Finding the "voice" for your website is not only an art but a necessity. Not only must you have the ability to express yourself authentically, but you must also create a meaningful connection with your audience. Your voice also leads to the amount of professionalism and "stuffiness" your business portrays. Even when trends in web writing shift, your voice should always, first and foremost, tell a potential customer what the atmosphere of your business is.
Even a blog writer monetizing a blog for extra money should have a voice that is the front of his or her blog, whether personal or business and stick to it.
Your Voice, Tone and Style Tell People More About You
Voice, tone and style work together to define the sound of your brand and how others perceive it. While not everyone will like your voice, the trick is to find a voice that best fits your business, the type of customer you want to attract, and one that most people can get behind. At the same time, you must also be able to make Google happy so your site has a better chance of ranking.
Your voice includes word choices, pronouns, punctuation and more. Tone is the attitude you convey. It is similar to your speaking tone. If people have told you that you sound condescending, your writing may come across as condescending unless you change your tone.
Finally, style is your uniform brand experience. It uses defined language choices and writing mechanics. When you have others writing for you, you should have a style guide that outlines your brand's voice, tone and style so all of your content is similar and represents your brand.
When you use voice, tone and style in a consistent manner, potential customers will know what to expect from you. It helps increase user engagement with your website by making you stand out from your competitors, conveying your understanding of potential customers' needs, and building trust because you have shared values.
Types of Voice
You can choose from several types of voice for your web content, but whichever you choose, it should be the same for website content and blogs. Google prefers certain voices over others, as voice must also show you have the experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness as a business to increase your chances of ranking on search engine results pages.
Additionally, the voice you choose also depends on the type of business or blog you own. Various types of voices include:
Narrative Voice
The narrative voice is seldom used for professional websites. It can be written in first, second or third person: I / We, You, He/She, respectively. A narrative voice generally conveys a personal and intimate connection, especially in the first person.
Some sole proprietors prefer to use first-person narrative, though that doesn't come across as professional as third-person narrative. Using third-person narrative can also come across as condescending to some people as it gives the reader the sense that the writer knows it all or is "always right." However, when it's done properly, it can work for some, especially in white-collar professions, such as law firms.
Descriptive Voice
The descriptive voice is usually found in product descriptions, reviews and personal essays. It is a neutral and factual voice that focuses on presenting information without the writer's personal bias. This voice is also commonly used in academic writing and news reporting.
Persuasive Voice
The persuasive voice is a logical and rational voice that appeals to a reader's emotions. It's common in speeches, opinion pieces and advertising because it is used to present data, facts and reasoned arguments to convince a reader to purchase a product or service.
If the persuasive voice is too heavy-handed, the presentation may come across as unbelievable to some people.
Conversational Voice
The conversational voice is one of the best ways to present knowledgeable information, as most readers can easily understand your message. It can be informal or formal. In either instance, it copies the tone of everyday conversation – just as if you were talking to a friend or relative about your business.
While the conversational voice is usually found in social media posts, blogs, and personal communication, when done properly, it can be a very attractive way to present your brand. Informal conversational voice uses colloquial language and contractions, while formal conversational voice uses a more structured style and avoids colloquialisms, slang and contractions. The formal conversational voice is often used for business communication, official documents, and website content.
Expository Voice
The expository voice is generally very dry. It can be analytical or exploratory. The analytical is drier than exploratory and breaks down complex concepts and ideas. You usually see this in reports, essays and scientific writing.
The exploratory, expository voice is usually used in essays and nonfiction where the writer is exploring a topic without coming to a conclusion for the reader.
Poetic Voice
The poetic voice can be lyrical or narrative. Both express personal emotions and feelings and use vivid imagery and figurative language. Lyrical poetic prose is often used in poetry and other forms of creative prose, while narrative poetic prose combines poetic language and storytelling.
This voice is not usually found on websites unless the website is for a fiction author or a poet.
Professional Voice
The professional voice can be technical or business / formal. You often see the technical professional voice in manuals, technical writing and scientific papers. Business / formal has a more polished tone and is frequently used in official documents and business communications and reports.
Authoritative Voice
The authoritative voice uses formal language to show professionalism, persuasive thought leadership and experience. Google loves pages that are written in an authoritative voice because it best shows the website owner has experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
Supportive Voice
Medical facilities often use a supportive voice as it is casual and filled with enthusiasm and personality. The supportive voice shows a willingness to help someone. While the supportive voice sometimes includes relaxed slang, most facilities don't take it that far but are still able to portray a conversation between it and a trusted friend.
Discovering Your Brand Voice
Your voice helps define your brand's personality. If you are an auto repair shop, you may want to be professional yet approachable. The conversational voice effectively combines the two. Additional samples of conversational voice that are also authoritative include the content on EpochWriter and Miller Farms, though EpochWriter uses more of a professional tone than the other examples, which use a tone that is easier to understand and is more straightforward.
What is Tone?
While voice stays the same in your speech or writing, tone changes depending on the situation. Tone is part of your brand's voice and varies depending on the message you want to convey to your readers. If your tone is correct, it can influence potential customers to feel the same way you do about your brand. As with voice, not everyone is going to like your tone. The trick is to find a happy medium that appeals to most readers.
Document Your Brand Voice and Tone
Whether you write most of your website content and blogs yourself, have an in-house writer, or hire a company like EpochWriter to create your website content, you should document your brand's voice and tone. Good writers can match the voice and tone of your brand, which helps align messaging in all of your content and produce quality communications without excessive drafts.
Contact EpochWriter for more information on creating website content or providing blogs for your business.
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