Tone of voice is the way in which we write and speak; what we say and how we say it.
Having a tone of voice doesn’t mean we all sound the same. It’s a springboard for our imagination and creativity. It gives us the confidence to write our own materials rather than relying on copying and pasting the varying quality of other sources.
The more consistent our tone of voice is, the more likely our community will recognise and understand us as the people who enrich peoples lives through the arts. The way we write and speak should reflect our brand values. Consistency will also develop through sharing and asking colleagues to do a sense and tone check, especially when a communication is going to multiple recipients.
WHAT MAKES OUR TONE OF VOICE DISTINCTIVE?
In the same way as thinking about our community, it’s useful to think about The Arts Society as a person with a distinct personality that we are seeking to convey in any conversation. Our personality is underpinned by our brand values. If we were to meet The Arts Society they would be informed, responsive, warm, personable, sociable, cosmopolitan, curious and imaginative.
To help us think about tone of voice we've broken it down into 5 things to remember.
OUR TONE OF VOICE AT A GLANCE
1. Stay informed
Make statements which are backed up with evidence.
2. Keep it simple
Start any communication with the single most important point.
3. Act natural
Be genuine and write or speak like a person, not an organisation.
4. Be curious
Establish conversation and dialogue by asking questions and being curious.
5. Make an impression
Try telling or sharing with people something new, that they might not know.
For more details and to read our Tone of Voice guidance document, please download it below:
