How to Develop Your Brand’s Voice & Tone

Recall how the voice of your friend or partner sounds. Is it low or high? Gentle and soft, or more loud? Is its rhythm balanced, or is it fast? Likewise, brands also have voices, which are essential for creating a strong and memorable identity.

When users hear the name of a good product, they might think of its logo or an experience they had with it. But with excellent products, something more happens — they can almost hear the brand's voice. This voice conveys the personality, values, and essence of the brand, making it more relatable and trustworthy.

Take Nike, for example. When we think of Nike, we don't just see the swoosh logo or remember a pair of running shoes. We can almost hear their voice — empowering, motivational, and confident. It's the "Just Do It" attitude that resonates deeply with users, making Nike not just a brand but a source of inspiration.

In this tutorial, I'll guide you through the steps to develop your brand’s voice and tone, ensuring it reflects your brand’s unique identity and connects with your audience on a deeper level.

🧠 Pro Tip: Learn how microcopy can help build authenticity and connect with your users through brand voice and tone in the lesson on Brand Voice in UX Writing.

So what’s a brand’s voice?

Think of your brand’s voice as the unique way you communicate with your audience. It's more than words; it's how you express who you are as an organization. Your brand's voice lets you show your audience not just what you do or offer but who you are at your core—your personality and values.

It’s the tone and style that makes your messages distinct and recognizable. Whether it's friendly and approachable, professional and authoritative, or quirky and fun, your brand's voice should consistently reflect your identity and connect with your audience on a personal level.

Why defining your brand's voice matters

• Help your audience recognize your brand. For your brand to be easily recognized, everything you produce should look and sound like it’s from the same source. If the voice on your website differs from that on your social media or emails, you end up sending mixed messages. This inconsistency makes it challenging for your audience to understand what makes your brand unique.
• Build trust and loyalty. A unified and recognizable voice helps you cultivate a loyal customer base by making your brand sound more human, approachable, and reliable.
• Stand out in the crowd. Your brand has unique qualities that distinguish it from competitors— qualities that make people choose you over others. Your voice and tone reflect these distinct characteristics and help emphasize why your brand is special.

What’s the difference between voice and tone?

Voice and tone are closely related, and it can be easy to mix them up, but they have distinct roles in your brand's communication.

Your brand’s voice remains consistent. It encompasses the words you choose, the defining characteristics of your brand, and the overall personality you convey when interacting with your audience.

Tone, however, shifts depending on the context. When you’re celebrating a customer’s achievement, for instance, your message might be informal and enthusiastic. Conversely, when addressing a customer’s concern or complaint, your tone should be more serious and empathetic. The tone is about how you use your words to convey a message or evoke emotions.

For example, Uxcel's voice is experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly, providing users with confidence as they master UI/UX design. However, the tone can vary based on the situation. It can be excited and encouraging: "Wow, you nailed it!" Or it can be serious and straightforward: "No internet connection detected. Please try again.”

The key steps to define the brand’s voice:

Step 1: Research the target audience

Thoroughly researching your target audience allows you to tailor your communication to resonate with them effectively. For example, surveys and interviews can reveal users' preferences, challenges, motivations, expectations, and communication styles. Social media analysis can help identify common language, tone, and interests. By understanding these aspects, you can craft a voice that truly connects with your audience.

Step 2: define an organization’s core values and mission

Your organization’s core values and mission reflect what it stands for and guide how you communicate with your audience. They help create a consistent and authentic brand voice that users can trust and relate to. For example, one of Uxcel's core values is inclusivity. This value is evident in our copy: we avoid personal pronouns like he/she and prefer they, ensuring our language is inclusive. We also use humor and jokes sparingly, understanding that these can be subjective and might not resonate with everyone.

Step 3: Develop a writing guide

A writing guide is essential for maintaining consistency and clarity in your brand's communication. It should include:

• Writing Goals and Principles

Your writing goals and principles should be simple, easy to remember, and relevant to your brand's mission. For example, at Uxcel, we aim to use plain language that is clear to both native and non-native English speakers. We explain design concepts in a way that builds trust without overwhelming users with too much information. Two of our principles are:

Educate: Provide valuable and accurate information.

Keep it Simple: Avoid complex language and excessive details.

• Voice and Tone

To define the key characteristics of your brand's voice, use the method "We are [quality] but not [quality]." This approach helps clarify what your brand stands for and what it avoids.

At Uxcel, we are knowledgeable but not academic. This means our communication is informed and expert while remaining accessible and engaging.

The tone can vary depending on the context. For instance:

Friendly and encouraging: "Hold it right there! You’re doing absolutely wonderful. If you quit now, you’ll lose all your progress." This message is friendly and motivational, encouraging users not to give up.

Serious and supportive: For error messages, the tone should be more serious but still supportive, like "No internet connection detected. Please try again."

• Include examples

Demonstrate good text examples and how the tone may vary between different channels. The tone can be serious and supportive to help users resolve issues or friendly and informative to engage and educate users. Providing examples helps the team, especially new team members, understand and learn the guidelines for writing copy more effectively.

• Style tips

Establishing clear style tips ensures uniformity in your brand's communication. These tips should cover vocabulary, punctuation, preferred voice, and narrative perspective. For example, in Uxcel's interface microcopy, we avoid the first-person perspective. Instead of "Browse my favorite design resources," we say "Browse your favorite design resources."

Step 4. Apply changes

Applying changes to an existing brand’s voice and tone can be a significant undertaking, but it’s crucial for maintaining consistency and clarity across all communications. This step involves a thorough content inventory and analysis to identify areas where updates are needed.

🧠 Pro Tip: Take the Content Inventory & Audit lesson to understand the essence of content inventory and audit and explore the best practices for conducting them effectively.

Start by conducting a content inventory, which involves cataloging all your existing content. This includes:

• Website copy
• Social media posts
• Email campaigns
• Blog articles
• Customer support materials
• Marketing collateral

Once you have a comprehensive list, analyze the content to identify areas where the language’s voice and tone do not align with your newly defined guidelines. This analysis will help you prioritize which pieces of content need immediate attention and which can be updated over time.

🧠 Pro Tip: Focus on the most visible and frequently accessed content first. This might include your homepage, key product pages, and customer communication channels.

Step 5: Update the writing guide regularly

Your writing guide is a living document. It should evolve as your brand, audience, and industry change.

🧠 Pro Tip: Enhance your copy creation skills with the Writing Tips for UX Designers lesson, focusing on user-centric approaches.

Tips for updating your style guide:

• Collect feedback: Regularly gather feedback from your team and audience to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
• Review performance: Monitor your content's performance. Check engagement metrics, user feedback, and other relevant data to see how well your voice and tone are being received.
• Train your team: Ensure that all team members are aware of the updates and understand how to implement them. Provide training sessions or resources to help them adapt to the new guidelines.

Summary

Voice and tone are key to creating a strong and memorable brand. While they might not be your top priority when you first launch your product, they become really important as your brand grows. Initially, you’ll focus on fixing bugs and adding features. But once your product works well, it's time to think about engaging users, standing out, and building trust.

In today's competitive market, users often base their choices on whether they like a brand's personality. It's similar to choosing a coach at the gym — they want someone who resonates with them. The same goes for digital products. For example, if users download a fitness app that pushes them too hard or blames them for skipping workouts and eating carbs, they won't hesitate to uninstall it.

A clear voice and tone help your brand connect with users on a personal level, making your messages more engaging and relatable. They ensure consistency across all channels, reinforcing your brand’s identity and values. Investing in a clear and cohesive voice and tone not only enhances the user experience but also strengthens your brand's presence in a crowded market.