Create Web Loyalty With A Unique Tone of Voice
Every good website needs content to represent your brand or site as a whole. Finding a consistent, reliable tone acts as the mode of transfer for the information on the screen to the brains of your readers. And this is how you find that voice…
It has long been said that it doesn’t matter what you sell but who is selling it. E-commerce presents a challenging task when attempting to convey the ‘who’ of online sales and readership. The answer can be found in tone of voice, meaning it’s not so much what you say but how you say it.
In every sentence there lies a rhythm, pace and dialect that is subtle and ever-present. If this tone is consistently found when encountering a brand, trust is then built. Maya Angelou once said, “People don’t always remember what you say or even what you do, but they always remember how you made them feel.”. Words on a screen create an emotional connection when read, or at least they could – and in the desired way – if properly addressed.
For example, if you say hello to the young woman who hands you your coffee every morning for a year, you will eventually feel as if you are acquainted with one another even if you only ever say ‘hello’. On the other hand, if your coffee is handed to you by a different person every morning the same feelings of familiarity will not be nurtured.
The same can be said when adding content to your website. If each new additional portion of copy has a different tone, no trust or familiarity will grow. But if there is a consistent, dependable voice each time a post, article or how-to guide is added, your site will become a warm and welcome voice.
Tone and voice should come naturally, just as in conversation. If your brand’s tone of voice provides a consistent and recognizable comfort in the cold internet, then this leads to brand recognition, and ensures that you will be first pick in the event that your sales, services or product is needed.
How to develop a warm professional tone for brand recognition and more readers:
- Know your audience.
Who are you talking to? Where do they live? What do they do? These are all very important questions. How old are they? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, start at #5 and work your way back around.
02. Be confident of the image that you are trying to promote.
What is your company proud of? What do you do better than anyone else? Who are the people that work hard for your business? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you find an identity that you can promote.
03. Read content from others in your field or industry.
What are your competitors writing about? What questions are your readers asking? Can you answer these questions better than anyone else? If so, then do it. The key to a great website is honest, up-to-date content that is useful to readers.
04. Always take the high road.
Don’t get mixed up in sticky situations that could possibly offend someone. Always take the high road when picking topics, research and opinions. By writing fair content you won’t risk emotions running high. If you have a doubt about any content, don’t publish it.
05. Interact with your readers for feedback.
This is one of the most important steps in producing content. As an organization you must know who is reading your content and what they think about it. Start a conversation with readers and offer ways for them to let you know what they think. Building a relationship with readers is your goal.
06. Always be ready to revise your content strategy.
If your content isn’t working or could be better, start at number one. Revamping your website and content might be in order. Never be afraid of change.
Read more about tips on creating the perfect website here