When I’m preparing a copywriting job, one of the first questions I ask clients is about the tone of voice I should use when writing the copy or content. But what does tone of voice mean?
Put simply, it means the style of writing used to communicate a message or information; the choice of words and how they are used in a sentence. It reflects you and your business or organisation. Like so much of copy and content writing, choosing the tone of voice is all about knowing the audience you are communicating with.
One resource I refer to a lot when writing is the Australian Style Manual – it sets the national standard for business writing, proofreading and editing and covers all the punctuation and grammar rules you can think of, and some you didn’t even know exist. According to the Australian Style Manual, there are three basic tones:
Formal
Standard
Informal
A formal tone would be used in legal documents, reports, policy documents, legislation or in certain types of business correspondence. It denotes that the content is official and to be taken seriously. It could include technical language like legal or medical terms. It is intended to impart important information so is neutral and gives a sense of detachment between the writer and the reader. It could even be intimidating (and if it is badly written, incomprehensible. Yes, lawyers, I’m talking about you).
In this style of writing, the words are literal, leaving no room for interpretation. Contractions are not used e.g. it is, not it’s; cannot, not can’t; you are, not you’re. Slang or colloquialisms are strictly off-limits. Rules around grammar and punctuation must be observed.
The next type of tone is standard. This is the one you’ll come across most often. It is used for web content, articles, e-books, corporate communications, correspondence and professional emails. Compared to the formal tone, it is friendlier and more engaging for the reader. There’s some flexibility around rules of grammar and punctuation. Contractions can be used but slang or colloquialisms are off the table. If they have to be included, they would be put in quotation marks.
Then there’s the informal tone. It is what is used when you want copy and content that is friendly, entertaining and fun. You can use slang and colloquialisms (but carefully, so as not to offend), contractions are fine, grammar and punctuation isn’t strict (but please proofread – incorrect use of possessive apostrophes drives people like me crazy), and you can be light-hearted and funny. It is used in blogs, social media captions and in a lot of promotional copy.
If a client asks for a formal tone, that tells me all I need to know. My follow-up questions would be around any technical terms and I would be extra diligent about spelling and correct usage. There isn’t really much variation with the formal tone.
If a client requests a standard or informal tone (or a mix of both, like this blog post), then I would have a few more questions. Who is your audience? How much do they already know about your organisation or the subject matter? What is the subject matter and how do you want to make the reader feel about it?
Why do I ask these questions?
Well, it might surprise you to find out that the average reading ability of the general population is around Grade 7 or 8 i.e. late primary and early high school level. So if I’m writing for a broad audience, I would make a point of using what is known as plain English. No “big” words, no jargon or technical terms, and no long sentences. It’s the K.I.S.S. principle – keep it simple, stupid.
If it was for an audience that had some knowledge about the subject matter e.g. employees or members of an organisation, I might use acronyms and in-house terms. If your employees were academics, I would use a slightly different tone to what I would use for tradies (don’t write in – of course I know there are idiot academics and well-read tradies).
And if I was writing in an informal tone, I would ask if humour was okay. Should I keep it classy or would the reader be comfortable with slang?
The subject I’m writing about is also informative in deciding the tone of voice. This is an extreme example but if I was writing something for a funeral home, the tone would be standard, serious, but sympathetic and warm. Definitely not informal. But if I was writing for an event planner, the tone could be informal, bright and fun (unless they were planning a wake I guess).
So that is why I ask about tone of voice and why getting it right is essential. And if you aren’t sure, I can guide you to the right choice.
Want to find out more about tone of voice and other copy and content writing work? You can flick me a message at my contact page.