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Want to make your own tone of voice document but feel a little 🙃 about syntax and grammar? Keep reading for an easy-to-understand explanation that’ll untangle your brain (and your sentences).
At their core, grammar and syntax are rules that determine the meaning of sentences. But why do syntax and grammar matter so much for your business’s tone of voice?
Grammar and syntax are deeply personal to all of us, and we all have our own unique way of communicating. The way we speak reveals our personality traits and core values and lets others know whether we’re their kind of person.
We like to think of businesses in the same way. The unique voice your business communicates with determines whether your target audience will want to be pals with it (aka, whether they want to invest ££ in your products and/or services).
Grammar and syntax are a big part of a solid brand voice and are one of the four key dimensions of tone of voice guidelines. So, let’s do a deep dive into what they are, why they matter for your tone of voice, and how to pin them down to keep your copy consistent whenever you’re writing for your business.
Need a hand finding the right brand voice for your ideal customers? Get your tone of voice guidelines done for you!
Confession: I didn’t know the answer to this question until shockingly recently! But now I’ve done my homework like the studious copywriter I am, I can give you a simple summary…
Think of grammar as the entire rulebook of language. It tells you what you can and can’t do if you want your sentences to… make sense. Without grammar, it’s difficult to communicate or convey meaning.
This is my favourite example of why grammar matters (fittingly, it’s the front cover of a book about grammar):
Depending on whether you add a comma after eats, the phrase ‘Eats shoots & leaves’ could either be talking about the dining habits of pandas or describing their homicidal tendencies.
Syntax, on the other hand, is an important part of that big ol’ rulebook that deals with how we arrange words to form our sentences. At its most basic, it’s the difference between:
I drank the wine
And
The wine drank I
Like grammar, syntax has a series of rules that must be followed for speech and text to make sense. We learn this when we learn to talk and write as kiddos.
But, as with all rules, it’s fun to bend ‘em a little. Playing with syntax is how good writers keep their copy interesting while ensuring it has good readability. If you’re looking for a copywriter to give your website/blogs/emails a little extra pizzazz,you can find out more about our services here.
TLDR: Nope.
There are thousands of grammatical rules, and it would be impossible for pretty much everyone (including us) to learn them all. We’re also a firm believer that it isn’t necessary to be able to recite them all off the top of your head. As long as you’ve mastered the basics, your readers won’t have any issues understanding and engaging with your writing.
If you don’t feel confident when you’re writing and aren’t in a position to hire a copywriter right now, download a plugin like Grammarly to do some of the heavy lifting for you. This grammar, syntax, and spellchecker has been a staple in our writing toolbox for years, and the basic version is free, so it’s definitely worth a try!
Consistency is SO important, and I could talk all day about how overlooked it is in the context of how businesses verbally communicate (don’t worry, I won’t — unless you want to chat about it too).
Think of it like this: you probably have a colour palette, logo, and font(s) to make your business instantly recognisable to existing customers and potential clients. But do you have tone of voice guidelines in your branding toolkit?
A strong brand voice should have that same consistency so someone reading a blog post, email, or social post instantly knows it’s from your biz.
Grammar and syntax are a big part of creating a consistent tone and a compelling brand voice. The way you construct your sentences can create an emotional response in your readers and put them in a buying frame of mind.
Nailing your grammar is also important because confused readers aren’t going to stick around if they haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. And equally, they won’t give you the time of day if the vibes are off and they think the way you write is too serious/casual/authoritative/emotional, etc.
Ready to get started on your tone of voice guidelines? Our done-for-you service takes all the hassle out of creating your brand voice document.
Pinning down your syntax and grammar is a super important stage when it comes to how to make your own tone of voice document.
These are three of the key decisions to make, plus a tone of voice example for each one:
An active voice is clear and easy to connect with, whereas a passive voice can suggest authority and objectivity. This Grammarly blog is a fab place to start if you want to learn more about the differences between and applications of active and passive voices.
At Good Egg, we mostly write with an active voice because we’re high-key obsessed with clear, direct communication, and we loveee to get right to the point.
Example:
Short, snappy sentences create energy and excitement. A longer sentence structure lends itself nicely to a formal tone for technical and academic writing that requires detailed explanations. Flowy, poetic structures can evoke romance or relaxation (if you’re a wedding photographer or life coach, this one’s for you).
Example:
Creative industries can typically treat grammar more like an art than a science (e.g., you can play around with the rules), especially in more informal contexts like social media. However, if you’re in a more formal sector, you might prefer to ditch the casual abbreviations and ellipses and write with grammatical accuracy. You might not take your accountant seriously if their emails were full of emojis, for example.
Example:
We know we promised we wouldn’t go on about consistency, but a consistent tone of voice forges a deeper connection and builds trust (which is a huge deal if you want your readers to buy from you — and we imagine you do).
So, you’ll need to make a decision on how you’re going to treat grammar and syntax when you’re writing marketing materials like blogs, web copy, emails, and social media posts for your biz. Luckily, writing a tone of voice document will help you figure all of this out and apply it consistently wherever you write for or about your business.
Are you worried that your current voice isn’t standing out in a crowded marketplace and feel overwhelmed trying to figure this out on your own?
Our easy-to-follow workbook will guide you through the process of writing tone of voice guidelines. Once you’ve completed the workbook, you’ll have a shiny new tone of voice document that’ll help you create a deeper connection with your target audience.
Inside the workbook, you’ll find…
Get in touch to request the workbook and create your signature voice guidelines.
Our tone of voice document service might be a better fit. We do all the legwork using our years of copywriting expertise — your step-by-step brand voice guidelines are developed for you, so your unique tone of voice will be ready and waiting to make life a whole lot easier for every piece of content you write for your business.
The beauty of tone of voice guidelines is you only have to create them once, and you’ll have them to refer back to forever. Think of them as your voice map for finding your unmistakable voice that’ll create genuine connections with your dream clients.
Got questions about tone of voice or writing copy and blogs for your business?
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