Tone of voice guide
What to do next
Show the working, step by step
Where I used this
At ACCA I led flagship thought leadership, “Business Partner of the Future”, positioning the brand with finance C-suites through national media.
Read the case: Flagship thought leadership: ‘Business Partner of the Future’ →Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Voice stays, tone flexes
Your brand voice is its personality, and it should stay consistent everywhere. Tone is how that voice adapts to the moment: lighter on social, steadier in a complaint reply, calmer in a health message. A good guide gives writers a few clear principles and examples, not a long list of rules.
- Only strong positions become rules. Sliders near the middle mean "flex as needed", so the guide leaves them out.
- Write three sample lines (a headline, an error message, an apology) to test the guide before you roll it out.
Get new free tools by email. One short note when a new tool or essay goes live. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Want your brand to sound like itself everywhere?
Bring your settings to a free 30-minute call, and I will help you turn them into a voice guide your team can use.
Questions
What is the difference between brand voice and tone?
Voice is the consistent personality behind everything a brand writes. Tone is how that voice adjusts to the situation and the reader's mood.
How do I define a brand's tone of voice?
Place the brand on a few spectrums such as formal to casual and serious to playful, turn the strong positions into do and avoid principles, then test them on real copy.
How many principles should a voice guide have?
Three to five is usually enough to remember and apply.