Understanding tone & voice
2 - Writing convincingly
Writing convincingly is at the core of what we, as copy and content writers, do.
We might be convincing a user to download a guide, to sign up to an email newsletter, or simply that our website offers the best content. Whatever it is, confidence is key to convince.
Understanding tone
While each client you write for has their own specific tone and style, there are some ground rules to bear in mind when writing for SEO.
Knowing how to strike the right tone is essential as a content writer. Content written with a clear and engaging tone of voice is much more compelling to read. It’s often underrated,
but you can achieve a lot with tone: sentiment, action, and more.
When it comes to developing a specific tone for your clients, remember one thing above all: keep it consistent. For example:
If you want to make an article fun and jokey, start off that way so it's not jarring later on in the text.
Think of tone as a spectrum from formal to informal. Each client will have their preferences, and most sit somewhere between the two.
Formal vs. informal tone
These days, it's pretty rare to write really formal content for online blogs. However, some clients are more formal than others. For example, Sona comes across as more corporate than TravelPerk.
Let's look at some of the key differences.
Formal writing
Formal writing is neutral or serious, used primarily by companies in the B2B SaaS space who want to demonstrate expertise and have a product that requires a great deal of seriousness & trust; for example, fintech. At top-level, a forma tone is made up of:
- Low-to-no exclamations
- Conventional spelling, punctuation, and grammar
- Full sentences
- Impersonal, objective voice
More often used for business-to-business content that uses technical terminology to show authority. Formal writing is also used by corporate industries, such as finance (e.g. Forbes), law, or healthcare.
Informal writing
Informal writing uses a casual ToV and a conversational style. It's a relaxed way of communicating, using abbreviations and slang to mimic the way people might speak.
Many companies adopt a friend-next-door persona to give helpful advice in their content, without sounding too preachy. Informal writing is more commonly used by B2C or D2C brands: business to customer, or direct to consumer.
ToV = tone of voice
Informal writing is characterized by:
- Colloquial language
- Punctuation hat engages the reader, for example, ellipses (…), exclamations, and question marks
- Language that expresses emotion
- First and second person
- Occasionally sentences that start with 'but' or 'and'
- Wordplay and puns (but these are your last priority)
Writing informally is best done by considering how you might say the words, and writing them down like that.
If you're writing for a client that uses an informal tone, try not to get too carried away. Correct spelling and grammar are important, and above all prioritize the message they're trying to communicate. We want to write how we talk, but not totally as we talk. For example, avoid words like “so”.
If you've just come out of academic writing at university, or you're used to a different style of writing, it can be difficult to switch up your language to suit a client. The best thing to do before you start writing is to read previous articles they’re fond of to familiarize yourself with their tone or target tone.
What is brand voice?
A brand is how a brand writes and sounds. It's decided by a number of factors, including:
- Target audience
- Industry
- Content format
- Company values and mission
Standing out from the crowd is the ultimate content goal. To differentiate themselves from competitors, companies cultivate a brand voice that creates a unique personality, tone, and
style, and adopts this across all communication channels.
After interacting with the content put out by this company, the target customer begins to feel that they know the company, and are more likely to convert into paying customers because familiarity builds trust.
Why does brand voice matter?
- Increasing authenticity: a strong brand voice humanizes the brand, helping it come across as reliable and trustworthy.
- Ensuring consistency: a consistent brand voice strengthens brand recognition. This can be achieved by repeating the same language style, phrases, or humor throughout.
- Connecting with the ICP: the ICP or IRP (ideal customer/reader profile) must be at the forefront of your mind when writing. This enables you to create content tailored to the target audience, driving engagement and customer satisfaction.
Let’s look at some examples...
1. Mailchimp
One of the most influential brands in online marketing, MailChimp does content right. Have a look at their style guidelines here to see how they do it.
2. Slack
You'll be familiar with Slack by now, in which case you'll probably have realised that they're a pretty big deal in the B2B world. Here are their style guidelines.
3. Skype
Skype's also pretty influential, and you'll see their marketing all around. From guides to articles to social media posts, they retain the same ToV throughout. Have a closer look here.
