You know when you read something and instantly feel like you get the brand? That’s voice. When the words feel friendly, sharp, warm, bold, or totally unique—that’s tone.
Your brand’s voice and tone are what make your message sound like you. They help people connect with your business, even before they decide to buy anything.
So how do you find your brand’s voice and tone?
Start by thinking about how you want your brand to feel. Imagine your brand as a person. How would they talk? Would they be casual or professional? Funny or calm? Bold or quiet? Trustworthy and direct? Think about the experience you want people to have when they read your website, scroll through your social posts, or open an email from you.
Next, think about your audience. Who are you talking to? What do they respond to? What kind of language do they already use? If your audience is younger and playful, you might want to loosen up your tone. If you’re speaking to professionals or decision-makers, you might go for clarity and authority.
Voice and tone aren’t about writing like a marketer. They’re about sounding like a human—and staying consistent with that voice across everything you do.
Your brand voice doesn’t change. It’s your overall personality. It’s what you sound like across all platforms. But your tone can shift depending on the context. For example, your tone might be more excited in a product launch email and more grounded in a customer service reply. Same voice, different tone.
To help clarify your voice, it can be useful to create a few “this, not that” statements. For example:
-
Friendly, not silly
-
Professional, not stiff
-
Confident, not arrogant
-
Clever, not snarky
-
Clear, not salesy
These types of statements help your team (and your future self) stay aligned when creating content or writing copy.
Another great way to define your voice is to look at what you’ve already written. Go back through your favorite emails, social posts, or even text messages to clients. What feels the most like you? Highlight words and phrases that sound natural. Then build from there.
It’s also okay to take inspiration from others—just make sure you’re not copying. Study brands you admire and ask yourself why their voice works. Is it their rhythm? Their humor? Their simplicity? Then find your own way to express that same clarity or feeling in your own language.
Don’t overthink it. Your brand voice doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be honest and consistent. It should feel like something you can show up with day after day.
Once you’ve defined it, write it down. Create a short voice and tone guide that includes your brand personality traits, your “this not that” statements, a few example phrases, and tone adjustments for different platforms.
At Why Workshop, we help brands find their voice and use it with confidence. Whether you’re writing your About page, launching a new product, or trying to make your emails feel more like you, we’ll help you sound like the brand you actually want to be.
If you’re not sure what your voice is or if your tone feels all over the place, let’s fix that. Start with a free brand audit and we’ll review your current content, tone, and messaging to help you find your voice—and use it with purpose.
