{"id":75893,"date":"2018-10-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/uncategorized\/how-to-create-a-voice-and-tone-brand-guide-in-7-steps\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T08:22:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T12:22:17","slug":"how-to-create-a-voice-and-tone-brand-guide-in-7-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/content-marketing\/how-to-create-a-voice-and-tone-brand-guide-in-7-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create a Voice and Tone Brand Guide in 7 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Does your brand have a clear voice and tone guide? If it\u2019s just something you \u201cknow\u201d then it may not be communicated as easily as you think. To clarify, let\u2019s look at what voice and tone are.<\/p>\n

A brand\u2019s voice is not what you say, but\u00a0how\u00a0<\/em>you say it. Voice is consistent; tone may shift depending on format, channel, or audience. You may think that consistently in voice isn\u2019t a big deal or that your customers and prospects will surely know that your brand is friendly and trustworthy. Don\u2019t make this assumption.<\/p>\n

Why consistent voice matters?<\/h2>\n

When your voice is strategic and aligned, it makes for much better content. It provides clear messages to audiences, not confusion. The more consistent a brand is with voice, the more likely messaging will be retained.<\/p>\n

Consistency in voice can make audiences more likely to see your brand as friendly, too. Inconsistency can dilute brand and harm reputation or brand equity.<\/p>\n

Consistency pays off, too. Brands can increase revenue by\u00a023%\u00a0when they present consistent messaging. Further, buyers desire authenticity in your content with\u00a080%<\/a>\u00a0citing it as the main factor on whether or not a customer or prospect follows the brand on social media.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s another key piece of your\u00a0brand identity toolbox<\/a>\u00a0that will be a compass for everything you brand have to say.<\/p>\n

How to build your voice and tone guide<\/h2>\n

Now that you know\u00a0why the voice of your brand matters<\/a>, you can begin to build out your guide. This exercise should be a collaborate effort across many stakeholders\u2014however, someone needs to be the final \u201cowner\u201d of voice and tone. This likely is a content marketing role. Giving ownership to someone also ensures there will be accountability on how all content is created.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look now at the seven steps.<\/p>\n

Step One: Do an Assessment of Your Current Voice and Tone<\/h3>\n

Your brand should, unless it\u2019s new, have plenty of content to assess. This includes website copy, blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, and anything else that falls under content marketing assets. Try to determine what similarities the content has and if it\u2019s the right direction for your brand and customers.<\/p>\n

For example, many tech companies can come off as somewhat condescending to customers as they feel like all their expertise needs to be shoved into a paragraph.<\/p>\n

Step Two: Decide What to Keep and What You Want to Change<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve completed the assessment, decide if there are any attributes or phrasing you want to keep. Try to piece out what you\u2019re doing well and not so well. Then map out what your future voice should include with attributes such as simplifying language, focusing on the second person\u2014\u201cyou\u201d\u2014to create a feeling of inclusion, or changing language to be benefit driven, not feature filled.<\/p>\n

Step Three: Attributes<\/h3>\n

Attributes are characteristics of a voice and what it means to have them. A brand\u2019s voice should have at least three attributes. These attributes will be the guide for all content, whether that\u2019s product brochures, eBooks, or social media posts.<\/p>\n

Here is an example with the attribute of approachable. The description of this characteristic would include:<\/p>\n