Every Brand Has a Tone of Voice (Even the Silent Ones)
Ever landed on a website and instantly forgotten what it was about?
You scroll. It’s clean. It’s safe.
It’s… nothing.
No edge. No voice. Just a bland parade of “solutions,” “innovations,” and “customer-centric” waffle.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s a tone of voice.
See, many brands think they don’t have one. Or that they’re being “neutral.”
But in reality? Every brand has a tone, whether it’s been chosen or just allowed to happen.
And silence, by the way, is a tone too. It tells your audience something. Usually that you’re either not sure what to say, or not confident enough to say it.
In this article, I’m unpacking the idea that tone of voice isn’t just for quirky DTC brands or snappy Twitter accounts. It’s for every brand. Yours included. Because if you don’t take control of it, your content will speak anyway, and it might not say what you want.
Short on time? Here are the key takeaways
Every brand has a tone, whether you’ve defined it or not. Even silence sends a message.
“Neutral” isn’t safe; it’s often perceived as indecisive, bland, or forgettable.
Inconsistency kills trust. Mismatched tone across your channels confuses readers and weakens authority.
A clear tone builds confidence both internally and externally. It helps your team write better, and your audience feels understood.
What Tone of Voice Really Means (and What it Doesn’t)
Tone of voice isn’t just how your brand “sounds.” It’s how you make people feel when they read, hear, or interact with your words.
It’s not just about being “friendly” or “professional.” And it’s definitely not just picking three adjectives, slapping them in a PDF, and calling it a tone guide.
Your tone shows up in the way you structure sentences. The metaphors you use. Whether you lean on jargon or keep things plain. Whether your writing sounds like a human or a help desk.
The biggest misconception? That tone of voice only matters for brands with big personalities. You don’t need to be Innocent Drinks or Monzo to have one.
A law firm has a tone. A SaaS tool has a tone. Even HMRC has a tone, albeit one that feels like it was written by a robot that’s seen some things.
The question isn’t “Do we have a tone of voice?” Is it doing the job we want it to do?”
Because intentional tone builds trust. Accidental tone? That usually signals a lack of clarity, confidence, or consistency.
Case in point: I once worked with a client who, when I asked about tone, simply said, “Yeah, check out the logo and slogan on the website, that’ll give you what you need.”
Safe to say, it didn’t.
The About Page read like a corporate funding pitch. The blog veered between buttoned-up business speak and oddly casual waffle, a classic symptom of over-relying on AI without clear direction. And the emails?
It took some back-and-forth (and a bit of gentle reality-checking) to clarify what I meant by tone, and why it matters. Because without that shared understanding, every piece of content pulls in a different direction.
“Neutral” is a tone, too
Now, you might be sitting there thinking, “Oh, we’re good. We don’t really have a tone, we just keep things neutral. Safe. No risk.”
But here’s the thing: “neutral” is a tone. And most of the time, it signals one of two things: fear or indecision.
That “safe” tone? It usually sounds something like this:
A homepage full of abstract promises and passive phrasing.
Product copy that tells you nothing concrete, just that it’s “powerful” and “built for growth.”
Blog posts that read like someone skimmed a competitor's article and rewrote it with synonyms.
Playing it safe often means playing it forgettable. You end up with content that doesn’t offend, but also doesn’t land. It’s polite, corporate, and entirely devoid of personality. The written equivalent of a conference call with no agenda.
I get it. Some brands worry that having a distinct tone means being quirky or loud. But that’s not what tone’s about.
It’s not volume. It’s alignment. Clarity. Consistency.
I’ve seen it happen dozens of times. Brands think they’re avoiding risk by being vague. But all they’re really doing is stripping away anything memorable or human.
Neutral content doesn’t just fail to engage, it actively undermines trust. It tells your audience that:
You don’t quite know who you are yet.
You’re afraid to sound like someone in case it’s not the right someone.
Or, bluntly, you’re not putting in the effort to speak clearly and intentionally.
And no, that doesn’t mean you need to be brash or quirky or pepper your copy with GIFs and inside jokes. A brand voice can be calm, considered, even minimalist—and still unmistakably confident.
What matters is that it’s chosen. That it’s consistent. That it reflects who you are and what your audience needs from you.
What Your Current Content is Already Saying About You
You don’t need a tone guide to have a tone. It’s already there.
The way your brand speaks—across your site, emails, help docs, LinkedIn posts—it’s all signalling something. But what?
Let’s run a quick self-diagnosis. Think of a recent blog post, landing page, or email. Then walk it through this tone of voice flowchart:
Start here: Does the copy sound like a real person talking?
Yes: Great. You’re probably on the path to clarity and connection.
No: Check for overuse of passive voice, jargon, or “corporate speak.” Your tone may be signalling distance or insecurity.
Does it sound consistently human across pages or channels?
Yes: Strong sign you’ve got some underlying tone guidance—even if informal.
No: You’ve got a Frankenstein tone. A mix of styles (often from different tools or writers) that confuses readers and weakens trust.
Can someone outside your brand identify three words that describe the tone?
(E.g. "friendly," "smart," "a bit cheeky")
Yes: That’s tone recognition. Consistency is working.
No: If they say “generic” or “corporate,” you’re either neutral by default, or unclear by accident.
Would your ideal customer recognise this as yours without the logo?
Yes: That’s the holy grail. Distinct tone, well-executed.
No: Time to define or refine. Because your audience is reading into it, even when you’re not writing deliberately.
How to Find (and Fix) Your Tone of Voice
Right, enough diagnosis. Let’s talk about how to sort it.
If your tone’s currently a bit “whatever came out of the keyboard,” here’s a step-by-step to bring structure, consistency, and personality to the way your brand speaks.
Step 1: Start with who you’re speaking to
What do they already know? What frustrates them? What style of communication do they expect or secretly wish brands would adopt?
Are they time-poor operators? Give them clarity and directness.
Are they deeply technical? Respect their knowledge, avoid hand-holding.
Are they sceptical buyers? Use plain talk, proof, and confidence—skip the fluff.
Tone is about meeting people where they are, not mimicking competitors.
Step 2: Define how you want to come across
This is the internal brand work. Not just “professional” or “friendly”, go deeper.
Ask:
How do we want people to feel after reading us?
If our brand were a person, how would it talk in a meeting?
What are we not willing to sound like?
Use real language to describe your tone. Phrases you’d actually use in conversation. “Confident, not cocky.” “Curious, not chaotic.” “Warm, but not hand-holdy.”
Step 3: Audit your current content
Take 3–5 key assets (landing page, About, blog post, email sequence) and assess them against your intended tone.
Questions to ask:
Is the tone consistent across formats?
Does this sound like us?
Could someone else realistically copy this tone, or is it distinct?
If not, what’s missing? Too formal? Too vague? Not human enough?
Step 4: Build a working tone guide
You don’t need a 40-page brand bible. A tight 2–3 page tone guide with the following will do:
Tone principles: E.g. “Clarity over cleverness,” “Friendly but never fluffy.”
Do / Don’t examples: Real copy lines that show how to stay on track.
Edge cases: How to handle apologies, technical updates, or big claims.
Step 5: Test it in the wild
Run A/B tests on email intros, CTA copy, or blog openers. Share two-tone variations with actual customers. See what resonates.
Watch for:
Engagement (opens, clicks, time on page)
Qualitative feedback (“Loved the tone!” or “Bit too casual?”)
Internal alignment—do your team members get it?
Tone isn’t static. It evolves. However, it should evolve intentionally, not by chance.
Step 6: Work with an expert consultant who will do all the hard yards for you
Cough cough, cough cough cough, cough, cough, cough.
Your Brand Already Has a Voice, so Make Sure It's the Right One
Here’s the truth most brands don’t want to hear: you don’t get not to have a tone of voice.
Silence still says something.
So does blandness.
So does inconsistency.
The good news? This isn’t about being flashy or overly clever. It’s about being deliberate. Choosing a tone that reflects who you are, how you work, and who you’re speaking to. Then use it everywhere.
Done well, tone of voice isn’t just a branding exercise. It’s a filter. A standard. A way to stay sharp, recognisable, and human, even when you're scaling or automating or drowning in deadlines.
Drop me a message today and let me help get your tone of voice on track and help your brand stand out from the crowd.
