Example Style Guide

This is the Voice & Tone page of a Style Guide, provided as an example to illustrate style guide development.

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Voice & Tone

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TL;DR (Summary)

Voice & Tone

One way we write empowering content is by being aware of our voice and our tone. This section explains the difference between voice and tone, and lays out the elements of each as they apply to Example Company.

What’s the difference between voice and tone? Think of it this way: You have the same voice all the time, but your tone changes. You might use one tone when you’re out to dinner with your closest friends, and a different tone when you’re in a meeting with your boss.

Your tone also changes depending on the emotional state of the person you’re addressing. You wouldn’t want to use the same tone of voice with someone who’s scared or upset as you would with someone who’s laughing.

The same is true for Example Company. Our voice doesn’t change much from day to day, but our tone changes all the time.

Voice

At Example Company, we’ve walked in our clients’ shoes, and we know real estate and financial services are a minefield of confusing terminology. That’s why we speak like the experienced and compassionate business partner we wish we’d had way back when.We treat every client seriously. We want to educate people without patronizing or confusing them.Using a conversational voice, we play with language to bring joy to our clients’ work. We prefer the subtle over the noisy, the wry over the farcical. We don’t take ourselves too seriously.Whether people know what they need from us or don’t know the first thing about real estate services, every word we say informs and encourages. We impart our expertise with clarity and empathy.All of this means that when we write copy:

We are plainspoken. We understand the world our clients are living in: one muddled by hyperbolic language, upsells, and over-promises. We strip all that away and value clarity above all. We avoid distractions like fluffy metaphors and cheap plays to emotion.
We are genuine. That means we relate to clients’ challenges and passions and speak to them in a familiar, warm, and accessible way.
We are translators. Only experts can make what’s difficult look easy, and it’s our job to demystify industry information and actually educate.
Our humor is dry. Our sense of humor is straight-faced and subtle. We’re smart but not snobbish. We prefer winking to shouting. We’re never condescending or exclusive.

Tone

Example Company’s tone is usually informal, but it’s always more important to be clear than entertaining. When you’re writing, consider the reader’s state of mind. Are they relieved to find a source for help? Are they confused and seeking our help with compliance? Once you have an idea of their emotional state, you can adjust your tone accordingly.

Example Company has a sense of humor, so feel free to be funny when it’s appropriate and when it comes naturally to you. But don’t go out of your way to make a joke—forced humor can be worse than none at all. If you’re unsure, keep a straight face.

Style Tips

Here are a few key elements of writing Example Company’s voice. For more, see the Grammar & Mechanics page.

Active Voice – Use active voice. Avoid passive voice.
Avoid slang and jargon – Write in plain English.
Write positively – Use positive language rather than negative language.

This guide has been adapted from content originally created by Mailchimp. The content is being reused with Mailchimp’s permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License.