Tone of Voice Masterclass 3: How to Craft the Perfect TOV Guidelines

Summary

This video script from a tone of voice master class discusses the importance of creating and maintaining consistent brand voice guidelines. It emphasizes the necessity for brands of any size, especially those growing or working with multiple agencies, to establish a consistent voice for trust and recognition. The script outlines the process of creating these guidelines, including understanding the brand, defining the voice, and providing tangible examples. It also highlights the benefits of having guidelines for copywriters and clients, such as ease of work and a reference point for disagreements. The video promises to cover troubleshooting tone of voice issues in the next session.

Takeaways

• 📝 Tone of Voice Guidelines are crucial for brands that anticipate scaling and require multiple copywriters to maintain brand consistency.
• 🔗 Consistency in brand voice is key to building trust; a sudden change in tone can disrupt this trust, similar to a person changing their accent.
• 🛠 Guidelines serve as a reference point for copywriters and can help resolve disputes with clients regarding the alignment of copy with the brand's tone.
• 🤝 Creating tone of voice guidelines should be a collaborative process between the copywriter and the client, ensuring mutual understanding and agreement.
• 📈 Guidelines are not just for large companies; growing startups and small businesses also benefit from establishing a consistent brand voice early on.
• 📑 The guidelines should be part of a larger brand strategy, often included in a 'brand bible' alongside brand values, personality, and design guidelines.
• 🎨 The tone of voice section should personify the brand, giving it human-like characteristics and making it relatable to the target audience.
• 📝 The guidelines should include tangible examples and avoid being overly abstract to help copywriters understand the expected tone and style.
• 📚 Detailed sections on word choices, style guides, and the voice 'in situ' (in context) provide practical tools for copywriters to create on-brand content.
• 📉 The level of detail in tone of voice guidelines can vary based on client needs and budget, but covering all key points is important regardless.
• 🔍 Future videos will address common tone of voice issues and how to manage client expectations and feedback effectively.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of tone of voice guidelines for a brand?

The primary purpose of tone of voice guidelines is to ensure consistency in a brand's communication across various platforms and teams, which is crucial for maintaining a strong brand identity.

Why might a small company not need tone of voice guidelines?

A small company might not need tone of voice guidelines if they have a single copywriter and are not planning to expand or work with multiple agencies, as the brand voice can be easily maintained without formal guidelines.

How do tone of voice guidelines help in content creation for a growing brand?

Tone of voice guidelines help in content creation for a growing brand by providing a consistent voice across different marketing materials, ensuring that the brand's message is clear and recognizable to its audience.

What is the importance of consistency in a brand's tone of voice?

Consistency in a brand's tone of voice is important because it helps in building trust with the audience and personifying the company, making the brand more relatable and memorable.

How can tone of voice guidelines serve as a reference point in disagreements with clients?

Tone of voice guidelines serve as a reference point in disagreements with clients by providing a clear standard against which the copy can be measured, allowing the copywriter to justify their decisions and maintain the agreed-upon brand voice.

What is the role of storytelling in creating tone of voice guidelines?

Storytelling in tone of voice guidelines helps to paint a picture of the brand and encapsulate its essence, making the guidelines more relatable and easier for the copywriters to understand and apply.

Why is it important to have the client's input when creating tone of voice guidelines?

It is important to have the client's input when creating tone of voice guidelines to ensure that the guidelines accurately reflect the brand's identity and that they are agreed upon, fostering a collaborative and effective working relationship.

How do tone of voice guidelines fit into a larger brand strategy?

Tone of voice guidelines fit into a larger brand strategy as a component of the brand bible, which includes brand values, personality, and design elements, ensuring that all aspects of the brand's communication are aligned.

What is the significance of providing tangible examples in tone of voice guidelines?

Providing tangible examples in tone of voice guidelines is significant because it helps to clarify abstract concepts, making the guidelines more concrete and easier for copywriters to apply in their work.

How can the tone of voice guidelines help in managing subjective feedback from clients?

The tone of voice guidelines help in managing subjective feedback from clients by offering a concrete framework to assess the feedback against, allowing for more objective discussions and decisions.

What is the 'voice in situ' section of the tone of voice guidelines, and why is it important?

The 'voice in situ' section of the tone of voice guidelines provides examples of how the brand's voice should be applied in various contexts, such as web copy or social media. It is important because it gives a practical demonstration of the guidelines in action, helping to ensure consistency across different communication channels.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Importance and Creation of Tone of Voice Guidelines

The first paragraph introduces the topic of the video, which is the significance of tone of voice guidelines for brands and how to create them. It emphasizes the necessity of these guidelines for brands that are growing or have multiple copywriters working on their projects. The consistency of a brand's voice is compared to the trust built in personal interactions; a sudden change in accent would break that trust, similarly, a brand's voice must remain consistent. The guidelines serve as a reference point for copywriters and a defense against subjective client feedback. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to the elements that should be included in tone of voice guidelines, hinting at a slide deck that will be used for further explanation.

05:03

🤝 Collaborative Process in Developing Tone of Voice

The second paragraph discusses the collaborative process of creating tone of voice guidelines with the client. It stresses the importance of a two-way interaction to ensure the guidelines truly reflect the brand's strategy and are agreed upon by all parties. The paragraph also touches on the role of a copywriter within a larger team, such as a brand strategy agency or a design team, and how tone of voice guidelines fit into a comprehensive brand bible. It provides a brief overview of the slide deck that will be used to illustrate the process, including sections on the brand's story, target audience, and voice characteristics, with an emphasis on providing tangible examples and maintaining the brand's voice throughout the guidelines.

10:07

🎨 Detailed Elements of Tone of Voice Guidelines

The third paragraph delves into the detailed elements of tone of voice guidelines, using a persona to personify the brand and provide context for the voice being developed. It outlines the various sections of the guidelines, such as the tone of voice access, which provides a scale for different tone characteristics, and the words and phrases section, which offers specific language to reinforce the brand voice. The paragraph also discusses the style guide portion, which includes examples of what does and does not work for the brand's voice, and concludes with the 'voice in situ' section, which gives practical examples of how the brand's voice should appear in different contexts, such as web copy and social media. The paragraph ends with a teaser for the next video in the series, which will address common tone of voice issues and how to manage client expectations.

Keywords

💡Tone of Voice Guidelines

Tone of voice guidelines are a set of instructions that help maintain a consistent voice across all communications for a brand. They are crucial for ensuring that the brand's messaging is coherent, especially when multiple copywriters or agencies are involved. In the video, the speakers emphasize the importance of these guidelines in establishing trust and personifying the brand.

💡Consistency

Consistency refers to the uniformity of the brand's tone and messaging across all platforms and communications. It is essential for building trust and recognition among the audience. The video highlights that inconsistent messaging can break the trust of the audience, much like if a speaker suddenly started using a different accent.

💡Copywriter

A copywriter is a professional responsible for creating text for advertisements and marketing materials. The video discusses how tone of voice guidelines can help copywriters produce content that aligns with the brand's voice, ensuring coherence and effectiveness in communication.

💡Brand Strategy

Brand strategy is the long-term plan for the development of a successful brand in order to achieve specific goals. It encompasses elements such as brand values, personality, and voice. The video mentions that tone of voice guidelines should align with the brand strategy to create a cohesive brand identity.

💡Personification

Personification in branding means giving human characteristics to the brand to make it more relatable to the audience. The video suggests that tone of voice is a way to personify the brand, making it easier for customers to connect with it emotionally.

💡Client Feedback

Client feedback is the response or opinion given by clients regarding the work produced by copywriters or agencies. The video discusses how tone of voice guidelines can serve as a reference point to address subjective client feedback and ensure that the produced content aligns with the agreed-upon brand voice.

💡Target Audience

The target audience is the specific group of people a brand aims to reach with its products, services, or content. The video highlights that understanding the target audience is crucial for developing effective tone of voice guidelines that resonate with them.

💡Brand Values

Brand values are the core principles and beliefs that guide a brand's actions and decision-making. These values should be reflected in the brand's tone of voice. The video mentions that part of creating tone of voice guidelines involves ensuring they align with the brand's values.

💡Brand Personality

Brand personality refers to the human traits or characteristics associated with a brand. It is conveyed through the tone of voice and helps differentiate the brand from competitors. The video explains that tone of voice guidelines help define and maintain the brand's personality.

💡Examples

Examples are specific instances or illustrations used to clarify or support a point. The video emphasizes the importance of providing tangible examples within tone of voice guidelines to demonstrate how the brand's voice should be used in different contexts, such as web copy or customer service interactions.

Highlights

Importance of tone of voice guidelines for brands with growing content marketing needs and multiple copywriters.

Tone of voice guidelines ensure consistency in branding, which is key for building trust with the audience.

The analogy of speaking in a French accent to illustrate the impact of inconsistency in brand voice.

Guidelines act as a reference point for copywriters and clients to resolve disagreements on content.

Tone of voice guidelines help in managing subjective client feedback with objective standards.

The necessity of creating tone of voice guidelines as part of a brand's growth strategy.

Tone of voice guidelines should be a collaborative effort between the client and the copywriter.

Guidelines are part of a larger brand bible, often alongside brand values and design guidelines.

The use of storytelling in tone of voice guidelines to exemplify the brand's voice.

Incorporating client input to create a tone of voice that aligns with their brand strategy.

Describing the brand's voice through adjectives and providing tangible examples of their application.

Creating a brand persona to personify the brand and guide the tone of voice.

The tone of voice access tool for determining the degree of formality, humor, and warmth in brand communication.

Providing a list of words and phrases that reinforce the brand's voice in copywriting.

A style guide within tone of voice guidelines for consistent language and tone usage.

Examples of how the brand's voice should appear in different contexts like web copy and social media.

Customizing the depth and detail of tone of voice guidelines based on client needs and budget.

Upcoming session on troubleshooting tone of voice issues and managing client expectations.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi everyone welcome to the third video

in our tone of voice

master class last time we talked all

about how to nail an existing tone of

voice

so replicating it for a brand

um and now we're going to talk about how

important tonal voice guidelines are

and how to create them um so

i think icon hi

thanks for having me welcome i think um

good place to start is should we just

talk about why tone of voice guidelines

are so important

yeah that's a good a good first question

to kick off with

um i think that

you know tone of voice guidelines are

generally for

brands that

of i wouldn't say of a certain size or

of aspiring to be of a certain size

whereby

in the future they will need

perhaps to have more than one copywriter

on their project you know if you're

working with just a very small company

and you're their copywriter and that's

that and it's going to continue to be

that way then you know arguably they

might not

need tone of voice guidelines um but if

you're working with a

a brand that is you know let's say like

a medium-sized company or even a small

company that's kind of growing or a

startup

that's growing and is gonna need content

marketing and

copy sales copy for their sales team and

um emails and social copy and they might

even have a separate

agency or dissect or various agencies

taking

on different portions of of that

that marketing picture

then is very important to keep

consistent as we know

one of the keys of branding is

consistency

um i often say

to people you know if i started talking

in a french accent right now

it would be a bit strange right be a bit

audited for the rest of this video

like speaking in a french accent you

know you might start to kind of

distrust me right you think hang on

who's this guy what's up with that

it would break that trust right and for

the same reason

you know a tone of voice a brand voice

needs to be consistent because branding

is about personifying a company

and having that consistent voice is part

of

it yeah so back to your initial question

tone of voice guidelines is a way to

really

make that uh to kind of set that voice

in stone

make it more tangible so that it's less

just

a feeling that people have that they

should just try and copy

um and sometimes you need to be really

specific you know about

what words to use what words you

definitely shouldn't use

and it just helps to keep

whoever's working on content and copy

for that brand in check

when it comes to keeping that voice

consistent

yeah it's also really good it's useful

for you

to have on a few levels because it makes

your job easier

but it's also back up for if a client is

um

disagreeing with something you've

written um i'm saying it's not in line

with tone of voice but you've always got

that reference point to go back to and

say hey but look

it's in line and it's like the kind of

you know bible for

um if you're getting the copyright if

you're getting the time right

so it's your friend not your enemy it it

definitely helps

yeah like you said there will be clients

and sometimes nightmare clients

as we call them that approach their

feedback from a very subjective

perspective

and just get a feeling that they don't

like this for whatever reason but

if you have something there some

guidelines and say hang on look this

is in line with what we've defined or

what you defined

and this is why i've done it and yeah it

helps to support

it gives you reasoning for the decisions

that you've made

and it helps to support your case yeah

and so you'll be

in one of these situations when you're

asked to write copy

the client won't have tone and voice

guidelines

they will have tone of voice guidelines

already in place

or they'll be asking you to create your

own tone of voice guidelines

um so to do that you need to know the

different elements that you should

include in there

um and we're going to take you through

them

with using one of our um something an

actual slide deck that we would use for

toner voice guidelines

yes we are we're going to show you um

the inside of our google folder

hopefully i can share my screen

right while recording

looking for that i think if you are

creating tone and voice guidelines it

should be

a real two-way street with the client

it's about

back and forth and you really

understanding their brand working from

their brand strategy

and something that you should have their

input on as well

ideally you will get clients who just

throw it at you and want you to create

it but

it should be something that's agreed

upon together and worked

worked on together yeah and another

point on that is that often you're

working as a freelance copywriter you

you might be part of a wider team of

people working on this project so it

might be a brand strategy

agency um and or a designer

you know who are building the brand

identity and often the the brand

voice guidelines or or toner voice tov

guidelines will kind of fit into a

larger brand bible

and there's generally about 80 percent

of that bible is well

a portion of it will be focused on their

brand values and their brand personality

and

their value proposition loads of it is

then dedicated to design

how to use the logo like this one you

see here you know

where and how it should be used in

different instances and then there'll be

a section on toner voice

and we as a specialist agency that focus

on strategy in word

provide you know just the tone of voice

part of that and so we've got our own

slide deck

which you're going to take a peek at now

um

let me share my screen can you see

hello yep and i'm gonna whip through

this

quickly this is the way that we do it

look you can

create your own version you can sort of

build this in your own way look online

at different examples different agencies

different copywriters approach this in

different ways

uh we try to use a bit of storytelling

in ours you know sometimes

your client might not be paying you

enough to do them as thoroughly as we do

here

and it might be a more basic version of

this so

that's for you to kind of work out and

decide but

we kind of have these sections we talk

about the brand

the voice putting it together words and

phrases style guide

the voice in situ so

what olympic well what this brand stands

for and delivers on

so we use a bit of storytelling so this

is where we're kind of describing

the brand um

i'm whipping through this it's going to

be difficult for you to read it but

we're

you know the last line here on me is

whatever home feels like to you and if

you're passionate about your well-being

and enriching your whole life you're at

home here so you're kind of painting a

picture

and a lot of this you can get from this

will come from their brand strategy as

well and you're just kind of painting

this picture and just encapsulating

the brand just to start off exactly and

what we do

basically which i think is different to

other agencies that

perhaps aren't as specialists as us

you know we write any storytelling like

this within

the guidelines we write in the voice of

that brand so we're kind of exemplifying

the voice

here for them you know we're not just

writing bullet points

this is what it is this is we know

factual bullet points this is

not written in the voice of in this case

olomy which was a brand that we

we work with um and then we have what we

want our customers to feel and what that

means

we need to be um again a lot of this

will come from kind of the brand

strategy work

here we move into the voice um

who is our voice for so we talked a bit

about the target audience

again you may or may not decide to add

that um

we add kind of three key pillars but

often it's just this is where you get

like the adjectives to describe the

voice

we like to group them together um so

clarity and simplicity in this case

um well they're nouns not adjectives i

apologize

but clear and simple would be like the

adjective version of it

and then we describe that right we kind

of rather than just saying

clear and simple we explain you know we

tried to illustrate

what that means and why um why

is that why is that at the heart of the

olympic voice and how how should we

demonstrate that

and very important very good thing to do

again which not

every agency does is give tangible

examples

like this not like this yep

so here again the same again elegant and

content like this not like this

inspiring and fun loving like this

not like this um we then

kind of go on to this section we call

putting it together whereas

we describe the person this is like a

persona remember we're personifying the

brand so

meet the brand you know meet tcc who are

they how old are they this is the kind

of person they are

again it helps to just create context

around what we're doing and around the

voice that you're giving to this brand

this is a cool little part which we call

the tone of voice access

um again it just helps to give more

clarity

make it more tangible how from formal to

chatty

where are they from serious to humorous

from detached to warm

et cetera et cetera i think this is

really important actually

this axis i think that you know everyone

can have a different like

scale hume i think humor is a really big

in copy it's like how far do you go

like and i think that this is um yeah i

just think it's

very useful again it's hard to be like a

hundred percent tangible this isn't like

maths right unfortunately so you'll

still have

people coming back and going no i wanted

it to be

you know much more much funnier and we

can point to the axis and go but you put

it in the middle and then there's a

different subjective understanding of

even the axis

but we're getting closer to making it

slightly more scientific

or slightly more tangible

um then we get onto words and phrases so

[Music]

copywriters can use the following words

or phrases in the copy to reinforce the

brand or voice so this is

how to describe the brand what words do

you want to be repeated

um and then we kind of link them back to

those pillars that we

that we said so uh and then word choices

as well

what's okay what's not okay um and the

reason

again you might come up with this or you

might have a discussion with the client

and together kind of collaboratively

come up with it

we then go into a style guide where

again ours are quite sort of complex you

don't necessarily always need to go into

this much detail but we look at the tone

and basically at this from this point

we're just giving more examples

like it's not like this and an

explanation the explanation is

is also really cool why does you know

version a

work in version b not work

and then again language again these are

mainly examples

and and then at the end we have the

voice in situ and this part could be

depending on really on their needs so

you know we uh

we give them an example of what what the

web copy would look like

um what customer service copy would look

like

in social you might your client might

require

the copy in situ in in other situations

so this is kind of the portion that

could be expanded or shortened depending

on

basically client budget and their needs

and that is a very quick snapshot of how

we do

brand voice guidelines yep and

as conrad said it you know it totally

depends how

in depth you want to go but i think it i

think all those points that we've

included are really important to cover

um whether or not you give as many

examples or

um how you choose to do it but i think

cover them all yes yeah

i agree okay cool um

in the next in the last part of the math

class which is video four

which is next week we're going to be

troubleshooting

all tone of voice issues just that crop

up and so how you handle them

particularly with them clients and how

you manage the client

so we'll see you there

cheers guys thank you

[Music]