Tone of voice guidelines & brand messaging strategy
For the ambitious brand that’s sick of standing on the sidelines and wants to be best on ground
Make no mistake.
It’s not just words on a page. Words are trust, connection, desire and empathy. All things you need to create so your customer knows you’re the one for them.
People don’t just buy a product or service anymore.
They buy a promise, transformation or a result. Now more than ever, customers want to feel like someone truly gets them and aligns with their values. So buckle up because they’re steering this ship and setting the rules!
In a world where an emotionless bot like Chat GPT can spit out ‘good enough’, average copy in a jiffy, it can be tempting to use it without a second thought.
But you’ll run the risk of confusing messaging, wishy-washy words, a forgettable impression and fewer conversions. In other words, you’ll be broke. You might as well just hand over your audience to your competitors.
Your brand messaging and tone of voice guide underpin everything!
It is the ripple effect that pulsates through all your copy and content. It is the unique way you speak to your dream customer or client’s soul. It is the foundation you need to be able to resonate with your audience, magnify your impact, create your community and instil your message.
Maybe you already have an idea of your brand personality and tone of voice, but you’re not sure how to refine it, embody it or use it properly. Or maybe you didn’t even know you needed one because you were told it was all about your visual branding.
Just imagine a brand you’re obsessed with for a moment. You feel like they were created just for you, right? How do you think they got to where they are today? They put blood, sweat and tears into their messaging, marketing, presence and communication to make their mark and stand out.
now, it’s your turn.
Because, at the moment, your copy sounds like a mixed bag of ‘what the f am I doing?’ and “I can’t even”. Luckily, I’ll do the hard work for you (no blood, sweat or tears on your end).
I’ll dive into the deepest depths and find the gold for unmatched brand clarity.
I’ll create a brand bible (aka your tone of voice guideline) for you with the essential puzzle pieces to build the big picture, refine your message, showcase your points of difference, and make fans for life.
Crafted by a human so that you can help other humans.
(Dogs are humans, too, right?)
HOW IT WORKS
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK OF DREAMS LOOK LIKE? PRESS PLAY!
THIS IS FOR YOU IF
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You’re a start-up biz that wants to kick off on the right foot. You’re not messing around and want to solidify your message and voice from the get-go.
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You’re a growing or scaling business and are so ready to level up. You know you need the transformation, and you’re hungry for the next step in your journey.
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Your business is pivoting or going through a rebrand. Change is as good as a holiday, and you can’t wait to get your new, refreshed direction thriving.
A happy client who wants to rave about her terrific tone of voice transformation…
HOW I HELPED BECC EMBRACE HER BRAND PERSONALITY AND STEP INTO THE LEADER SHE WANTED TO BE…
BRAND MESSAGING + TONE OF VOICE PACKAGES
Choose your all-in-one, centralised guide for referring to any time you need to write for marketing or advertising purposes. Pass it to your team so that everyone can be on the same page (no co-worker dramas) and maintain brand consistency across all channels.
MESSAGING + STRATEGY GUIDE
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The whole shebang! A comprehensive guide of everything you need to embrace your verbal identity down to a tee. No second-guessing because you’ll know your brand and dream customer or client inside out!
Perfect for businesses that want to seriously be the go-to in their industry and crave a strong AF brand foundation.
With this bible, you’ll know exactly what you stand for and who you serve. You’ll have mad brand clarity so you can build an unstoppable community and stand the test of time. -
Brand values
Value beliefs
Mission statement
Brand origin story
Unique selling proposition (USP)
Competitor insights
Brand archetypes
Brand personality
Brand promise
Brand positioning
Dream customer/client profile
Dream customer/client archetypes
Tone of voice
Word + phrase stash
Content pillars
Do’s + don’ts
Copy samples: taglines, website copy snippets, 5x social media captions, 2x emails.
Beautifully designed digital booklet created in Canva
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3,500 AUD
Split payment plans available.
This service includes:Super fun brand questionnaire
Briefing call
4x rounds of revisions
Optional check-in call
1x round of proofreading
1x round of design revisions
30 days of email support after your project has wrapped up
TONE OF VOICE GUIDE
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A laser-focused book of dreams focused on your unmatchable verbal identity.
This is for businesses that want to amplify their voice, stand out, exude their unique personality and leave a stamp on people’s minds.Attract your perfect-match customers or clients with your one-of-a-kind tone of voice and keep them coming back time and time again.
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Brand outline
Brand values
Brand archetypes
Dream customer/client profile
Dream customer/client archetypes
Competitor insights
Brand personality
Tone of voice
Word + phrase stash
Guidelines (how the voice is used)
Do’s + don’ts
Copy samples: taglines, website copy snippets, 3x social media captions, 1x email.
Beautifully designed digital booklet created in Canva
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$2,500 AUD
Split payment plans available.
This service includes:Super fun brand questionnaire
Briefing call
3x rounds of revisions
Optional check-in call
1x round of proofreading
1x round of design revisions
30 days of email support after your project has wrapped up
BRAND VOICE BASICS GUIDE
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A simple but effective guide to get you started. This is for businesses on a budget who need some much-needed direction on their brand messaging and tone of voice — but don’t know where to start.
I’ll kick you off with the basics so you can feel more confident in the audience you want to attract and how you can embody your one-of-a-kind brand personality.
You’ll gain clarity on the unique way you speak to your audience, so you can say goodbye to furiously backspacing every time you write an email, social media caption or your website copy. -
Brand outline
Brand values
Brand personality
Tone of voice
Dream customer/client profile
Copy samples: 5x brand-approved phrases, 1x website copy snippet, 2x social media captions.
Basic designed document in Canva.
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$999 AUD
This service includes:
Super fun brand questionnaire
Briefing call
2x rounds of revisions
1x round of proofreading
30 days of email support after your project has wrapped up
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Chat GPT is helpful for tasks like generating ideas, providing rough plans and assisting with customer research. But I believe it should never be solely responsible for writing your copy.
Words spat out by Chat GPT can end up sounding generic and dull. No matter how fast or easy this robot is to use, it will never be a human. No matter how good your prompt is, It will never understand human emotions, feelings, fears or desires. Copywriting, brand messaging and tone of voice are all about connecting with people.
Unfortunately, a bot can’t do that, but lucky for you, a word-obsessed human like me can!
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I’ve developed advanced creative skills from 8 years in the graphic design industry, specialising in consumer products and advertising. I also have 6+ years of sales and customer service experience and 3 years of copywriting experience.
I have invested a crap load of money and time in my education to uplevel in tone of voice, brand messaging and creative copywriting. I’ve learnt all about marketing triggers, the psychology behind words, and how to connect and authentically sell.
My priority is making sure your words connect with your audience so you can convert. I’ve helped brands with the struggle of writer's block, perfectionism, and the comparison trap. I’ve made them feel more confident about how they communicate online, and this does wonders for their brand's future!
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No. This service is fully focused on your verbal identity, your words and how you communicate with your audience. This means I do not design any physical elements like your logo, colours, fonts or styles.
However, when I create your guide in Canva, I consider how you want the guide to look. We can include your existing branding so it reflects your style.
If you need design elements created, I suggest consulting a graphic designer to help you.
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This service requires a smooth sailing-collaboration. I’ll need your switched-on participation in the following things:
Comprehensive answers to my branding questionnaire so I can get inside your head
Detailed revision submissions so we can get your guide exactly how you want it
Timely communication so we can stay on track with timelines
2x Zoom calls so we can both be on the same page
This is not a set-and-forget service, so if you’re happy to work together closely, your guide will result in your very own book of dreams!
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A brand messaging/tone of voice guide is a game-changing investment for your brand’s future. But I also understand it can feel like a lot of money to invest in up-front.
The honest truth? The longer you don’t have your brand messaging and tone of voice established, the more money you could potentially be leaving on the table.
This is because you may be putting time and effort into writing copy that is not resonating with your audience, resulting in fewer conversions.
If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend starting with my stripped-backed version of the guide for those who also have budget constraints.
My ‘Brand Voice Basics Guide’ is perfect if you need to kick-start your brand messaging and tone of voice but don’t need all the bells and whistles right now.
While I highly recommend investing in the bigger guides for the best chance of brand clarity and conversion, this guide is a good starting point to get you moving with confidence.
Check out the details in the ‘Brand Voice Basics Guide’ information above, or feel free to reach out to me if you have further questions.
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This service is comprehensive and not for the half-hearted. So, I take the time to plan accordingly and ensure there’s enough time to create all elements in the best way possible.
Timelines can vary, but we can come up with a plan before we start. Here is a general indication of how long it can take to craft your guide:
Tone of Voice Guide: 4-7 weeks
Messaging + Strategy Guide: 5-8 weeks
Brand Voice Basics Guide: 2-4 weeks -
Yes! I offer a split payment option for this service (excluding the Brand Voice Basics Guide). Shoot your questions about payment options to me at: hello@sarahmarriottcopywriter.com
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I understand this service can seem like a lot to take in. Rest assured, I like to make the process as easy as possible for both of us.
I believe this service is essential for business growth and well worth the investment! Book your free 30-minute chat with me here, and let’s go through what’s involved.
As an alternative to get you started, I offer affordable website copy audits if you feel you need to give your words a boost before committing to this service.
I believe all brands can unravel their creativity and welcome the unconventional. You don’t have to be a cliché or follow the herd. With the right words, we’ll show your audience exactly why you’re their perfect fit.