Tone of Voice Mistakes to Avoid in Branding
A consistent tone of voice is important if you are building a brand. Branding is not only about the visuals, even if the customers notice them first. It’s important that brands don’t get fixated on designing the logo alone because that will be the end of your branding process. It is the words and the tone you follow in the ad creatives, marketing materials, social media platforms, etc, that carry your brand forward.
Everything, starting from typography, colours, logo and the visuals, creates a brand identity. You are telling a story about your brand through creative ads and marketing campaigns. However, if you choose the wrong tone of voice, the story will be carried forward in the wrong way. The image you want to create for your brand is extremely important. This is why you should focus on creating a consistent tone of voice. When it comes to branding, your brand needs a distinct voice and a clear visual identity which can blend in a seamless manner.
The visuals are only setting a stage for your brand, but the tone of voice actually delivers the story. Hence, choosing the wrong tone of voice can make the customer experience slightly bitter. To create a consistent brand identity, you should understand the mistakes performance marketing companies and individual brands make when it comes to choosing a tone of voice. We will discuss the top tone of voice mistakes that brands must avoid in 2025.
Let’s Discover The Top Tone of Voice Mistakes in Branding
#1: Using Made-up Words is Okay, but Sophisticated Jargon is Not
You want customers to quickly understand your content and relate to it? Keep the language simple and easy. Many brands, in their effort to sound sophisticated, write a lot of jargon that makes even less sense when seen with the brand’s identity. Your content and brand messages should be written in plain, simple language.
The audience shouldn’t have to Google the translations every time they come across marketing campaigns run by your brand. Performance marketing companies have expert copywriters who research the brand and understand the audience’s preferences and behaviour well. Keeping an easy tone of voice in simple, plain language will help readers to engage quickly with the brand.
#2: Using Passive Voice in Brand’s Tone Isn’t Inherently Wrong
You shouldn’t be afraid to use passive voice in a brand’s tone of voice. At times, using passive voice in a brand’s messaging can soften the message or show you as weak in your stand, but when you want to focus on the outcome more than the action, passive voice can be a strong choice. For example, “we are offering a 50% discount on the minimum purchase of items worth 5,999. It is an active voice where the focus is on action rather than the outcome. Another example of passive voice in branding is – “A new formula has been developed to cover dark spots”. Here, the message conveys that the outcome is more important than the action itself. Many cosmetic brands use this practice to show urgency and establish importance.
#3: Copying Your Competitor’s Tone of Voice Doesn’t Create Differentiation
Many brands serving the same pool of audience often try to copy their competitor when they are doing better when it comes to customer acquisition and conversions. However, copying your competitors’ tone of voice doesn’t set you apart from the competition. Brands should own their space by bringing uniqueness and creativity to their tone of voice. Your tone of voice should reflect the brand’s message and its personality. Choosing one over the other can impact your overall sales and affect your brand’s identity.
To Sum Up
Many brands make these mistakes and choose to continue making them because they don’t have a better strategy. Branding is a lifelong process. It should not take a backseat just because your business is now doing well. Marketers, entrepreneurs and performance marketing firms consistently put efforts into acquiring customers and expanding the market reach of the brand. In order to do so, you need to create consistent and effective marketing campaigns, branding messages and social media posts that evoke feelings and emotions in customers. We encourage you to consult our marketers and brand strategists at VerveBranding, a leading logo design company in India.
