Have you ever been reading a website page and felt your attention slowly slipping away? In B2B marketing, it can be easy to prioritise flashy graphics or messaging frameworks over the finer details – like tone of voice – that actually make your brand feel human.
But in the age of generative AI, when so much copy sounds the same, having a truly unique and differentiated tone of voice can seriously help you cut through the noise, ensuring potential clients remember who you are and what your B2B brand is all about.
Getting your tone of voice spot on is especially important in B2B, which often comes with more complex services and products. If your brand’s tone of voice carries your personality, feels human and effectively communicates your product or service, you’re already well on your way to standing out from the competition.
So, let’s talk about why tone of voice matters, why it’s often neglected and how to find one that’s unmistakably yours.
Finding your voice – easier said than done?
Developing a unique tone of voice doesn’t happen overnight, but with a bit of introspection, clarity and consistency, it’s easy to get started. Here’s how:
Assess your existing content
First things first, take a look at your existing tone of voice and how it’s sounding right now. Is your tone consistent, and does it reflect what you want your brand to be known for? Also try to pick out any commonly used words or phrases that keep popping up, deciding whether you’d like to keep or replace them. Reviewing your existing brand personality will help you set the baseline for refining your voice going forward.
Know who you’re talking to
Understand how your audience communicates and what they respond to. Would they appreciate a formal tone, or would they prefer something more light-hearted? Which of your previous content seemed to resonate best with them, and why? Your brand’s tone of voice should reflect your personality, but it should also try to weave in the personality of your target audience.
Revisit your brand values
Your brand values help to remind you about what truly makes your brand unique. Now is a great time to revisit them and ensure your tone of voice is aligned. Whether your brand is known for being innovative, service-oriented, or traditional, your brand values can help you understand how to best reflect that in your tone of voice.
Develop your guidelines
Now you know how your brand should sound, create a living, breathing guidelines document for you and your team to refer to when it’s time to create content. This could include:
- Your brand’s core traits (assertive, quirky, knowledgeable etc.)
- Key words and phrases to use and avoid (this could even extend to emojis if your brand uses them)
- Examples of content that fits or doesn’t fit your tone
Start putting it into practice
Now you have everything you need to create great content that fits your brand’s voice – so go for it! Reading back your content can help you realise if what you’ve just created fits your intended voice. Reading aloud is especially useful for this – does what you’re reading sound like something you’d actually say in a conversation? Over time, your tone of voice will become second nature, but don’t be afraid to make tweaks and adjustments over time as your brand (and the world) evolves and develops.
Why does tone of voice matter in B2B?
In consumer marketing, it’s not uncommon for brands to hire entire teams to ensure their tone of voice feels just right. But in B2B, it can often feel like the tone of voice comes down to the last person to see a slide deck before a pitch. However, tone of voice is still crucial in B2B.
Despite what the name might suggest, B2B isn’t really businesses talking to businesses, it’s still just people talking to people! In B2B, where sales cycles are longer and each conversion matters more, being able to convey that you understand your clients’ problems, your solution works and your team ‘gets it’ can be the edge that wins a room over.
How should your tone of voice sound?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution – it’s all about what works best for your brand. However, having a few base notes to build from never goes amiss. Here’s what strong B2B brand voices often feel like:
- Open and honest
- Passionate
- Confident, but not too cocky
- Authoritative
- Knowledgeable
- Conversational, but professional
- Helpful
- Distinct, but not quirky for the sake of it
Final thoughts
Let’s be honest, tone of voice might not always be at the top of a B2B brand’s to-do list, but if there’s one thing that sticks with someone long after they’ve scrolled down your social media feed or read your landing page, it’s how you sounded.
When your tone of voice truly reflects who you are and resonates with the people you’re trying to reach, that’s when things really start to click. In a sea of buzzwords and copy-and-paste, sounding genuinely you is a competitive advantage most brands don’t even realise they have.
This latest thinking article was written by:
Jack Lenton
Content Manager