Voice and ToneCreating content for humans

@katekiefer

voiceandtone.com mailchimp.com

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

Ask questionsWhat does your company do?Why did you start your company?Why do people visit your website?Who are your customers?What other companies do you admire?

If your brand were a person, how would you describe them?

Show me a few examples of content that suits your brand.

What other companies do you admire?

How do you want people to feel when they visit your website?

Ask questionsIf your brand were a person, how would you describe him or her?Show me a few examples of content that suits your brand.How do you want people to feel when they visit your website?

MailChimp is

fun but not childish.clever but not silly.powerful but not complicated.smart but not stodgy.cool but not alienating.informal but not sloppy.helpful but not overbearing.expert but not bossy.

Design persona (Aarron Walter)

Voice guidelines

company's missioncontent typesspeci!c content examplesbrand traitspersonality explanationreader/customer typesvisual guidelines

Yaaaawn.

styleguide.yahoo.com

"It is insight into human nature that is key to the communicator's skill. For whereas the writer is concerned with what he puts into his writings, the communicator is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. He therefore becomes a student of how people read or listen."

William Bernbach

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

"A good teacher I know, Jennifer Auger, has a simple but e!ective technique for the writing classroom. When her students have blah voiceless writing, she makes them speak the following words to her before reading their text: 'Listen to me, I have something to tell you.'"

Peter ElbowVernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing

Jerrold, a Nerdbot

��������

�� ��������������������� ���� ��������������� ��������������� ����������������������������������� ������������������

�����

���

Any questions?Next up:Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight faceBe honest

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

Style guide: content types

"e app

"e application is MailChimp’s heart. Its language helps people along as they create, send and track email campaigns. People using the app already know and love MailChimp, so we can have a little fun with the language–though our priority is helping them get their work done quickly.

Why we do it: Duh.

Microcopy

Microcopy is that small but oh-so-important instructional copy that you usually see in forms and feedback messages. It might remind a user that her password has to contain a number or explain that email communication will only be used regarding a speci#c order. We also call it “help text,” and you see it both in the app and on the public site. It’s short and to-the-point.

Why we do it: To help users complete tasks.

MailChimp newsletter

MailChimp’s email newsletter is a company update written by our CEO, Ben. It’s full of photos, stories, experiments, links and announcements for customers who want to know more about MailChimp. It’s casual and entertaining.

Why we do it: To give customers more MailChimp news and provide an occasional behind-the-scenes look at how the company works. We are an email service, after all.

Mascot’s jokes: an extra layer of humor

Compliance alert: bad news

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions

"If advertising had a little more respect for the public, the public would have a lot more respect for advertising."

James Randolph Adams

To determine your tone of voice, consider:

1. Content type2. "e reader's emotional state

Ask yourself

What situation is the reader in that's bringing her to this content?What situation will this content put her in?How does the reader feel right now?How will this content make her feel?What can I do to maintain the reader's state of mind or put her in a better one?

Touchy subjects

health and medicinereligionpoliticsmoney and bankingprivate informationfundraising

Sensitive content types

help contentcontact pageFAQformsprivacy policies and terms of usefailure messages and alerts

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader."

Robert Frost

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader."

Robert Frost

Tufts University’s voice and tone guidelines

Tufts University’s voice and tone wiki

wikis.uit.tufts.edu

Tufts University’s voice and tone guidelines

wikis.uit.tufts.edu

Indiana University Alumni AssociationIU Alumni Association’s word oppositions

alumni.indiana.edu

be.macmillan.org.uk

Macmillan Cancer Support’s writing guide

be.macmillan.org.uk

Gov.UK’s style guide

Some examples(and mistakes I’ve made)

WRONG tone of voice

Playful tone of voice

Obama campaign’s unsubscribe screen

$ickr.com/whitehouse

Romney campaign’s unsubscribe screen

Photojojo’s unsubscribe form

Photojojo’s unsubscribe screen

Tea Muse’s unsubscribe screen

""e consumer isn’t a moron. She is your wife."

David Ogilvy

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

Current 404

mint.com 404

404 reject

Woot’s product description

woot.com

Woot’s contact page

woot.com

More questions!Next up:Be honest

Find your voiceSpeak onto the page

Watch your toneKnow when to keep a straight face

Be honest

Warby Parker’s roots

warbyparker.com

Warby Parker’s library

warbyparker.com

Warby Parker’s writing guide

Warby Parker’s story page

warbyparker.com

Oh, really?

makersmark.com

“We’re humbled by your overwhelming response and passion for Maker’s Mark. While we thought we were doing what’s right, this is your brand – and you told us in large numbers to change our decision.

You spoke. We listened. And we’re sincerely sorry we let you down.”

Maker’s Mark’s apology

"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

Thanks.

@katekiefer

voiceandtone.com mailchimp.com