What is tone of voice?
Tone of voice is how your business speaks in written form. It represents the voice, personality, and identity of a company. Tone of voice is the common thread across all communication channels, consistently used in major advertising campaigns, newsletters, social media, and throughout the website. The purpose of a consistent tone of voice is to make companies easily recognizable to their audience and to build credibility around the brand.
Examples of tone of voice
Do you use we, you or one? Do you like to use familiar metaphors to keep the tone light and informal? What kind of products and services do you offer; is it heavy on information, or are you an online store selling interior products? You get the picture. If you still haven’t established a tone of voice in your company, you now have something to reflect on. Here are also two examples of tone of voice that stand in sharp contrast to each other:
- A formal, serious, and informative tone of voice is typically used by large universities, law firms, and similar organizations. It reflects what they offer and how they want to be perceived.
- An informal, personal and approachable tone of voice is widely used across multiple industries, and can represent everything from restaurants and online stores to creative agencies, etc.
Beyond these overarching examples, you can always add extra descriptors that will help your tone of voice stand out even more. The more focused and descriptive your tone of voice is, the more unique it will be.
