How do you determine the right tone for a new writing project?

Question

Navigating the delicate art of determining the right tone for a new writing project can often make or break its success. Insights from a Founder and an Assistant Manager Digital Marketing shed light on this nuanced topic. From creating a resonant tone with analytics to aligning the tone with the audience and goal, the experts provide a wealth of knowledge. With a total of seventeen insights, the final takeaway encourages writers to follow the client's brand guide for tone.

Chase Chappell · Answer

As a digital marketer and founder of Chappell Digital Marketing, I understand that tone is crucial for engaging your audience. I approach this by diving deep into customer analytics to create a tone that resonates with my target market. For instance, when marketing for a fashion brand, I lean toward a conversational and trend-focused tone, mirroring the language and style that their audience is already using on social media platforms.
At Sirge, our software for Shopify brands emphasizes precision and trust. Thus, my writing tone is data-driven and authoritative, ensuring clients see us as reliable partners in optimizing their e-commerce growth. This tone directly aligns with the necessity to provide measurable results, a key expectation from our clientele.
Additionally, I often use A/B testing to refine content tone and ensure it aligns with audience preferences. For example, while managing Facebook ad campaigns, we've tested taglines with varying emotional appeals to see which resonates better, resulting in higher conversion rates. By constantly analyzing data and feedback, we maintain a tone that effectively engages and retains customers.

Adnan Jiwani · Answer

Determining the right tone for a writing project starts with understanding the audience and purpose. For example, when I worked on a blog for a small wellness brand, I had to strike a balance between being informative and conversational. To get it right, I looked at their target audience-mostly young professionals-and noted the casual, friendly tone of their existing social media posts.
I also studied competitors in the same niche to see what resonated. Then, I wrote a sample piece and asked for feedback from the client to fine-tune the tone. The final tone was approachable yet credible, which worked well in building trust and engaging their readers. Listening and testing were key to getting it right.

Kevin Pike · Answer

I've learned that the best tone comes from really understanding who'll be reading the content and what keeps them up at night - like when we shifted our tone from technical to conversational for a local coffee shop's website, their engagement jumped 40%. For each new project, I spend time studying customer reviews and social media comments to pick up on the exact words and phrases our target audience uses naturally.

Kyle Morris · Answer

Determining the right tone for a new writing project starts with understanding the audience and the goal of the content. I ask myself questions like: Who am I speaking to? What do they care about? What action do I want them to take? For example, if I'm writing for law firms, I lean towards a more professional, authoritative tone, while for a lifestyle brand, I might go for something friendly and conversational.
I also take into account the brand's voice-whether it's formal, casual, or somewhere in between-and adjust based on the context. The key is to align the tone with what resonates most with the target audience while staying true to the brand's identity.

Joshua Uebergang · Answer

I learned the power of tone-setting while creating Shopify optimization guides that have now helped over 15,000 eCommerce marketers. When writing for our clients, I always start by analyzing their customer support tickets and reviews to understand the exact language their audience uses. Through lots of testing and tracking engagement metrics, I've found that mixing data-backed insights with conversational examples performs best for our eCommerce audience.

Wesley Littlefield · Answer

I take the time to research who I am writing for-their age, interests, challenges, and even the platforms they frequent. For example, when writing for Anglers.com, I know the tone needs to feel approachable, passionate, and knowledgeable because our readers are fishing enthusiasts who value practical advice and stories that resonate with their experiences on the water. Once I have a clear picture of the audience, I focus on aligning the tone with the brand's identity. If the project is instructional, I aim for clarity and directness. If it is more about storytelling, I lean into an engaging and conversational style that feels personal. Testing phrases and reading them aloud also helps me fine-tune the tone to ensure it feels natural and authentic.

Cindy Childress · Answer

I first consider the author's writing voice and conversational voice on the topic. Whatever tone the book takes, it needs to match what people get when they meet the author, hear them speak, or read their other writings. If they have a dry sense of humor (or not), use curse words (or not), and have elevated word choice (or not) that should come out in the writing. Next, I look at the tenor of other leaders in that space and who their audience is, relative to my client. What tones and styles are likely readers of my client's book responding to? And how can I implement some of those elements? 
I also like to make sure while we may be paying homage to influences, the client sounds uniquely like themselves, with fresh word choice, images, examples, and stories. So I'm always looking for their moments of authenticity and helping them peel back the layers and add detail to speak to their readers in the most relatable, engaging way.

Ryan Miller · Answer

In healthcare marketing, I've learned that finding the right tone means balancing professionalism with accessibility - you want to sound knowledgeable without overwhelming patients with medical jargon. Just recently, I rewrote a clinic's website content by first studying their patient feedback and consultation notes to understand exactly how their doctors naturally communicate with patients.

Patrick Carver · Answer

I've learned that matching the tone to both the client's personality and their target audience is crucial - for example, criminal defense firms need a more compassionate, understanding tone compared to corporate law. When I adjusted the website copy for a family law client from formal to more empathetic language, their consultation requests increased by 35% in just two months.

Dan Ponomarenko · Answer

At Webvizio, I've learned that the right tone emerges from really listening to how our customers talk about their challenges during discovery calls and support chats. Just last week, I noticed our enterprise clients used more technical language while our agency clients preferred straightforward, practical terms - so now I adjust our messaging accordingly for each segment.

Gregory Rozdeba · Answer

I've learned through writing insurance content that tone is really about mirroring how your readers talk about their financial concerns. When I write about life insurance, I try to balance being professional with being approachable - like using 'protect your family' instead of 'maximize policy benefits.' Generally, I start by reading customer reviews and support tickets to understand the words and phrases my audience actually uses when discussing these topics.

Barbara McMahan · Answer

I've noticed that tone often shifts depending on where someone is in their leadership journey - what works for a CEO might not resonate with an emerging manager. When coaching executives on their communications, I always have them read their message aloud to check if it sounds authentic to who they are. I typically suggest starting with a more formal tone and then gradually adjusting it based on actual conversations with your audience until it feels natural but still professional.

Greg Walters · Answer

As an SEO expert and owner of an SEO agency, I believe the right tone depends entirely on the target audience and the project's objectives. I start by studying the audience's demographics, preferences, and pain points. For example, writing for a tech-savvy audience requires a modern, conversational tone, while B2B clients may need a more formal and professional approach. I also consider the platform-social media content may be playful and engaging, whereas website copy often strikes a balance between professionalism and relatability.
One method I use is creating a tone guide for every project. It's a simple document outlining keywords, stylistic preferences, and phrases to avoid. This ensures consistency, especially in collaborative projects. A well-thought-out tone not only resonates with readers but also strengthens the brand's identity, ultimately helping achieve the SEO goals and fostering trust.

Josh Hook · Answer

Determining the right tone for a new writing project is all about understanding the brand's goals and how its message aligns with the audience's expectations. In my experience with Hook'd IT Up, we've helped numerous businesses like Precision Home Builders establish a consistent tone across their marketing materials that reflects their brand's dedication to quality and craftsmanship. By tailoring the tone to emphasize their commitment to customer satisfaction and expertise in home improvement, we've seen a substantial increase in client engagement.
When working with Tacos el Guero, we adopted a fun and vibrant tone that matched their lively brand personality, appealing to the local foodie community. This approach not only improved their social media interactions but also increased foot traffic by 20%. These results highlight the importance of using a tone that resonates with the audience's lifestyle and culture.
Experience has shown me the importance of aligning tone with the brand's visual elements, whether it's through a website, logo, or even business cards. For example, the approachable and sophisticated tone we developed for Joshua Jewkes at Gordon Law Group was mirrored in his professional business card design, ensuring a cohesive brand experience. This attention to detail can often set the foundation for strong client relationships and trust.

Jenn Prochaska · Answer

There's one question to ask yourself when determining the right tone: "how do you want readers to feel?" This determines your overall brand voice, of which tone is a part.
The purpose of copywriting is to sell, and in order for someone to buy, they need to know, like and trust the seller. Tone is almost more important than the actual facts. You know that saying, it's less about what you say than how you say it.
Too often, writers put themselves in the position of the speaker, whether its a brand, product or service. We battle this all the time in copywriting. What matters, however, is the end game. When we want our readers to feel comforted, we choose a more parental or guide tone. When we want people to feel motivated, we may opt for a God-like, direct tone. 
Once we've decided on the tone, we need to attribute adjectives that fit. What are essential, and what do we avoid? From there, we consider cadence and vocabulary. Longer sentences, for instance, will produce a more soothing, calming tone. Fragments? They create aggression. Writing's like music composition in that way. 
The same is true for punctuation: commas are pauses, while periods are endings. For a lot of writers, creating tone is difficult until they let go of the academic teachings of grammar. Tone requires us to break the rules!

Sameen B · Answer

I look at the goal and the target audience of the project. 
For example, if the goal of a writing project is to inspire the reader to take an action, an inspirational and motivational tone is your best bet.
For the target audience, I look at the demographics including their age, gender, job title, and experience level, among others. 
So if the goal of a 'How-to Guide' is to inform or educate aspiring entrepreneurs, I'd go with an informative tone with elements of storytelling and relatability. But if the goal of a 'How-to Guide' is to inform an advanced audience e.g., Marketing VPs, the tone would be practical and authoritative (ideally with a dash of humor if it goes with the brand's identity).
Writing isn't about keywords and ranking anymore. You could rank on top of the SERPs for a ton of keywords and still provide ZERO value to your intended audience if what you've written just doesn't speak to them.

Pamela Patton, CDMP · Answer

The client's brand guide is my bible. I study it for everything from preferred spelling and punctuation to tone of voice. I also study published materials to get a feel for them. Lastly, I ask the client if the tone in their materials is the tone they want. The project may entail an updated tone, at which point I work with the client to help determine the new tone, which may require updating the brand guide and other materials.

How Do You Determine the Right Tone for a Writing Project?

How Do You Determine the Right Tone for a Writing Project?

Create A Resonant Tone With Analytics

Balance Informative And Conversational Tone

Understand Audience For Effective Tone

Align Tone With Audience And Goal

Mix Data Insights With Conversational Examples

Research Audience For Approachable Tone

Match Tone With Author's Voice

Balance Professionalism And Accessibility

Match Tone With Client And Audience

Listen To Customers For Proper Tone

Mirror Readers' Language For Effective Tone

Adjust Tone Based On Audience Feedback

Tailor Tone To Audience And Objectives

Align Tone With Brand Goals

Determine Tone By Desired Reader Feelings

Match Tone To Goal And Audience

Follow Client's Brand Guide For Tone