How to identify + use ‘tone of voice’ (featuring Lee Brake)
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In this week’s episode of Marketing + Margaritas, Jade is joined by long-time friend, Lee Brake. Lee is a comms superstar + has worked on everything from fishing magazines to writing media releases for council. So he’s the perfect fit to help Jade give you the low-down on how to nail that “voice” for your copywriting.
But what is tone of voice?
In Lee’s own words, “Tone of voice boils down to personality”. Whether it's a brand, a person, or a storyteller, the personality of your piece will determine how it is perceived. If you’re writing to sell a product, you probs want to come across as knowledgeable + charismatic. Writing for a fishing mag, then you will want to inject a bit of fun + passion into your copy.
But if you’re writing to tell people that their power is going to be out for the next week, you probs wanna ditch the humour + stick to the facts. If people sense you being too casual, they’ll write you off as incompetent.
Why is a strong “voice” important to your brand?
“At the end of the day, we write (copy) because we want people to read it."
Doesn't matter how important your message is, if it's boring – no one is going to read it. Personality is that secret sauce that helps hook your audience + keep them invested long enough to absorb your message.
If you’re looking for some inspiration of good tone of voice, check out the QPS Facebook page. They toe the line between humorous + professionalism excellently.
How do you develop your own voice?
Identify your target audience + then put yourself into their shoes. Think about where/how you'd tell them a story in person. For example, writing for a fishing magazine, imagine yourself at a bar, two schooners deep telling the guy next to you about your most recent trip out on the water.
If you're selling women's clothing, become that best friend who's super knowledgeable who she goes to for advice. Think about how they’d talk to each other + try your best to become that person.
What makes for an effective message?
Ultimately, for a message to be effective, you need to identify your target market. Create a stereotype, yes there will be outliers, but you should nail down your main audience. Once you do that, figure out who they trust, who are they already going to for advice? Then use that as a guideline to create your voice.
If you're council telling people not to use water tonight because of some catastrophic water outage (Lee's example, not ours 🤣), then you want to come across as professional + trustworthy. You get your advice from the high ups at the plumbing department + use that to explain it in a way that people understand, but also in a way that they trust! If you're too flippant, you'll come across as incompetent or untrustworthy – which you want to avoid.
How does your voice change for different forms?
Nine times out of ten, it doesn't. Regardless of whether you're writing for Facebook, a brochure or your website, if you've found your voice, grab it + use it everywhere. The only exceptions are for publications that have an established tone. For example, you can't use your tone of voice if you're writing a piece for a newspaper. It still needs to sound like the paper but you can inject a little bit of your personality into the quotes, for example!
Lee's top tips for slipping in + out of different voices
When you're tired, the only voice you'll be able to write as, is your own. If you are writing as someone else, you need to be fresh + clear headed! It's a conscious effort, so make sure you're on your A-game.
If writing as someone, try + sit down with the person in the flesh. Hearing how they speak and then imagining how they will say the words you're writing will do wonders for finding their "voice" in the writing.
How do you write interesting copy about things you're not interested in?
Lee's tip, find someone who is interested in the thing + steal their enthusiasm. Interview them, listen to how they talk about something + use that as the basis for your writing.
A story is not just a retelling of facts. It's a hook (grabbing their attention), the facts (the thing they care about), + then the resolution (what happens??). Finding out how people who are passionate about your topic describe it can be a massive help to finding your voice for those difficult pieces.
Lee's final wrap up tip
Find the fun in what you're writing about. Channel that passion (yours or someone else's) + write something people care about. Just don't lose that trust. Fun is good as long as it doesn't compromise on the integrity of the piece.
But how did Lee get into copywriting?
In year 7, he read a fishing article by Ken Steen (so impactful he still remembers the author!) that was about catching a massive barramundi. The thing that hooked him (ha!) though? The article was from the perspective of the lure! It was such a creative story + cemented in Lee's mind that there is always a different way to tell a story.
After finishing school, he studied history + journalism at uni. Once he finished his degree, Lee got his first break as a feature writer at the Daily Mercury. Turns out that one of his teachers worked there + helped him get his foot in the door.
Writing a feature is some of the hardest writing you’ll ever do + his time at the Merc really helped illustrate why tone is important. You’re basically taking an ad that someone has bought, + turning that space into a story that needs to interest the general public.
While writing at the Merc, Lee did a few freelance gigs on the side. One of which was for a fishing magazine! When the previous editor retired from the position, he recommended Lee + so after a year at the Merc, he got poached to greener pastures, or in this case, bluer seas.
While a tonne of fun, it didn't pay the bills as reliably as he'd like. So, when he was looking to start a family, he got a job at council.
Council may not be as exciting as travelling around the country writing about fishing (the audacity!), but it does offer a unique opportunity to write about so many different topics. The breadth of what you’re writing about has really allowed Lee to hone his ability to get into the different “voices” that are required when writing for different groups.