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Between Spontaneity and the Corporate Voice: How Do Brands Choose Their Tone of Voice Across Platforms?

Imagine coming across a spontaneous brand post that has attracted plenty of engagement on social media, using humor and language its audience can relate to. It seems appealing, right? But what if the same approach were used to respond to a serious customer complaint? Is a friendly response enough if it does not address the underlying problem? Brands face this choice regularly: how can they speak in a way that connects with their audience while choosing a tone that suits each situation? This is where the communications team comes in, deciding what needs to be said, to whom, and what the audience expects from the response.

What Are Brand Voice and Tone of Voice?

Brand voice is part of a brand’s identity. It expresses how the brand communicates with its audience through its choice of words, language, and way of expressing itself, and remains relatively consistent across different situations. Tone of voice is how that voice adapts to the context. When creating entertaining content, a brand may use a light, spontaneous tone. When responding to a complaint or explaining a crisis, it needs a more serious and clear tone. Put simply, the voice remains relatively consistent, while the tone changes with the situation.

What Does a Human Voice Look Like in Brand Communication?

Some people may think a human voice means using casual language mixed with humor and emojis. These choices may suit certain brands and situations, but they are not the only way to sound human. How a brand communicates with someone, and what it says to them, matter just as much as how informal its language feels. A study on conversational human voice identified three aspects of this approach: message personalization, informal language, and an invitation to dialogue. Personalization means writing a response to what the person has actually said, so it does not feel like a message that could be sent to anyone. An invitation to dialogue means leaving room for the conversation to continue. Informal language relates to how familiar and relaxed the wording and expression feel. When these aspects were tested in brand responses, personalization contributed most to participants’ sense that the reply was personal and engaging, while informal language had less of an effect. This means that casual wording alone is not enough. The response also needs to address what the person has actually said. A brand might respond to a complaint in professional language, showing the customer that it understands what happened and explaining the next step. Another brand might address the customer by name and use friendly wording and emojis, yet fail to answer the substance of the complaint. The second response sounds pleasant, but the customer still does not know how the problem will be resolved.

A tablet displaying an exchange of chat bubbles

An image illustrating dialogue between a brand and its audience.

Why Might Audiences Prefer an Approachable Tone?

When a brand uses natural language, a person may feel that there is someone behind the account they can talk to, and that what they say matters. This feeling may make them more willing to engage with the brand and share their views. In a study published in 2022, participants viewed a fictional brand’s page that used either a human tone or a corporate tone. Those who saw the human tone reported a greater sense of social presence and a stronger intention to engage with the brand. An approachable tone may therefore encourage someone to engage, but what follows matters too. When customers contact a brand, they expect an answer as well as a pleasant manner. Is a Human Tone Enough When Handling a Complaint or Crisis? A study of a Danish bank’s responses to public criticism on Facebook examined how employees used personal touches, such as addressing users by name, expressing regret, and signing replies with their own names. However, the researcher observed that some responses appeared similar despite differences in what people raised in their comments. These techniques may make a reply feel personal, but that does not necessarily mean it addresses the person’s objection. When comments criticize the organization’s own actions, the team needs to understand what people are saying and explain what it can about the issue, rather than relying on similar expressions of regret.

How Should a Brand Choose Its Tone for Each Situation?

A brand maintains a recognizable voice across its communication channels, but its tone changes depending on what it publishes and the situation it is addressing. Not every post needs the same degree of seriousness or spontaneity.

In Everyday Posts

There is more room for spontaneity. A brand can ask its audience questions, use language they relate to, or add humor if it suits its personality. For example, a brand that organizes leisure activities might ask, “What are your plans for the weekend?” The approach should still reflect the brand’s personality, so its account does not seem to speak in a different way every day. A funny post may attract plenty of engagement, but the team should also look at the nature of that engagement. Did people ask questions? Did they share their experiences? Did the conversation continue after the post was published? These details help the team understand audience engagement beyond the number of likes. Wide’s article on engagement in digital marketing explores the difference between looking at numbers and understanding what audiences actually do.

In an Individual Complaint

If a customer describes an unsatisfactory experience, the response should address what happened and explain the next step. Following up on the complaint may require personal information. In that case, the conversation can move to a private channel, with an explanation of why this is necessary and what will happen after the information is sent.

In a Crisis or Criticism of the Organization

When the public criticizes an organization’s actions or asks about something that affects them, the response needs greater clarity and precision. The organization can begin with what it knows about the situation and explain what it is working to verify. If the details are not yet clear, it can say that it is following up and will share updates, rather than leaving people’s questions unanswered. It can maintain a human tone by acknowledging people’s concerns and addressing them in clear, calm language. The response here does not need to be playful or spontaneous. It needs to show care and demonstrate that the audience’s questions have been taken seriously.

Should a Brand Speak the Same Way on Every Platform?

A brand’s voice and personality remain recognizable across its accounts, but the wording and tone of a post may vary from one platform to another. It may share the same information on several accounts, choosing wording that suits each platform and its audience. This preserves the same idea without copying the post unchanged across every account. For example, if a brand is organizing an event, it might introduce it on TikTok with a short video showing what visitors can expect, then publish a post on X with the date and registration link. Both posts are about the same event, but each presents it in a way that suits the platform.

How Does a Tone of Voice Guide Help the Communications Team?

: An image illustrating how messages are presented differently across platforms.

Several people may write for a brand’s accounts, each with their own way of choosing words and responding to the audience. A tone of voice guide helps the team agree on a clear approach, so the brand’s personality remains recognizable regardless of who writes the response. The guide can include examples of situations the brand encounters, such as an everyday post, a frequently asked question, or a comment that needs follow-up. These examples show when lighter language is appropriate and when a calmer tone is needed, while leaving employees room to tailor their replies to what the person has said. This helps prevent responses from sounding as though they were copied from a single template. In this sense, the guide does not prescribe words for every reply. It helps the team choose a tone that suits the situation while maintaining the brand’s voice.

A Clear Voice and a Tone That Suits the Situation

A brand does not need to speak like a friend in every post and comment, or abandon its personality when the conversation becomes serious. What helps the communications team is a clear understanding of the brand’s voice, followed by a choice of tone that suits the situation. This allows the brand to stay close to people while fulfilling its responsibility toward them.

Build a Clear, Consistent Brand Voice

How your brand communicates matters. At WIDE, we help businesses develop social media strategies that bring together content, creativity, data, and automation. Let’s shape a clear brand voice and a tone that fits your audience, each platform, and the situation.

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