How to Brand Tone of Voice Guidelines
Name a brand with a memorable tone of voice. If this was a question on the content marketers’ edition of Pointless – Monzo would probably be worth top points. MailChimp, Oatly and First Direct would be up there too. These companies have a memorable tone because they know what they want to say to the world, and most importantly, they know how they want to say it. These brands will have a clear set of tone of voice guidelines so that just about anybody who types a word gets it right. Every time.
“Tone of voice reflects your brand personality, helps you connect with your audience, and makes you different from the rest” – SEMrush
But you’re not Monzo, Oatly or Mailchimp. And neither should you want to be. Monzo’s tone of voice guidelines work because they were crafted by Monzo. The informal style and tone come naturally to the brand’s writers because it is a natural voice for the business that was built to disrupt and do things differently. You’ll want to do things your way. In this blog, we share our top tips on how to create brand tone of voice guidelines.
Like your logo and trademark, your brand tone of voice needs to be consistent or it loses power. The 2023 Sprout Social Index agrees as it reports that consumers want to see posts with a well-crafted voice that can transform a whisper in the social space into attention-commanding bellows. Here are five more reasons why having clear tone of voice guidelines is essential:
1. It helps project your brand values and personality. 2. It ensures all of your brand’s communication meets its intended purpose. 3. It provides your employees with an effective framework to work to. 4. It helps your brand differentiate itself in a crowded market. 5. It enhances the customer experience by offering a reliable brand.