One of the biggest problems businesses face in today’s digital marketing world is coming off like themselves through social media, their website, etc. Most companies’ social media marketing and web efforts still sound like stiff, homogenized corporatespeak. They’re boring and unimaginative, and that sucks. As part of our series of posts about image online, today we shall talk about tone.
Tone is a literary technique that is a part of composition, which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber, playful, serious, ironic, condescending, or many other possible attitudes.[1] Tone and mood are not interchangeable. - Wikipedia
Digital marketing is about conversations- starting them, nurturing them, learning from them, and participating in them. It’s not about blasting press releases out there and putting us to sleep with bizarre Germanic compound words we know are made up, yet which fail to entertain. A big part of conversing is your tone, but a lot of businesses still don’t get that. Some companies fall down on tone because they’re lazy. Others fail because they’re scared. Either way, any company that wants to be successful and survive needs to find the courage to find their voice and put it out there.
The tone you choose to take for your marketing (both online and traditional) should be well-considered, and authentically represent your organization. Are you hip and cool, yet utterly professional (like us)? Or does your company have a bit more of a formal tone? Maybe you’re playful, maybe you’re serious. The point is, when people think about your company they’re not just thinking about your products or services. The tone you choose to embrace helps define your business. Smart brands know this. Think BMW. Think Apple. Now think about your company.
Is your company setting a consistent, engaging tone online and off? If not, you’re missing out on sales and you’re missing out on the biggest opportunity history has ever presented- the opportunity to build an amazing worldwide reputation that encourages casual browsers to become customers, and customers to become evangelists.
Now get out there- but watch your tone, mister!
Oops Photo by B. Rosen
