Many of us write our 'corporate' web content with a kind of mind-numbing pseudo-professionalism. They didn’t just pick default text they created the right tone of voice to fit their brand values and culture. Think of the micro-text you loved on the original Flickr or why you get a kick out of Mailchimp. Consistency is memorableĬreating consistent content results in great experiences for your target audience and builds loyalty. Guidelines can be helpful as a central reference to keep the overall voice consistent. The role of web writing is often decentralized, with responsibilities shared between many different content authors in many different places. Here’s why it’s important to take the time to define your tone of voice: 1. It’s no exaggeration to say that a clear tone of voice is vital to helping you stand out in the crowded marketplace. Three reasons why the tone of voice is important
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In your case, the result should be a simple one-page guide with five or so concrete examples of how to write and how not to write. To illustrate, here’s one of three pillars we created for a kids’ teaching resources site:Įxample of a tone of voice table for a government website Ultimately, you should end up with a positive example, a negative example, and a reason for each attribute. What are some personality attributes that could sum up those aspects? Can you find some examples that illustrate those traits? Can you also find some negative tone of voice examples or make some up? From your earlier research, you should already know the core aspects of your voice and brand. It’s time to start creating the guidelines. Take note of the ones that perfectly suit or undermine the company's voice until a picture of how they should ideally “sound” starts to emerge. On top of this formal research, read through numerous samples of text that have been produced for the company-online and off. Use what you’ve learned about the brand through your extensive research: If existing documentation provides helpful context on brand voice and tone, great! Borrow it. This also allows you to have the best possible grip on your (or your client’s) culture, content, and personality. We recommend creating voice and tone guidelines after all the main content strategy deliverables have been created (e.g., content inventory, page tables, site map, content governance documentation, etc.). When in a project workflow should they be produced? The right level of formality may also vary based on who the content is coming from. Depending on the size of the project, some voices may be context-specific.įor example, Help and Support content may be more ‘matter-of-fact,’ whereas research content might be more ‘insightful’ and social media content may be more 'friendly.' We usually include three to six different traits to be embodied. Here are a few things you need to consider before you jump into developing your tone of voice guidelines. The structure of a tone of voice table Frequently asked questions about brand voice guidelines This is the structure I’ve found to be most effective for writing guidelines: They align everyone on your content team on the same page so that-whether a copywriter is writing a sales page or a marketer is creating a piece of content for social media-the tone of voice stays consistent. Even small tech companies, government entities, credit unions, colleges, churches, and realtors use these editorial guidelines to guide their content.Ĭontent style guides should be a key element of any organization’s content operations (also known as 'ContentOps'). This activity isn’t just reserved for big multinational brands small to mid-sized businesses also have brand voice guidelines. These short, helpful tips explain how to write for your brand on the web and the rationale behind your guidelines, thus educating the reader about the nuances of content. This is an important first step in defining and documenting your brand voice.Ĭreating simple voice and tone tables is a great place to start. How can you do that? Develop tone of voice guidelines.
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