Marketing success hinges on your ability to get your message in front of your ideal customers. But there’s more to it than pushing it to the platforms where they hang out. They need to see it, resonate with it, and act on it.
That’s why the tone of your messaging matters.
What is “tone”?
When we talk about content tone, we’re talking about your style, the type of words you choose, and the attitude or perspective of your message.
If your tone resonates with your audience, they’ll love you. Before you know it, you’ll be their BFF.
If it doesn’t resonate, it won’t connect. It could even repel them.
So how do you get your tone right? Here are three things to focus on so your message stands out and connects with your ideal audience.
1. Get on Their Wavelength
In science, one object resonates with another when they vibrate at the same rate. That’s why the philharmonic orchestra sounds like a mess when they’re warming up. But under the direction of a good conductor, they make beautiful music.
When they’re warming up, there’s no resonance. They aren’t on the same wavelength. They aren’t even playing the same song.
To resonate with your audience, you need to get on their wavelength.
- Meet them where they are, both emotionally and mentally.
- Use the words and phrases they use to talk about things.
- Show agreement with their opinions and feelings.
2. Be Conversational
Professional writing isn’t academic. It’s clean and clear, but it’s also conversational.
We say, “Write like you talk.” And that’s true. You need to chat with your audience, and not lecture them.
But it’s more important to talk the way your prospect talks.
To do that, you need to know them and spend time with them. If they use slang, so should you. If they’re more formal, so should you be.
3. Be the Authority
To lead, you need to be in front.
Let’s say you market to elementary school teachers or new moms. Because they spend all day, every day, with children, they may default to a childlike way of talking.
That means you can adopt a casual, simple style. But beware of creating childlike marketing.
You still want to be the authority in the room.
A good rule of thumb is to position yourself as one or two steps above your target market. This goes for your clothing, your voice, and your tone.
You do want to resonate with the room. But you don’t want to blend in with the crowd.
Be an authority, so your prospects will feel comfortable following you.
