How to Define Your Brand Voice and Tone

Your business has a logo. Maybe a website. Maybe even a tagline. 

But if you don’t have a defined brand voice and tone, your message won’t stick — or convert.

Many startups sound like everyone else. That’s not a positioning problem. It’s a personality problem. 

This guide will show you how to define a voice that’s clear, consistent, and commercially effective.

Think of voice as your brand’s personality. Tone is how it shows up in different situations.

What Is Brand Voice and Tone

Brand voice is how your business communicates.

Tone is how that voice adjusts based on context, emotion, or audience.

Together, they shape how people feel about you — before they ever buy.

Think of voice as your brand’s personality. Tone is how it shows up in different situations (sales page vs support email).

A defined voice and tone will:

• Build trust faster with your ideal customers

• Make content creation easier across your team

• Help you stand out in a saturated market

• Align your marketing, sales, and support messaging

In Australia, consumers value authentic, human brands. If your voice feels generic, you’ll get scrolled past or price-shopped.

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Why It Matters (Real-World Wins and Warnings)

Case 1: Startup A — No Defined Voice: Their Instagram sounds playful. Their emails are stiff. Their website? Confusing. Result: High bounce rates, low conversions, and no brand recall.

Case 2: Startup B — Voice-First Strategy: They defined their voice as “straight-talking, practical, non-corporate.” Applied it across their site, ads, pitch decks, and support. Result: 3x engagement, 2x sales calls booked, and a brand people recommend.

With our Strategy — We helped them: i) Audit their content for voice consistency ii) Build a tone-of-voice guide for the whole team iii) Create a messaging framework that plugged into every platform. Outcome: Their brand didn’t just “speak” — it converted.

Get clear on the persona of your brand and the voice that represents that.

What You Need Before You Start

• A clear understanding of your ideal customer persona

• Your brand positioning or USP (unique selling point)

• Examples of messaging that have (or haven’t) worked

• A review of your current marketing content (site, socials, email)

Mentor Tip: A strong voice doesn’t mean being loud. It means being consistent.

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How to Define Your Brand Voice and Tone:

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Identify Your Brand Personality Traits

Ask: If your brand were a person, how would they sound? Pick 3–5 core traits (e.g. bold, helpful, cheeky, trustworthy).

Examples:

• Confident but not cocky

• Straight-talking, not stiff

• Smart but not academic

Step 2: Define What Your Voice Is — and Isn’t

Create a “this, not that” table for your team.

We Are	We Are Not
Direct	Corporate
Human	Robotic
Expert	Condescending

This builds guardrails that help your team stay on-brand.

Step 3: Document Your Tone Variations

Explain how your tone should flex across:

• Website copy vs ads vs support emails

• Social posts vs investor decks

• Serious topics vs light-hearted moments

Tone changes. Voice stays the same.

Step 4: Test and Get Feedback

Run A/B tests on subject lines, ads, or call-to-actions. Ask your customers: “Does this sound like us?”

Step 5: Create a Voice & Tone Guide

Include:

• Personality traits

• Dos and don’ts

• Sample copy blocks

• Tone by platform/channel

This becomes your content playbook — especially when you scale.

Cost of Defining Brand Voice

Tool/Service	Price Range
Internal workshop	Free – $500
Copywriter or brand strategist	$800 – $5,000
Brand voice guide template	Free on ProDesk
Voice audit & rewrite	$1,500 – $10,000 (depending on scale)

Money-Saving Tip: Do the discovery in-house, then hire a pro to refine it.

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Common Mistakes Founders Make

Sounding like everyone else 

Your brand becomes forgettable. Voice is what makes you distinct.

Being inconsistent across channels 

You confuse customers and erode trust.

Using corporate jargon 

You’re not a bank. Ditch the fluff and talk like a human.

Not training your team 

Even a strong voice fails if your team can’t use it.

Focusing only on visual branding 

Your brand is 50% what it looks like. 50% what it says.

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What to Do Right Now

✅ Get it done for you @ [Noize.com.au] we provide full branding packages, audits to identify the gaps in marketing and custom services - [Noize.com.au]

✅ Get founder-tested strategies with TheStartUpDeck.com  across your business

COMING SOON...

✅ Download the Brand Voice Blueprint on [ProDesk.com]

FAQs

What is brand voice vs brand tone? 

Voice is your consistent brand personality. Tone adapts based on context and emotion.

Do small businesses need a brand voice? 

Absolutely. A clear voice builds trust and consistency, no matter your size.

Can I define my voice myself or do I need an expert? 

You can start it yourself, but a strategist can help articulate and refine it for commercial impact.

How often should I update my voice and tone guide? 

Review annually or when major pivots happen (new audience, rebrand, etc.).

Does tone change across platforms? 

Yes. Tone should flex (e.g., LinkedIn vs Instagram) — but the voice stays consistent.