How to use a tone of voice guide
I recently hosted a webinar with a lovely bunch of translators. As part of their job, they are given tone of voice guides by their clients and expected to use them for their translations. One of the questions they asked me was how best to take on these sometimes unwieldy documents and deliver the best results for their clients.
Now, you might be in the same boat, using tone of voice guides as part of your job. Or maybe you’re considering tone of voice for your organisation and wondering what your team are actually supposed to do with the guide once it’s up and running.
This one’s for you: your ultimate guide to how to get the most out of a tone of voice guide and hit the copy bullseye first time.
We’re going to break this down into two sections. First, the prep, and second, the writing.
Prepare
Grab a cuppa and sit down in a quiet spot with the guide. Read it a couple of times. Printing it out and highlighting it as you go will earn you bonus points from me. Now you’re going to ask yourself some questions, and if you don’t know the answers, you’re going to go back to the person who gave you the guide for details.
What’s the strategic context
Ask yourself how this document fits into what you know about the brand’s strategy, their messaging, positioning, target audience and values. And how does it fit into any goals or key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ve been made aware of. It’s important to link these things together so you know why you’re doing what you’re doing and what the brand hopes to get out of it.
What’s the marketing context?
Now think about the copy you’ll be working on. Who is the audience? Where will they encounter the copy? What are the big messages you want them to take away? How will this impact what you read in the guide? For example, if their tone of voice is very light and full of humour, how will this translate to the terms and conditions or apology email you’ve been asked to craft? Again, seek clarification if you need to.
Look at examples
Nothing brings tone of voice to life like real copy examples. If there aren’t any or many included in the guide (for shame!), ask to see some. What was the best piece of copy the brand has produced recently? What’s one piece of copy produced in the last year that everyone agreed hit the nail on the head for brand voice? If they’ll let you, ask to see an edited first draft; those edits will be a real mine of information.
With all this on board and assimilated, you’re ready to write.
Write
Yes, you’re ready to write, but before you launch into the piece proper, there are a few opportunities to limber up and get match fit.
Make a tone of voice checklist
All the tone of voice guides I create finish with a one-page checklist, a tick list of writing tricks, clarity tips and checks to make sure you’re hitting all the right notes. If the guide you’re working with doesn’t have one, create it! List each writing tip under each personality pillar and any extra writing requirements the guide sets out. That way, when you’ve finished your draft, you can quickly evaluate it against the guide and edit accordingly.
Do a trial run
I do this with every new copy client and it works wonders. Before you launch into the full 2,000-word sales page, take the first 100 words and work them up to a level you’d be happy to share. It’s your opportunity to check you’re heading in the right direction before you lose three days perfecting a draft only to realise your interpretation of the guide varies slightly from the marketing managers. Think of it like checking the seasoning when you’re cooking. It’s your chance to dial up the sass, dial down the humour, make those little tweaks that will guarantee the full first draft delivers.
Go for it
Even though you’ve checked the seasoning, there’ll be moments where you’re thinking should I dial up the creativity here or play it more safe? I would always say go big at this point – it’s easier to dial a draft back than dial it up later. Look for those fun hidden opportunities to sprinkle tone of voice throughout the copy and commit as much as you can.
Do a clarity read-through
That being said, nothing – even tone of voice – matters more than clarity. If your reader can’t understand what you’re on about, then the whole thing will be a waste. So, as well as your tone of voice checklist, do a read-through for clarity. Especially if there’s important information in there like ingredients, opening times or anything that needs to be easily and quickly understood, keep it nice and simple.
And that’s your lot. Hopefully you’ve managed to take a copy brief and an unfamiliar tone of voice guide and turn it into a piece of copy your boss or client will be cooing over for weeks to come. Any questions, give me a shout.
If you’d like to chat more about tone of voice, I’d love to hear from you