03 Oct Tone Deaf? Here’s How to Find Your Brand’s Tone of Voice

Try these 3 easy exercises to nail your unique tone of voice

Written by Katherine Tate

4 min read

“People don’t always remember what you say or even what you do – but they always remember how you made them feel,” is a popular quote attributed to a number of people (including, falsely, to Maya Angelou).

But no matter who first came up with this adage – what you’re looking at is the importance of tone of voice in your writing. Not what you say, but how you say it: that’s what will be remembered because of the emotions you managed to evoke. It’s which words you use in your marketing content, how you use them, and, importantly, the way they make your audience feel.

Our chief wordsmith, Cavalletti Communications’ founder Daniela Cavalletti, recently explained tone of voice and why it’s important. Go have a read – and then pop back here for a few simple exercises designed to help you pinpoint your unique tone of voice. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

It’s a cracking read, right? So, now that you’ve got a better idea of tone of voice, let’s dive in!

How to Find Your Very Own, Authentic Tone of Voice

#1. Make It Personal

I’ll be frank: finding your tone of voice isn’t a walk in the park. Many SMEs and even big businesses struggle to nut out their brand’s personality – and then communicate it clearly to influence their audience and make an impact.

So don’t fret if it takes a while (and some huffing and puffing) to find your voice. It’ll be worth it when you do!

Here’s an easy exercise to get the cogs turning: think of your business or brand as a person. After all, your tone of voice is a reflection of your company’s personality – so why not make it as human as possible?

Ask yourself: If my brand were a person, who would it be? Would it be:

• Male or female?
• Old or young?
• Serious or playful?
• Athletic or lethargic?
• Outspoken or introverted?

Then step even further outside the box and ask some curly questions. What movies does your brand watch? What does it get up to on a Friday night (pint at the pub or board games at home?) Where does it work? What does it dream about?

Find a stock image of the person that looks like your brand, based on its personality and physical features. And finally, give your brand a name that matches its persona (a real name, like Jessie or Mr Edward Montagu).

#2. Words, Words, Words

Awesome – you now know exactly who your brand is as a person. That’s a big chunk of your tone of voice work done. But what now? How do you start communicating in your voice?

Try this word game: think of a word or phrase that sums up your brand. Then, brainstorm a list of adjectives that mean the same as that word or phrase. There’s no right or wrong here – it’s all about jotting down a bunch of ideas that best express your business and its personality.

Keep refining the list until you decide on some key words and phrases that best reflect your brand.

#3. Ask the Audience

Still stuck? Give this a go: seek out your target audience (social media is great for this) and see how they speak with each other. Observe the language they use and how it’s used to connect and share ideas and information. Now, you don’t want to completely copy their voice in your marketing … but this exercise might just inspire some expressions and language you hadn’t thought of.

And hey, while you’re at it, why not go one step further and ask your audience (or existing customers or clients) how they’d like you to speak to them? Maybe share a few examples of different brand personalities and voices, and ask them which ones they prefer. Et voilà – your new tone of voice straight from the horse’s mouth!

With a Little Help from Your Friends

I know, I know – this all sounds like a lot of hard work. And I won’t lie: boiling down your own business’ or brand’s personality to its essence can be an emotional, tough task. You might find you’re too close to it to see it clearly in all its authentic, memorable and unique glory.

So, go on, and do it together. Crack open your best bottle or get yourself a nice cuppa. Then rally your work team or even your friends around you, and give it a collective go!

Your audience – and your business – will thank you for it.

Cheers!

Still struggling? Call a friend … Drop us a line and we’ll help you find and communicate your very own, consistent tone of voice across all your marketing and business materials.