Establishing Your Brand with a Compelling Tone of Voice: Part 1

By Tyler McDowell

​So you’re starting to develop your brand and you’re ready to bless this world with your incredible ideas, but do you know how to communicate these ideas in a way that makes you sound established and approachable? Do you know what kind of words you want to use, or what level of formality you need? If you don’t, then no worries, we’re here to help! This two part series will introduce you to the tips and tricks you need to find the tone of voice that can help establish your brand. Finding the right tone of voice that will capture your audience can be challenging, but the Flame team is here to provide some guidance. 

What is a Tone of Voice?

Your tone of voice is the way that you tell someone about your message and it can be used to influence and persuade. Every company needs a specific tone to communicate with their audience. Without a developed and thoughtful tone, companies may find it difficult to connect with their customers and expand their business. Your tone of voice reflects your company’s values and personality which can build trust and boost customer relationships. Your tone is what can make you memorable. 

Know What Your Company Stands For

One of the first points that should be considered when narrowing down the right tone of voice for your company is the kind of values and beliefs that your company holds. What are your company’s goals and how can you communicate this clearly and effectively? If you have not defined your company’s mission, then your ability to communicate with customers is already hindered. Having a concise idea of what your goal is will help you find the right responses and words. Take a look at the front page of highly successful Weebly, an online service that allows customers to build websites with little to no cost. Weebly’s message is clear as key words and images are provided to show you exactly what kind of service they provide.

Who is Your Target Market?

If you know your company’s goal, then it’s time to figure out who your market is. This is important because the way you speak to one kind of market may not be the best way to speak to another. Analyse your current or future customers and think about what kind of people they are. What are their ages, incomes, interests, etc.? All of these characteristics may impact how you decide to interact with them. For example, if your audience is an older generation and you start sending them emails with emoji’s and abbreviations commonly used by people in their 20’s, then your audience might have a difficult time understanding and connecting with your business. Getting to know your customers is one of the key steps to help you find the right tone of voice. 

Find a Balance

You should also consider the balance of professionalism and friendliness. Having professionalism is a great quality, but what if you are too professional? If you focus all of your energy on simply being professional, you might be seen as unapproachable and less friendly. There is a time and place for strict formality, but that time and place isn’t always now.  Having empathy and geniality can help your customers feel like they are more than just a number. While watching your tone, don’t forget to watch your vocabulary as well.  Using lengthy and unnatural words can alienate your customers as they may find it difficult to understand you and your content. Keep it professional, but keep it friendly too! 

Be Consistent

Once you have developed your tone of voice, you must remember to maintain that tone across all forms of communication. Your social media platforms should predominantly use the same language and attitude, no matter who is creating the content. The brand’s tone should be visible in every team member’s work so that there is a strong sense of harmony within the company. Here at Flame we have different team members writing for different brands from all over the world, but we strive to make sure that our tone is balanced and indistinguishable. 

With all of this knowledge in hand, you can turn your company into a glowing competitor in your industry! If you are looking for more tips and tricks, check out the second article in this two part series. However, if you would like to connect with Flame to discuss further action, do get in touch. We are always here to help. For more updates, visit us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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