Let’s talk about writing tone. Every good copywriter masters the art of playing with tone in their writing. The best ones know how to shift tone, to endear the audience being targeted.
Fun fact: even the most minor adjustments can drastically change the voice of your brand; including who it attracts, and how the message is perceived.
Your goal in persuasive copywriting should be to identify and emulate the exact right tone; aimed at the exact right audience, to achieve the desired results.
Writing tone can be manipulated in the following ways:
- Word choice
- Spelling and punctuation
- Turn of phrase
- Use of colloquial phrases
- Slang versus textbook English versus formal language
- Inclusion of jargon
- Sentence length
- Use of phrases versus complete sentences
- Other factors
When Writing Tone Changes but the Main Message Stays the Same
Consider how one basic message can be altered to match the language or tone used by a specific audience. This technique is commonly used in advertising, as a way to endear a specific type of reader or group, to whatever is being said.
In the video that I share here, I speak off the cuff about the use of punctuation and word choice to alter the delivery of a single, colloquial phrase.
The topic is vacation rentals, and the original ad in discussion was from VRBO Vacation Rentals.
In the ad, a stressed-looking couple is sitting together, both wearing VR headphones in what appears to be an attempt to zone out and relax.
The guy knocks over a drink and the woman says “REALLY?” in annoyance. Then the VO pipes in, saying something like, “Does the stress of buying a new home have you wanting to escape? We’ve got you.” (and then she segues into a discussion about VRBO vacation rentals,” etc.)
The one line that stood out to me in this ad copy was:
“We’ve got you.”
I noticed how crisp and polished the announcer sounded. Turning a casual phrase, but yet the language and punctuation is strategic.
“We’ve got you.” — delivered in a crisp yet easy breezy, corporate-casual tone.
“We’ve got you.” – said in a melodious, female voice.
Word Choice, Punctuation, and Spelling ALL Make the Difference in Writing Tone Here
In the VRBO commercial, the voice over says: “We’ve got you.” (Calm, crisp delivery. Use of a period. Not too excited.)
But she could have easily delivered this same line, adjusted in the following ways:
- “We got you!” (no contraction, more casual, use of exclamation would have amped excitement)
- “We’ve gotchoo!” (goofy, use of the extra “ooh” sound creates a fun, cute or playful tone)
- “We gotcha!” (more casual, maybe a bit rougher – almost begets the use of a gruff, male voice over)
What if a man’s voice delivered the catch phrase instead? Or how about a child, or an elderly person? How does that change who responds to the message and their reaction?
Other variations of the same phrase:
- “I gotchoo!”
- “I gotchoo…”
- “We have you.”
- “We have you covered.”
- “We’re here for you.”
The point being, that even just a slight, fine-tuning of the phrase at hand can make a dramatic different in who your message reaches and resonates with.
How will you know the proper writing tone to use in your advertising?
In copywriting, the classic method of finding the exact writing tone that hits in the exact right way, happens as follows:
- Study the product or service being advertised. Who does it help, how is it used?
- Identify the intended niche or audience. Is it small biz owners, animal lovers, stressed parents, health enthusiasts?
- Examine their basic demographics and psychographics. What socioeconomic group are we reaching? What are their core values?
- Study their language – how they speak within their group. Are they formal? Do they use slang? What are their words?
- Pull out choice words that would resonate with them, and also convey your intended meaning, effectively
Use of plain language may be effective in some cases. But don’t forget details. Choosing to relax the grammar rules, alter the spelling, use a more colloquial or casual delivery, change or omit punctuation, can drastically change the delivery of one line — even a very short, punchy line, like this one!
Here’s an interesting read on the effective use of writing tone, from University of Maryland.
In Copywriting, Have Fun Playing with Writing Tone
Next time you have the opportunity to deliver one single, killer line — will you fine-tune the small details, to match the intended audience? Will you “speak their language?”
Details like this make the difference between good and great copy. Practice makes perfect. So have fun, playing with words, with selling in mind… doing what we copywriters love to do best!
Sales Copywriting Makes the Best Use of Writing Tone
Do you need some help from a seasoned copywriter, to take the writing tone and other details of your sales copy next-level? Explore our Sales Copywriting Services here. Reach out for a custom copywriting quote via email to dinagio@dinagio.com.
Appreciated this copywriting tip?
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