No, we're not here to brush up your French, but there's a French saying that goes: "c'est le ton qui fait la musique". We'll help you out: "it depends how it's said". How something is said, and the way it's said, matters just as much as the message itself. Hello tone of voice. Your business doesn't only need a face, it needs a voice. So how exactly do you find that voice? Let's go looking together.
What does your business stand for?
Let's start at the beginning: what are the company's core values? The core values are the big starting point when a customer decides your company or brand can contribute something to their life. Communicating within the lines of those values is key.
Is the goal to inform your customer? Or do you want to inspire? Get a coffee and answer the following questions as carefully as you can:
- Why does your business exist?
- What sets your business apart from the competition?
Who are you writing for?
Now that we have your company's norms and values on paper, we can take a look at exactly who your audience is. How does your audience want to be addressed and how can you best reach them? By building a buyer persona you give your audience a face. Think gender, age, education, hobbies and so on. The more specific you get, the clearer it becomes how your group wants to be spoken to.
Analyse existing content
It isn't always possible, but if you can we'd definitely recommend this step. Have a rummage through social posts, blog posts and newsletters that have been online for a while. By running your eagle eyes over these texts you'll quickly find out what scores well and what doesn't. If all is well you'll find a common thread where the core values come back.
Let's get started
We came this far. Now it's time to bring all that gathered information together and define a clear tone of voice. Let your personality shine in your copy. Is one of your core values informing the medical sector? Then a formal tone, using the more difficult words that belong in the sector, can work. Are you the owner of a trendy vegan lunch spot? Then informal copy with a bit of youth language might be the direction for you.
We wouldn't be Social Hippos if we didn't have one extra tip for you: write your tone of voice rules down in guidelines. That way it's easier for others (when needed) to slip into the right tone of voice.
Conclusion
By building a one-of-a-kind tone of voice you show who you are and what you stand for. Your voice needs to be heard. That's how you build trust with your audience — provided you use that tone of voice consistently and over the long term.
Not sure which tone of voice to use in the copy of your posts, newsletters or blogs? We'd be delighted to help. Feel free to request a call, and one of our Social Hippos will gladly answer your questions.
