, your brand voice will enhance the rest of your brand strategy and tie everything together. To build your brand voice you need to ensure your consistent across all your business content and channels. The wording on your website, your email correspondence, social media posts, product brochures, presentations and even your phone and face to face chats with your customers. Being consistent across all your communication platforms gives your customer a sense of unity, reliability and builds loyalty.
So what tone of voice is right for you? It needs to be authentic. Buyers want to see that you’re transparent and honest. Today’s consumers want to be able to relate and feel a sense of belonging to the brands they engage with. Your TOV also needs to be relevant to your target audience. If your biggest target market is under 25’s and you’re using a stoic and aloof TOV your audience will be disengaged and you may as well deliver the message to an empty auditorium. Use your brand personas and do your research. Find out what TOV your audience uses and find a way to be authentic yet relatable. Find your vibe and you will find your tribe.