tone-voice.md 7.3 KB
Tone & Voice Guidelines
Category: content
Purpose: Maintaining consistent brand voice and adapting tone for different contexts
Used by: copywriter, technical-writer
Overview
Voice is your brand's personality - it stays consistent. Tone is how that voice adapts to different situations and audiences. This guide helps maintain consistency while being contextually appropriate.
Voice vs. Tone
Voice (Consistent)
Your brand's personality that never changes:
- Professional but approachable
- Knowledgeable but not condescending
- Confident but humble
- Clear and direct
Tone (Adaptive)
How voice adapts to context:
- Error messages: Apologetic, helpful
- Success messages: Encouraging, celebratory
- Marketing: Enthusiastic, persuasive
- Documentation: Clear, instructional
- Support: Empathetic, solution-focused
Voice Dimensions
1. Formality Spectrum
Formal ←→ Casual
Formal:
"We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you."
Casual:
"Thanks for choosing us! We're excited to work with you."
Choose based on:
- Industry norms
- Audience expectations
- Context (legal vs. social)
2. Enthusiasm Spectrum
Reserved ←→ Enthusiastic
Reserved:
"Your account has been created successfully."
Enthusiastic:
"Welcome aboard! Your account is ready to go! 🎉"
Choose based on:
- Moment significance
- User emotional state
- Brand personality
3. Expertise Spectrum
Educational ←→ Expert
Educational:
"Let's walk through this step by step. First, click the
'Settings' button in the top right corner."
Expert:
"Navigate to Settings > Advanced > API Configuration."
Choose based on:
- User expertise level
- Content complexity
- Context (onboarding vs. advanced docs)
Tone Guidelines by Context
1. Marketing Copy
Characteristics:
- Enthusiastic and persuasive
- Benefit-focused
- Action-oriented
- Emotionally engaging
Example:
"Transform your workflow in minutes, not months. Join 10,000+
teams who've already made the switch."
2. Product Documentation
Characteristics:
- Clear and instructional
- Step-by-step
- Neutral tone
- Technically accurate
Example:
"To configure authentication:
1. Navigate to Settings > Security
2. Click 'Add Authentication Method'
3. Select your preferred provider"
3. Error Messages
Characteristics:
- Apologetic but not overly so
- Explain what happened
- Provide clear next steps
- Never blame the user
Bad:
"Error: Invalid input. Try again."
Good:
"We couldn't process your request because the email format
isn't valid. Please check and try again."
4. Success Messages
Characteristics:
- Positive and encouraging
- Confirm what happened
- Suggest next steps
- Celebrate wins
Example:
"Great! Your changes have been saved. Ready to publish?"
5. Support Communication
Characteristics:
- Empathetic and understanding
- Solution-focused
- Patient and helpful
- Personalized
Example:
"I understand how frustrating this must be. Let's get this
sorted out for you. Can you tell me what you see when you
click the 'Export' button?"
6. Onboarding
Characteristics:
- Welcoming and encouraging
- Educational without overwhelming
- Progressive disclosure
- Celebrate small wins
Example:
"Welcome! Let's get you set up in 3 quick steps.
First, let's create your workspace."
Writing Principles
1. Be Clear and Concise
Before:
"In order to facilitate the process of account creation,
it is necessary for you to provide your email address."
After:
"Enter your email to create your account."
2. Use Active Voice
Passive:
"Your password has been reset by our system."
Active:
"We've reset your password."
3. Write for Humans
Robotic:
"Operation completed successfully. Proceed to next step."
Human:
"All set! What would you like to do next?"
4. Be Inclusive
Exclusive:
"Hey guys, check out our new feature!"
Inclusive:
"Check out our new feature!"
5. Avoid Jargon
Jargon-heavy:
"Leverage our API to synergize your tech stack."
Clear:
"Connect our API to your existing tools."
Emotional Tone Mapping
User Emotional State → Appropriate Tone
User is frustrated → Empathetic, solution-focused
"I know this is frustrating. Let's fix this together."
User achieved something → Celebratory, encouraging
"Awesome work! You've completed your first project."
User is confused → Patient, educational
"No worries! Let me break this down for you."
User made an error → Helpful, non-judgmental
"Looks like there's a small issue. Here's how to fix it."
User is new → Welcoming, supportive
"Welcome! We're here to help you get started."
Brand Voice Examples
Example 1: Tech Startup (Friendly, Modern)
Voice: Approachable, innovative, helpful
Tone variations:
- Marketing: "Build amazing things, faster"
- Error: "Oops! Something went wrong. Let's try that again."
- Success: "Nice! You're all set."
Example 2: Enterprise SaaS (Professional, Trustworthy)
Voice: Professional, reliable, expert
Tone variations:
- Marketing: "Enterprise-grade security you can trust"
- Error: "We encountered an issue. Please contact support."
- Success: "Configuration saved successfully."
Example 3: Creative Tool (Inspiring, Playful)
Voice: Creative, inspiring, fun
Tone variations:
- Marketing: "Unleash your creativity"
- Error: "Hmm, that didn't work. Let's try something else!"
- Success: "Beautiful! Your design is ready to share."
Best Practices
- Create a voice chart - Document your brand's voice attributes
- Use real examples - Show, don't just tell
- Consider context - Adapt tone to situation
- Be consistent - Use the same voice across channels
- Avoid clichés - "Think outside the box," "game-changer"
- Use contractions - "We're" not "We are" (unless formal)
- Address the user - Use "you" and "your"
- Be specific - Concrete details over vague statements
- Test with users - Does it resonate?
- Update regularly - Voice evolves with your brand
Anti-Patterns
- ❌ Inconsistent voice - Confuses users about your brand
- ❌ Overly formal - Creates distance from users
- ❌ Too casual - May seem unprofessional
- ❌ Jargon overload - Excludes non-experts
- ❌ Passive voice - Weakens your message
- ❌ Blaming users - "You entered the wrong password"
- ❌ Fake enthusiasm - "Amazing! Incredible! Awesome!" overuse
- ❌ Corporate speak - "Leverage synergies to optimize"
Voice & Tone Checklist
Before publishing, verify:
- Does this sound like our brand?
- Is the tone appropriate for the context?
- Is it clear and easy to understand?
- Does it use active voice?
- Is it free of jargon?
- Does it address the user directly?
- Is it inclusive and respectful?
- Does it match our voice chart?
- Would I say this to someone in person?
- Does it help the user accomplish their goal?
References
- Nicely Said by Nicole Fenton & Kate Kiefer Lee
- The Voice and Tone Guide by MailChimp
- Conversational Design by Erika Hall