How do I define the brand's tone of voice when more than one person writes?

Tone of voice is not only choosing pretty words. It is the rhythm of sentences, the degree of formality, the way of treating the customer, the humour, what is said and what is never said. When the company has one person writing, the tone appears on its own. When two, three or more start writing, it has to be agreed.

Define the tone in four traits

Choose four adjectives and, for each, say what it means and what it does not mean:

• Close, without being too informal. We address the customer in a friendly way, but we do not use slang.
• Clear, without oversimplifying. Short sentences and common words, but without treating the reader as if they did not understand.
• Honest, without pessimism. We say what we do and what we do not do, without promising what we do not control.
• Calm, without coldness. No excess exclamation marks, no artificial haste.

Your four will be different. What matters is that each trait has its "but not": that is what makes it useful.

Words we use and words we avoid

A short list, one side and the other. For example, we use "talk", "explain", "tasks", and avoid "solutions", "synergies" and "of excellence". Add the expressions the company always says one way, so everyone writes the same: the names of the services, how customers are addressed, how it refers to itself.

Examples before and after

Gather two or three real examples of a weak text and the version rewritten in the right tone. It is the part of the guide most consulted, because it shows instead of describing. A "before": "We offer solutions of excellence for your needs." An "after": "We look after your website and social media, so you have fewer repetitive tasks." The difference is seen at once.

The same tone, in different channels

The tone is a core that stays, and the register adapts. Proposals are more careful, social media looser, payment-reminder emails more direct. What does not change is respect for the reader, clarity and honesty. Write, in the guide, how the register changes by channel, so nobody has to guess.

How to keep the tone when more than one person writes

1. A one-page guide, with the four traits, the words and two examples. More than that, nobody reads.
2. One person who reviews public texts in the first weeks, to catch deviations early.
3. A checklist of four questions before publishing: does it sound like us? Is it clear? Is it honest? Does it use the right form of address?
4. Read aloud. If someone in the company would not say it that way, rewrite it.
5. Update the guide when the tone evolves, instead of treating it as final.

Tone of voice is one of the parts of the brand guidelines easiest to write and most useful day to day. It is born from the message: if you do not yet have the value proposition in one sentence, start there. In Brand Strategy, the tone is defined after the message is clear.

Three sentences, two versions

Choose three sentences the company writes often: a thank-you to a customer, a reply to an information request and a social media post. Ask two different people to rewrite them, each in their own way, without agreeing in advance. Compare the versions side by side. Where they are very different, a rule is missing: that is where the guide should say how to write. Where they are alike, you already have a tone. Repeat with another three sentences in a month, to see whether the difference has narrowed.

In short

• Tone of voice is how the company sounds: rhythm, formality, form of address and humour.
• It is defined in four traits, each with its "but not".
• Words we use and avoid, and before-and-after examples, make the guide useful.
• To keep it with several people: a one-page guide, early review and a checklist.

Quick questions

Formal or informal address?

Choose one and use it everywhere, because mixing is confusing. It depends on the audience and sector: what matters is consistency and that the chosen form sounds natural.

Can I have a different tone on each social network?

The register can change (looser on some, more formal on others), but the core, honesty and clarity, stays. If it looks like another company, the tone has been lost.

Who should review the texts?

Someone with the authority to say 'this does not sound like us' and who knows the guide well. At the start, it helps if it is always the same person.