It’s Not Just What You Say, It’s HOW You Say It

Every Apple event starts the same way. The CEO will walk on stage, dressed casually, and turn to the audience. He’ll talk about how successful the last iPhone was and what a hit the iPads have been, then he’ll introduce the company’s new version. We’ll get video clips from the company’s leading managers and finally, when the audience is suitable wowed, there will be that offhand “one more thing.

It has become such a mainstay of the Apple approach that Tim Cook had to continue it after Steve Jobs died- and the same format has been copied by Microsoft and Samsung. Each of those companies has tried to copy Steve Jobs’ voice and to pick up some of his magic.

Few brands have been as successful at building relationships and forming attachment as Apple has been recently. But smart businesses make the same use of tone in their content marketing. They make sure that what they say and the way they say it matches the language of their audience and defines who they are.

When that happens, they get to enjoy a number of benefits.

First, they sound human.

That’s a challenge for businesses. Companies have a mission. Their job is to sell products or services and those products have unique sales points that should persuade leads to become customers. But how those sales points are communicated determines whether the company is trusted and liked and whether those sales points are read and believed.

A list of bullet points about a new car’s fuel efficiency backed by a description of the scientific principles behind its engine, for example, will deliver the same information as a sentence that promises “lower gas bills” but the latter is more likely to speak to a consumer. When Jaguar released the new XF, it described the car as “an exceptional combination of refinement, dynamics and design… enhanced with the latest technologies that keep you connected and entertained.” Those are long words that speak of sophistication and exclusivity but offer little detail about what the customer is actually driving.

When a persona can feel that the content is coming from a person, and ideally someone as sophisticated and exclusive as themselves, the content is better able to build a relationship.

Talk Like A Winner

The right tone of voice also sounds authoritative. Someone who is able to speak in the same language as their audience- whether that’s in jargon or in short sentences and simple words- shows a confidence in their subject and in themselves. That confidence is felt. It comes across in the tone and is absorbed by the audience. The right tone of voice is a passport that enables the audience to accept its holder. No one doubts Warren Buffett’s expertise even though his tone and lifestyle are closer to that of the investors who buy shares in his company than to a New York broker.

Tone of voice is now more important than ever. As content marketing adds to the face-to-face meetings of traditional marketing, the way in which tone defines the company is critical. Even before a lead picks up the phone to talk to a customer service rep or ask a salesperson a question, he or she knows who they would like to speak to. They know who they want to be in touch with in the company - and they know they want it to be someone who speaks their language.

Few of us have to follow in the footsteps of a brand builder as successful as Steve Jobs. That leaves us free to define our own voice — one that speaks to the customer, represents the company and turns the brand into a winner.

To learn more about tone of voice in content marketing and what it can do for your business, contact us at contact@astelo.com.

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