How to Choose the Writing Tone and Style that Resonates with Your Audience
It’s no secret that the words you use have a direct impact on how your audience perceives you. The tone of your writing can make or break your ability to connect with readers, so it’s important to choose a style that resonates with them.
But how do you know which tone and style will work best for your specific audience? Let’s take a look at a few factors you should consider when making this decision.
Important Factors That Influence Your Choice of Writing Tone
Your writing voice is the combination of words you use, the sentence structure you choose, and your overall tone. It’s what makes your writing sound like you. Here are some factors that influence your writing tone and style.
Who is Your Audience?
One of the first things you need to do when you choose the writing tone and style is to consider who your audience is. Are you writing for an academic journal? A trade publication? A general interest website?
A writer needs to be able to connect with their readers and create an authentic voice, which means going beyond just conveying information and delving into their personal experiences and thoughts.
To do this effectively, a writer needs to understand the needs, motivations, and interests of their readers.
For example, if you’re writing for a group of professional colleagues, you may want to adopt an authoritative tone that emphasizes your expertise in your field.
Alternatively, if you’re writing for a younger audience, such as kids or teens, a more playful tone might be more effective in engaging them. After all, what good is great content if it doesn’t speak directly to its intended audience?
What Type of Content Are You Producing?
The next thing to consider when you choose the writing tone is the type of content you’re producing. Is it meant to be educational? Entertaining? Inspirational?
This may seem like an obvious point, but it’s actually one that many writers overlook. After all, every piece of content will have its own unique purpose or goal.
For example, if you’re writing for a blog post about your favorite hiking trails, your tone is going to be very different than if you’re writing an email marketing campaign for a new shoe line.
So think about what type of content you’re producing and let that guide your choice of tone.
Ultimately, what matters most when you choose the writing tone is finding the right balance between being engaging and conversational while still sounding professional and authoritative.
In other words, choose a tone that both you and your audience can feel comfortable with!
What feeling do You Want to evoke in Your Reader?
When you are choosing the writing tone and style for your essays or blog posts, always consider what feeling you want to evoke in your readers.
Whether you want to convey a sense of excitement and energy or elicit feelings of intrigue and awe, it is essential that your writing style reflects this intention accurately.
The words that you choose and the structure and organization of your arguments are all key factors in setting the tone for your writing.
To this end, you need to strive to be thoughtful and deliberate in your choice of words, using descriptive adjectives and powerful imagery wherever possible. In addition, try to create a clear narrative arc for your writings so that readers can easily follow along.
Choose the Writing Tone Based on These Pointers
Your writing tone should be like your personality, only more so. It should pulsate with your particular brand of uniqueness, making readers feel as if they know you after just a few lines.
The good news is that you already have a built-in Rolodex of sorts, chock full of clues about the style and tone that will let your true writing voice shine through.
By understanding your audience—the people you want to read your writing—you can make choices about the words you use, the stories you tell, and the topics you cover that will please them to no end.
Here are some tips for getting to know your audience so you can better serve them with every piece you write.
1. Know where they “hang out” online and offline.
Are they active on social media? What kind of content do they share? Do they prefer text or images? Do they consume content on their phone or tablet? Do they read blogs or watch videos? Do they prefer long-form articles or quick tips? Knowing where to find your audience will give you some insight into the kind of content they might like to see from you.
2. Identify their pain points.
What are the challenges and frustrations they face on a daily basis? What keeps them up at night? What are their major concerns when it comes to the products or services you offer
Anticipating and addressing these questions in your writing will make it that much more valuable and appreciated by your audience.
3. Determine what kinds of content resonate with them.
When was the last time they stopped scrolling through their Facebook feed to read an article or watch a video? What compelled them to do so? Was it an emotional story, helpful advice, or simply something that made them laugh out loud?
Keep this in mind as you generate ideas for future content; tailoring your pieces to match the style and tone that resonates with your audience will help ensure that they keep coming back for more.
4. Find out what kinds of language they use.
Do they prefer industry jargon or layman’s terms? Are there certain words or phrases they use frequently? Incorporating this language into your writing will help establish a rapport with your audience, making them feel as if you “speak their language.”
Conclusion
By now, you should have a good idea of the tone that will work best for your audience. Whether you go with bubbly, professional, or something in between, make sure to stay true to yourself and your brand.
And don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what feels most authentic and resonates with your readers.
What tone do you plan on using for your next blog post?
