How to Write a Brand Voice

By Melon Cut ·

Open two businesses' Instagram pages. One says "Hey you! Fresh bread is out of the oven." The other says "Our sourdough is baked daily from 6 a.m." Same bread, two voices. If you want to learn how to write a brand voice, the aim is to decide which of these you are and make sure everybody writing for you does the same.

Voice is who, tone is when

Your voice stays the same. Your tone changes with the moment. A good friend sounds like themselves at a party and at a funeral, but not in the same mood. Write both down: the voice as a few fixed traits, the tone as notes for different situations.

Pick three traits

Choose three adjectives, and make them specific enough to rule things out. "Professional" rules out little. "Plainspoken" rules out jargon.

For each trait, write:

  • What it means in one sentence.
  • One thing you do because of it.
  • One thing you never do because of it.

For example, Plainspoken: we use words a customer would use. We say "pay" and not "remit". We never use acronyms without explaining them.

Build a before and after table

This is the most useful part of any voice guide. Take five real sentences from your own posts and rewrite each into the voice you want.

| Before | After | | --- | --- | | We are delighted to announce a new service offering. | We now fix bikes on Sundays too. | | Please be advised our hours have changed. | New hours from Monday: 9 to 5. |

Seeing the shift is faster than reading a definition.

Write a short word list

Words you like to use and words you avoid. A children's dentist may say "tooth helper" and avoid "drill". A law firm may say "plain advice" and avoid "synergy". Add rules on small things as well: contractions yes or no, exclamation marks, emojis, how you address the reader.

Set tone by situation

A short table does the job: good news, a delay, a complaint, a sale. For each, one line. "Complaint: acknowledge first, fix second, no jokes."

Test it on a stranger

Give the guide to someone and ask them to write a caption for a new product. Compare it with what you would have written. Where it differs, the guide is missing something.

Prompts to practice with

Rewrite this announcement in a plainspoken, warm voice with short sentences and no jargon: "We are pleased to inform our valued customers that our premises will be closed for refurbishment."

Write three Instagram captions for a plant nursery in a dry, gently funny voice. Do not use exclamation marks.

Read the output carefully. The test is whether you would say it.

In Melon Cut

Melon Cut Guidelines stores voice and tone with the rest of your brand. In Melon Cut Design, naming the brand with @ lets captions and the words on pictures follow it. Always read any text before posting. Continue with Write a Brand Style Prompt for AI.

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