Guide to Tone of Voice
To help us engage and connect with our audience we need a consistent tone of voice. This can be divided into two elements, our brand voice and the tone we decide to use to best support our brand in context. That’s why we’ve created this guide.
Over the next few pages, we’ll tell you about the Craft brand voice, tone and grammar. To help you use them, we’ll give you guidance on language and writing style.
After reading this guide, you’ll be equipped to write all sorts of different types of marketing and advertising materials for Craft, such as press ads, brochures, social media, web copy and more – we hope you enjoy it.
If you have any questions about the Craft brand voice or tone, please contact Paul.
Brand tone and Voice
How we talk
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Your checklist
If your copy contains any of the don’ts in this list, the brand voice might not be quite right. If this is the case, take another look and adjust it.
Craft copy should not:
x Talk about the audience (they) it should talk to them (you)
x Contain jargon
x Use verbose language
x Include pushy, negative messages
x Be arrogant
x Include ambiguous statements
x. Contain exaggerated claims
x Focus more on Craft than the needs and interests of the audience
Our Language
Key pointers
Our tone is the way we sound, and our language is how we put it into practice. This includes the words, phrases and terms we use. Below, are a few general points on our LANGUAGE and, on the following page, you’ll find a quick guide to our WRITING STYLE.
Keep it example
Whatever you say, keep it simple. Write clearly and concisely. Don’t use buzzwords, acronyms, jargon or clichés. Of course, you might have to get technical from time to time but, when you do, always consider how much the audience knows – for example, are you talking to tech-savvy installers or tech-shy clients?
Keep it example
Our clients are busy people, so we respect their time and get to the point quickly. That means we often use short words in short sentences – without being rude or abrupt of course.
Keep it example
Try to use an active tone of voice most of the time – it’s clear, direct and engages the audience. However, there are exceptions: don’t use the active voice it if it makes a sentence or phrase sound unnatural; it’s far more important to sound conversational.
Keep it example
Remember that your copy could be read anywhere in the world, and it may also be translated or transcreated – so it could end up being up to 30% longer. Always develop the master version of copy in UK English, unless otherwise specified.
Keep it example
Our audience is often global. So, unless you’re writing for a specific region, avoid colloquialisms that are likely to confuse some audiences.
Abbreviations and acronyms
If a technology, material, process etc. is well-known, it’s fine to use the acronym or abbreviation in every instance. If it’s less well known, or more technical, spell it out in full in the first instance and use the acronym or abbreviation thereafter.
Call to actions (CTAs)
Keep CTAs short, simple and clear – let the audience know what to do next or where a link will take them.
Contractions e.g. “it’s” rather than “it is”
Contractions are fine to use within our brand voice – they’re less formal and more conversational.
Spelling
Use UK English spellings, unless directed otherwise.
Sub-headings
Use sub-headings to signpost sections and break up text Include punctuation at the end, as with headlines.
Bullet points/lists
Use bullet points to break-up long sections of text and communicate key benefits
Keep them short – they shouldn’t exceed one line Don’t use a full stop at the end of bullet points Make sure all bullet points are written in a consistent format.
Exclamation marks
Try to avoid using exclamation marks; they can make copy sound unprofessional and shouty – which isn’t our brand voice or tone. Often, they’re not needed when used.