Is your brand hitting the right tone of voice?
Branding Strategy
5 May
2022
Is your brand hitting the right tone of voice?
Who has been the victim of a ‘as per my last email’ or the old classic ‘moving forward, for future reference’? Maybe you are the culprit and using this language yourself to get the message across to a pesky co-worker or client! Even as we move through our digital age and use language differently (short, sharp, less formal), we still rely on our choice of words and the way we organise them to convey a message. Just like the delicate art of email correspondence, we subconsciously read between the lines across all mediums of written communication to decode wording and interpret tone of voice.
Throughout the day our radars are on autopilot, piecing together details from each other, through the way we express ourselves. Language is exactly the same. It’s an expression of our brand.
We subliminally mould our brand personality and character through the language we use, whether it be social media captions, customer service chat dialogue or email correspondence.
When we use a consistent tone and style of language, we tell our audience that we know exactly who we are and what we represent.
This builds trust and reliability. If I resonate with you, I can expect that I will continue to do so, and in time, feel a part of a community with a sense of loyalty. Inconsistent tone and mixed messaging ruins this rapport.
How to do this effectively?
Define your brand personality and target audience. What are your values? If your brand was a person, how would you describe them, what kind of words would they use? Would it feel comfortable for them to use humour, modern slang and abbreviations, or are they more serious, polite and conservative?
Steves&Co. designs.
Most of the time your tone of voice will mirror that of your audience. For example, an accountancy firm or funeral home will probably not address their audience the same way as a dating application. Not that we are saying accountants and funeral homes are cut from the same cloth! Although they do say the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. They also say, and rightly so, that the only thing guaranteed for brand success is a defined tone of voice.
Brand guidelines are a fantastic tool to ensure all staff representing your brand have concise examples of the do’s and don’ts, and detailed explanations of appropriate language and tone.
If you need help establishing your brand identity, to create consistent messaging to connect with your audience, get in touch with us via the contact page. We are experts in delivering tailored brand workshops and guidelines. You can also check out other projects where we have guided brand success.
Is your brand hitting the right tone of voice?
Steves&Co. designs.
Who has been the victim of a ‘as per my last email’ or the old classic ‘moving forward, for future reference’? Maybe you are the culprit and using this language yourself to get the message across to a pesky co-worker or client! Even as we move through our digital age and use language differently (short, sharp, less formal), we still rely on our choice of words and the way we organise them to convey a message. Just like the delicate art of email correspondence, we subconsciously read between the lines across all mediums of written communication to decode wording and interpret tone of voice.
Throughout the day our radars are on autopilot, piecing together details from each other, through the way we express ourselves. Language is exactly the same. It’s an expression of our brand.
We subliminally mould our brand personality and character through the language we use, whether it be social media captions, customer service chat dialogue or email correspondence.
When we use a consistent tone and style of language, we tell our audience that we know exactly who we are and what we represent.
This builds trust and reliability. If I resonate with you, I can expect that I will continue to do so, and in time, feel a part of a community with a sense of loyalty. Inconsistent tone and mixed messaging ruins this rapport.
How to do this effectively?
Define your brand personality and target audience. What are your values? If your brand was a person, how would you describe them, what kind of words would they use? Would it feel comfortable for them to use humour, modern slang and abbreviations, or are they more serious, polite and conservative?
Most of the time your tone of voice will mirror that of your audience. For example, an accountancy firm or funeral home will probably not address their audience the same way as a dating application. Not that we are saying accountants and funeral homes are cut from the same cloth! Although they do say the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. They also say, and rightly so, that the only thing guaranteed for brand success is a defined tone of voice.
Brand guidelines are a fantastic tool to ensure all staff representing your brand have concise examples of the do’s and don’ts, and detailed explanations of appropriate language and tone.
If you need help establishing your brand identity, to create consistent messaging to connect with your audience, get in touch with us via the contact page. We are experts in delivering tailored brand workshops and guidelines. You can also check out other projects where we have guided brand success.
