How to Establish Your Brand’s Tone of voice

A well-defined and consistent tone of voice is essential for establishing a strong brand identity. Implementing a consistent tone of voice gives customers a sense of familiarity in any marketing touch points and builds trust. Going beyond words; a strong tone of voice embodies the personality and values of your brand, making communications resonate with your target audience.

In this article, Propeller provides a comprehensive approach to identifying and developing your brand’s tone of voice.

Before getting into our guide to establishing your brand’s tone, it’s crucial to understand why this matters. Here are our top three reasons for making this a priority:

• Build trust: Customers are more likely to trust a brand that communicates consistently with a familiar tone.
• Enhance recognition: A distinctive tone helps your brand stand out against your competitors.
• Foster Connection: The right tone will engage your audience on a deeper level, building loyalty.

Step 1: Define Your Brand’s Core Values

Start by identifying the core values that underpin your brand. These values are the foundation of your tone of voice and should reflect what your brand stands for. 

To help with defining your values, write down five adjectives that describe your brand’s personality. For example, if your brand is a luxury fashion line, your adjectives might be “elegant,” “exclusive,” “sophisticated,” “innovative,” and “timeless.”

These adjectives will guide your tone of voice, ensuring it aligns with your brand’s identity.

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for developing a tone that resonates. Consider their demographics, preferences, and pain points. Conducting thorough market research can provide valuable insights.

Create detailed buyer personas. For each persona, include information such as age, gender, occupation, interests, and challenges. Understanding these personas will help you tailor your messaging to their needs and preferences. This will also help anyone joining your team get a better grasp of who your target audience is.

Step 3: Analyse Your Current Communications

Evaluate your existing communications to identify patterns and inconsistencies. This analysis can reveal what’s working and what needs improvement.

Collect samples of your brand’s communication, including social media posts, emails, website content, and advertisements. Analyse these samples to identify recurring themes, tone, and style. Note any inconsistencies or areas where the tone does not align with your brand values.

Step 4: Develop Your Tone of Voice Guidelines

With a clear understanding of your brand’s values and audience, you can now develop comprehensive guidelines. These guidelines should be detailed and provide practical advice for anyone creating content for your brand.

Guidelines:

1. Overview: Begin with an overview of your brand’s core values and the importance of tone of voice.
2. Voice Characteristics: Describe the key characteristics of your brand’s voice. For instance, is it formal or informal, friendly or authoritative?
3. Do’s and Don’ts: Provide specific examples of what to do and what to avoid. For example, if your brand aims to be approachable, you might suggest using conversational language and avoiding jargon.
4. Examples: Include examples of on-brand and off-brand communications. This helps illustrate the guidelines in practice.

Step 5: Implement and Train Your Team

Once your guidelines are in place, ensure they are implemented consistently across all channels. Training your team is crucial for maintaining a unified tone of voice.

We recommend organising workshops with your content creators, marketers, and customer service representatives. Practice applying the tone of voice guidelines in different scenarios, such as responding to customer inquiries or creating social media content.

Step 6: Monitor and Refine

A tone of voice is not static; it evolves with your brand and audience. Regularly monitoring your communications and seeking feedback can help you refine and improve your tone over time.

Be sure to set up a system for regular reviews of your brand’s communications. Gather feedback from your audience through surveys or social media interactions. Use this information to adjust your tone of voice guidelines.

To streamline the process of developing your tone of voice, consider utilising the following tools:

1. Surveys and Polls: Tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms can help gather valuable insights from your audience regarding their preferences and perceptions.
2. Social Listening Tools: Platforms such as Hootsuite or Brandwatch allow you to monitor social media conversations and understand how your audience talks about your brand and competitors.
3. Content Analysis Tools: Using tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help ensure your content aligns with your tone of voice guidelines by checking for consistency in style and readability.
4. Collaboration Platforms: Platforms like Trello or Asana can be used to manage and share your tone of voice guidelines with your team, ensuring everyone is aligned and informed.

In Summary…

Developing a strong, consistent tone of voice is a critical component of your brand’s identity. By following this step-by-step guide, you can create a tone that reflects your brand’s values, resonates with your audience, and enhances your overall communication strategy. Continuously revisit this strategy to ensure your brand remains relevant and true to your brand mission.

Establishing a tone of voice is not just about choosing the right words; it’s about creating a lasting impression and forging a meaningful connection with your audience. Invest the time and effort into this process, and your brand will enjoy increased recognition, trust, and loyalty.