Every business has a unique voice; one that takes on a personality of its own. A business voice can sound casual and personable, corporate and professional or even off collar. The way your business talks sets the stage for how your audience will know and interact with you.
The voice a business uses should be consistent across all platforms used to communicate with both your audience and employees. Consistency makes it easier for whomever you are communicating with, to easily recognize the business. If your audience knows your business with a more laid-back tone in your social and email communications but they see a professional voice on your website they may become confused as to who the business truly is.
Even on social media, a businesses voice should reflect who they are and the culture they represent. Social media is known to many as a platform to be more casual, but if your company conducts business more professionally, it should have the same tone. Speaking in an out of character way may reflect badly on the business. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative on social media; just remember what values your business stands for.
Not sure how your business should sound? First look at what your mission and vision statements are as in indicator. In those statements you’ve already decided how business should be conducted and in what way, the voice of your business should do the same. You can also look at the materials created for onboarding to help decide the tone of voice for your business. How do you expect your employees to interact with each other and with customers/clients? Is the feel professional, casual or a hybrid? Think of how communication is already done internally and use that to communicate externally.
Every business has a specific voice and it may take time to find the right one that works for yours. Listen to your employees and audience’s feedback to tweek messaging that reflects who and what your business is.