How to Create a Brand Voice and Tone Guide

What Is Brand Voice?

Brand voice is your brand's personality expressed through words. It's consistent across every piece of communication — website copy, emails, social media, customer support, packaging.

If your brand were a person at a dinner party, how would they talk? That's your voice.

Voice vs. Tone: The Critical Distinction

Voice stays constant. It's who you are. Tone shifts based on context.

A brand with a friendly, knowledgeable voice might use an encouraging tone in onboarding emails but a serious tone in a data breach notification. The personality stays the same — the emotional register adapts.

Think of it like a person: your friend has a consistent personality but speaks differently at a funeral than at a birthday party.

How to Define Your Brand Voice

Step 1: Start With Your Brand Name and Values

Your name already signals something. A brand called "Spark" implies energy and directness. A brand called "Sage" implies wisdom and calm. Your voice should amplify what your name starts.

List your three to five core brand values. These are the foundation of your voice.

Step 2: Choose Three Voice Attributes

Pick three adjectives that describe how your brand communicates. Be specific — "professional" is too vague. Better examples:

• Confident, not arrogant — We state things directly but never talk down to people.
• Warm, not casual — We're friendly and approachable but still polished.
• Clear, not simplistic — We explain complex things simply without dumbing them down.

The "not" qualifier prevents misinterpretation and gives writers guardrails.

Step 3: Create a "This, Not That" Chart

For each voice attribute, provide examples:

| We Sound Like This | Not Like This | |---|---| | "Here's how to fix that." | "As per our documentation, users should reference..." | | "Great question!" | "Obviously..." | | "We made a mistake. Here's what we're doing about it." | "We regret any inconvenience caused." |

Step 4: Write Sample Copy

Draft examples of your voice across different formats:

• A homepage headline
• A tweet / social post
• A customer support reply
• An error message
• An email subject line

These examples become the clearest reference for anyone writing on behalf of your brand.

Defining Tone Variations

Create a tone spectrum for different situations:

Celebratory (product launches, milestones)

More energetic, exclamation-appropriate, emoji-friendly

Informative (blog posts, guides)

Balanced, helpful, confident but not hype-driven

Supportive (customer service, troubleshooting)

Patient, empathetic, solution-focused

Serious (outages, sensitive topics, policy changes)

Direct, transparent, no jokes or casual language

Building the Guide Document

Your brand voice guide should include:

1. Brand overview — One paragraph on who you are and what you stand for
2. Voice attributes — Your three descriptors with "not" qualifiers
3. Tone variations — How voice adapts across contexts
4. Word list — Words you use and words you avoid (e.g., "customers" not "users," "simple" not "easy")
5. Grammar preferences — Oxford comma or not, contractions or not, emoji policy
6. Sample copy — Real examples across formats
7. Common mistakes — Things new writers get wrong

Keep it under five pages. Nobody reads a fifty-page brand guide.

Applying Your Voice Consistently

Audit Existing Content

Review your website, emails, and social media. Highlight anything that doesn't match your defined voice. Fix the biggest offenders first.

Train Your Team

Share the guide with everyone who writes for your brand — marketing, support, sales, leadership. Walk through examples together.

Create Templates

For frequently used formats (support replies, social posts, email campaigns), create templates that bake in the right voice.

Review Regularly

Schedule quarterly reviews of your voice guide. As your brand evolves, your voice may need refinement.

Your Voice Starts With Your Name

A memorable, well-chosen brand name makes voice development easier because it already carries personality. Before building your voice guide, make sure your name is working for you.

Check your brand name's availability across every platform with BrandScout — because consistent voice needs a consistent name everywhere.