Tone of voice (ultimate guide for startups)

This article was written by Oli West, founder of CopyStyleGuide.com. Oli is a senior copywriter and has been writing for startups for over a decade.

Updated: 2 Feb 2024

Growing a startup isn’t easy. About a third of startups don’t make it to their third birthday.

But here’s a more inspiring stat:

91% of customers say they’ll buy from a company that gains their trust.

So a startup’s key focus, particularly in the early days before it’s built a solid reputation, should be to gain its customers’ trust.

There are lots of ways to build trust, from shipping a reliable product to showcasing customers reviews. BUT…

One of the best (and often overlooked) ways to gain customer trust is to communicate authentically and consistently.

And this is where tone of voice comes in…

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What is tone of voice?

A white slide titled "What is tone of voice?" in bold black letters. Below the title, there's a definition that reads, "The way your brand communicates with your audience through written and spoken words."

Tone of voice is the way a brand communicates with its audience. It’s less about what you say and more about how you say it.

Here’s an example:

  • Thank you for signing up to our newsletter.

  • Nice one. You’re all signed up!

Same message. Different tone of voice.

Tone of voice is a crucial aspect of your startup’s identity. It’s what helps Apple sound innovative and ambitious, and Microsoft sound professional and reliable.

Let’s think about that for a moment…

The two tech companies are similar in lots of ways. They sell similar products and offer similar services. But they present themselves very differently.

Here’s what’s currently at the top of their homepages (on 1 Feb 2024):

  • Apple: iPhone 15 Pro. Titanium. So strong. So light. So pro.

  • Microsoft: Save up to £399 on select Surface Pro 9.

Currently, Apple’s title is unusually long and clunky. BUT… notice how innovative and ambitious it sounds in comparison to Microsoft’s line?

That’s no accident. That’s tone of voice at play.

Defining your startup’s own tone of voice will help your customers understand what you’re all about.

And when applied consistently, it can create a sense of trust, demonstrate expertise and evoke emotions that drive customer loyalty and engagement.

On the other hand, an inconsistent or poorly defined tone of voice can lead to customer scepticism and a weak brand image.

How does tone of voice help build trust?

A few years ago, the startup I worked at held a management training course. It was there that I learnt about The Trust Equation.

It’s simple, but it’s also an equation, so you’ll need to study it for a moment…

A study of over 12,000 people showed that Intimacy (the degree to which you’d treat people with respect) was the biggest driver of trust.

Interestingly, Credibility was the least impactful - but still important!

To make the equation even more effective, you can multiply the whole thing by Consistency, since showing consistent behaviour deepens trust over time.

Back to tone of voice…

The way your startup speaks with its customers (and partners and investors) can impact each element of The Trust Equation.

  • Credibility: A well-defined and consistent tone of voice can help your startup appear honest and credible. If it’s undefined and inconsistent, customers might feel uneasy about your company’s integrity and decide to look elsewhere.

  • Reliability: A consistent tone of voice helps customers perceive your startup as being reliable because it creates a predictable and familiar pattern of communication that makes them feel assured.

  • Intimacy: In this context, intimacy is about forming a personal relationship between your brand and your customers. It works both ways, but starts with you. A defined tone of voice will give your startup a personality so that customers don’t just see your company, but emotionally connect with it too. That will make them feel like they’re being treated with respect, as individuals rather than just transactions, which will foster deeper trust and loyalty.

  • Self-orientation: A defined tone of voice shows customers that you’ve put thought into the way you communicate. Monzo, a UK challenger bank, is a great example of this - the writing team intentionally developed a clear and friendly tone of voice to put their customers at ease and feel like Monzo had their best interests at heart.

Tone of voice examples

A light blue slide titled "Tone of voice examples" in bold black letters. On the left side, it reads Assertive, Conversational, Edgy, Empathetic, and Friendly. On the right side it reads: Humorous, Informative, Inspirational, Playful and Professional

The most well-known brands use tone of voice to stand out amongst their peers.

Consider how some of these companies use tone of voice in their communication:

  • Apple: Apple’s tone of voice is sleek, sophisticated and minimalistic, reflecting the design ethos of its products. Its communication is clear, concise and informative, which helps to convey a sense of expertise and innovation.

  • Innocent Drinks: Innocent is known for its friendly, playful and quirky tone of voice. This nicely compliments its mission to create healthy, natural drinks. As well as resonating with its target audience, Innocent’s fun and light-hearted communication style also helps set it apart from competitors.

  • Mailchimp: The email marketing platform, Mailchimp, adopts a conversational and approachable tone, making its services accessible and user-friendly. Its communication style is informal, yet professional, which appeals to businesses of all sizes.

So, um… analysing the tone of voice of brands has turned into a bit of a pastime for me.

Follow these links for a detailed tone of voice analysis:

  • Airbnb: Straightforward, Inclusive, Thoughtful, Spirited.

  • Amazon: Authentic, Informative, Inspiring, Simple.

  • Monzo: Casual, Transparent, Ambitious, Inclusive.

  • Oatly: Humorous, Conversational, Intellectual.

  • Subway: Fun, Smart, Classy, Conversational.

  • Virgin Atlantic: Curious, Heartfelt, Disruptive, Straight up.

There are as many different types of tone of voice as there are adjectives in the dictionary. But they can all be broadly categorised into four groups…

The four dimensions of tone of voice

A slide titled "The four dimensions of tone of voice". Below the title, four horizontal lines connect pairs of contrasting tones: "Funny" and "Serious", "Formal" and "Csaual", "Respectful" and "Irreverent", and "Enthusiastic" and "Matter-of-fact".

In 2016, the Nielsen Norman Group research team published The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice.

It was an attempt to create a more structured method of defining a brand’s tone of voice.

Nielsen concluded that every company’s tone of voice was a combination of the following four tone dimensions (follow the links for more details):

  • Casual vs. Formal: This dimension focuses on a brand’s level of formality. A casual tone is conversational and easy-going, using colloquial language and contractions. A formal tone typically uses more sophisticated vocabulary and grammatical structures.

  • Funny vs. Serious: This dimension refers to whether a brand’s communication is light-hearted and humorous or more serious and straightforward. A funny tone of voice could make your startup more memorable and relatable, while a serious tone could convey a sense of professionalism and authority.

  • Respectful vs. Irreverent: This dimension relates to how much respect a brand’s communication shows towards established norms and conventions. A respectful tone adheres to traditional language and etiquette, while an irreverent tone challenges the status quo and can be provocative or unconventional.

  • Enthusiastic vs. Matter-of-Fact: This dimension concerns the level of excitement and energy conveyed in a brand’s communication. An enthusiastic tone can come across as passionate and motivating, while a matter-of-fact tone is more objective and neutral.

By considering these four dimensions, you can identify the right combination that reflects your startup’s values, culture and goals.

The framework can also help you improve your understanding of your startup’s current tone of voice (you have one, whether you planned to or not) and identify areas for improvement.

You can even use it to evaluate your competitors’ tone of voice and think about how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

Keep in mind that striking the right balance within each dimension is important - being too funny could undermine your credibility, and being excessively formal could alienate your audience.

The 16 tones of voice

Have you heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? It’s a test that analyses four aspects of your personality. The first aspect is Introversion/Extraversion, and there are three more.

When I discovered Nielsen’s Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice, I immediately thought of MBTI. And I quickly realised that there were 16 possible outcomes, or tone of voice profiles.

This was exciting. As a copywriter, I’ve created lots of copy style guides for early-stage startups. But I was never able to create them as quickly or as affordably as they’d ideally like.

So I figured that a process of identifying a startup’s tone of voice across four dimensions, then matching them to one of 16 possible outcomes would be REALLY handy.

I couldn’t find any mention of the 16 possible tone outcomes of Nielsen’s research anywhere, so set about creating the profiles myself… and that’s the origin story of CopyStyleGuide.com!

This site took about a year to create, but you can learn more about my tone of voice system in a few minutes on the How it works page.

Here are the 16 tone of voice types:

Find out which of these tone of voice profiles matches your startup by taking the tone of voice test.

Which tone of voice is best?

There isn’t really a single best tone of voice.

The best tone of voice is the one that suits your startup.

Take a look at the world’s top companies - mostly big well-known brands that have a defined tone of voice - and you’ll see that there’s no best tone of voice.

Here’s how they rank by market value (on 2 Feb 2024) and their corresponding tone of voice, as defined by per my system:

  1. Microsoft: Composed Analyst (FSRM)

  2. Apple: Earnest Ally (CSRE)

  3. Saudi Aramco: Composed Analyst (FSRM)

  4. Amazon: Steadfast Analyst (CSRM)

  5. Alphabet: Jovial Investigator (FFRM)

  6. NVIDIA: Grounded Pathfinder (FSIM)

  7. Meta: Earnest Ally (CSRE)

  8. Berkshire Hathaway: Composed Analyst (FSRM)

Of the top eight most valuable companies, there are five different types of tone of voice.

In particular, Apple and Microsoft, which sell similar products and services, have very different tones of voice. But neither tone stopped them from being successful.

When it comes to choosing your startup’s tone of voice, you want to find one that truly represents your startup’s personality.

Whether it’s casual or formal, respectful or irreverent, what matters is that it reflects your company culture and resonates with your audience.

Something I’ve noticed is that it’s very hard to consistently implement a tone of voice that doesn’t come naturally to you. So make sure the shoe fits before committing to it!

You can find out which ‘shoe’ fits your startup by taking the tone of voice test.

The difference between Tone and Voice

Here’s the TL;DR:

  • Tone is how you express yourself in the moment. It can change depending on context (eg. you might sound a little less enthusiastic when sharing bad news).

  • Voice is your underlying personality. Unlike tone, your underlying personality shouldn’t change in different contexts (eg. you’ll always speak honestly, even if it means sharing bad news).

  • ‘Tone of voice’ means tone. It’s the tone of your voice.

Tone should be flexible, while your voice should be unwaveringly consistent.

Let’s imagine that your voice (personality) is honest and your tone (how you express yourself) is typically casual and enthusiastic…

You wouldn’t want your enthusiastic tone to be too rigid:

  • Hey! So unfortunately, our database was hacked last week. But DON’T WORRY… the way we store data means that they could only see your email address. Your password and other personal info are safe, but you might want to change your password just in case!

This sounds a little unprofessional - your company just got hacked! This is the time to show customers that you’re taking the incident seriously.

Instead, you might want to dial back the enthusiasm a bit:

  • Hey. You may have heard that hackers attempted to access our systems last week. Fortunately, the way we store data means that they could only see your email address. Your password and other personal information are safe. But we recommend you change your password, as a precautionary measure.

This version also adds a little more formality to the casual tone. But notice how we didn’t make drastic changes. The voice remained honest (we didn’t skirt around the issue) and the tone wasn’t overly formal or matter-of-fact.

It’s important to maintain a consistent tone most of the time, because it helps your startup sound authentic and genuine - important for building customer trust.

But you can flex your tone occasionally - remember the ‘Self-orientation’ part of The Trust Equation, above? Flexing your tone is something that shows your customers that you care about their needs and sensitivities.

Tone of voice vs. brand voice

Left side titled "Tone of voice": "How a brand communicates", "Can change based on context", "Adds emotional nuance". Right side, titled "Brand voice": "Reflects the brand's personality", "Doesn't change based on context," "Unique among competitors."

If you read the previous section, you’ll grasp this really quickly.

So here’s the TL;DR:

  • Tone of voice is the same as tone - how you express yourself.

  • Brand voice is the same as voice - your underlying personality.

As with many things in brand and marketing, it’s not an exact science. So the terms ‘tone of voice’ and ‘brand voice’ are often used interchangeably with ‘tone’ and ‘voice’.

Here’s a little more detail…

Tone of voice

Tone of voice (the tone of your voice) is how your startup expresses its personality and communicates with its audience through the written and spoken word.

Tone of voice can vary depending on the context, audience and purpose of the message.

For example, your tone might be more casual and conversational on social media, while adopting a more professional and informative tone for whitepapers or industry reports.

Brand voice

Brand voice refers to the unique personality, values and characteristics of your startup, which remain consistent across all communication channels.

Your brand voice is the underlying essence that guides your messaging and distinguishes you from competitors.

Your brand voice serves as the foundation for your tone of voice, ensuring that your messaging remains aligned with your startup’s values and goals.

Why is tone of voice important for startups?

A defined and consistent tone of voice can play a big role in shaping how your customers (and investors and partners) perceive your startup.

Let’s look at some of the key benefits…

  • Enhance brand identity and consistency: Your tone of voice affects how people perceive your startup. A friendly and approachable tone can make your startup feel more relatable and trustworthy, while a professional and authoritative tone can establish your startup as a credible expert in its industry. A consistent and well-defined tone of voice will help you create a clear brand identity, which will help make your marketing clearer and more recognisable.

  • Improve customer engagement and loyalty: Effective communication is key to building strong customer relationships. And tone of voice can significantly influence the way your message is received and understood. By adopting a tone of voice that resonates with your target audience, you can create more engaging and relatable content. This should encourage your customers to interact with your startup more often and potentially result in more sales, since your customers will feel understood and valued by your startup.

  • Stand out from the competition: A unique tone of voice helps to differentiate your startup from competitors, making it easier for your audience to identify your brand in a crowded marketplace. By showcasing your startup’s personality and values through your tone of voice, you can create a memorable and distinct brand experience that sets you apart from the competition.

  • Increase the effectiveness of marketing campaigns: A strong tone of voice can give your marketing campaigns a boost, and ensure that your messaging is both engaging and persuasive. By utilising a tone of voice that aligns with your startup’s values and appeals to your target audience, you can create more compelling content that drives conversions.

Who's responsible for tone of voice at a startup?

I’m going to jump straight to it…

A startup’s tone of voice is everyone’s responsibility.

While it’s often down to the communications or marketing team to lead the creation of a startup’s tone of voice, it’s really down to the entire team to own it.

Tone of voice is one of those things that’s only worth doing if you do it well.

  • If only the marketing team uses your startup’s tone of voice, it’s a waste of time.

  • If only the product team uses your startup’s tone of voice, it’s a waste of time.

  • If only your PR agency uses your startup’s tone of voice, it’s a waste of time.

Why? Because your tone of voice exists to ensure that every piece of content - whether a web page, press release or mobile app screen - represents your startup’s personality.

If all your web content is written in a casual tone but your CEO’s customer emails are written in a formal tone, or your digital ads are written in a funny tone but your product copy is written in a serious tone, your audience will feel confused and distrusting of your brand. It will undermine the message you’re trying to convey.

Even software engineers are responsible for tone of voice…

When a developer innocently labels a button ‘OK!’ when the copywriter intended it to read ‘Continue’, it’s the customer that has an inconsistent and jarring experience.

Maintaining a consistent tone of voice is a collective responsibility:

  • Founders and leadership: The founders and leadership team play a crucial role in defining and maintaining the startup’s core values, mission and overall personality. They set the foundation for the tone of voice and should lead by example, ensuring that all communication, both internal and external, aligns with the startup’s voice.

  • Marketing and content teams: The marketing and content teams are responsible for creating and distributing content that aligns with the startup’s tone of voice. This can include social media posts, blog articles, email newsletters and any other promotional materials. These teams should work closely together to ensure consistency across all channels and platforms.

  • Sales and customer support teams: Sales and customer support teams are often the first points of contact for customers and leads. So it’s essential for them to consistently use your startup’s tone of voice. This includes both verbal and written communication, such as phone calls, emails and live chat interactions.

  • Product and design teams: The product and design teams should also incorporate your tone of voice into product copy, user interfaces and any other design elements. This helps create a cohesive user experience that aligns with your external communications.

  • HR and internal communications: Maintaining a consistent tone of voice shouldn’t be limited to customer-facing communications. HR and internal communications should also adopt your startup’s tone of voice to foster a strong company culture and ensure that everyone understands and embodies the startup’s values.

The key to success in implementing a consistent tone of voice across your startup is collaboration and communication across the whole team.

Regular meetings, training sessions and workshops can help ensure that everyone’s on the same page and, importantly, understands the value tone of voice can add to a startup.

Companies with a strong tone of voice

Having a strong and consistent tone of voice is a key component of a successful brand.

Consider the following companies that have mastered the art of using tone of voice across their branding, marketing and product copy.

  • Slack: Slack, the popular team collaboration tool, has a distinct tone of voice that’s casual, friendly and approachable. The company uses everyday language and a conversational style to make its product feel easy to use and understand. This tone is consistently applied across Slack’s website, in-app messaging and marketing materials.

  • Dollar Shave Club: Dollar Shave Club is known for its humorous and irreverent tone of voice. The company’s marketing campaigns, such as the famous “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” video, showcase its edgy and playful approach to the men’s grooming market. This tone helps them stand out in a crowded industry and appeals to their target audience of young, budget-conscious men.

  • Monzo: Monzo, the digital bank, has a transparent and human tone of voice that sets itself apart from traditional banks. The company uses clear, jargon-free language to make banking more accessible and relatable. Monzo’s tone is consistently applied across their website, app, blog and social media, reinforcing its commitment to providing a user-friendly and trustworthy banking experience.

  • Glossier: Beauty brand Glossier has a friendly, empowering and inclusive tone of voice. The brand’s communication focuses on making beauty approachable and fun while celebrating individuality and self-expression. This tone can be seen in Glossier’s product descriptions, social media posts and email newsletters, helping to build a strong connection with its audience of beauty enthusiasts.

  • Spotify: Music streaming giant Spotify has a playful and energetic tone of voice that reflects its mission to make discovering and enjoying music easy and fun. The company’s communication is infused with a love for music, using engaging and relatable language to connect with its audience. This tone is consistently applied across its app, website, social media and advertising campaigns.

A well-defined and executed tone of voice can play a significant role in building a successful brand.

By developing and consistently applying your startup’s tone of voice, you’ll be in a far better position to connect with your target customer and stand out from your competitors.

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