Voice and tone
What is voice and tone?
Voice is the way we speak to and with our users. It tells users about our personality and our values. Voice doesn’t change much over different content types, because our voice is fundamental to who we are.
Tone is different from voice. It’s more to do with the feeling in our voice when we speak about different topics or use different formats. Tone changes more often, depending on content type, topic and end user.
Our voice
Our voice is that of a parent-peer or a knowledgeable friend.
We:
translate science into everyday language
offer information to help parents with day-to-day decisions about raising children and looking after themselves
offer the facts without a hidden agenda
present the latest evidence on all options
trust parents to make decisions, rather than telling them what to do
focus on the positive, not the negative.
We are:
empathetic, but not sympathetic or judgmental
accessible but not simplistic
upbeat but not unrealistic
supportive but not overbearing
informative but not didactic
practical but not insensitive
friendly but not flippant
conversational but not chatty.
Research and evidence underpin what we do and what we say. But because we’re a knowledgeable friend rather than an expert advisor, we don’t need to emphasise our research background. This means we avoid saying things like ‘Research shows’ or ‘Experts say’.
Above all, we remember that parenting is an important job, and most parents want the best for their children.
Our tone
Our tone is usually calm, friendly, positive and factual. But it can and does change, depending on topic and our expectations of how users might feel about the topic.
For example, the tone we use in our Miscarriage article is different from the tone we use in our 40 weeks pregnant article.
Example 1: Miscarriage
Note the calm, factual tone of the Miscarriage article. This factual emphasis means that the article makes no assumptions about people's feelings. But the article is not dry or insensitive. It speaks directly to the user and addresses a common concern high up in the article – 'Anyone can have a miscarriage – even if you’re fit and healthy. Miscarriage happens for many different reasons. Usually it’s because the fetus isn’t developing properly. Once a miscarriage begins, no medical treatment can stop it '.
Moreover, the article features sections on people's feelings and grief. Both sections acknowledge powerful feelings but also recognise that there is no one right way to feel. For example:
A miscarriage can bring up intense feelings of grief, emptiness, sadness, anger, anxiety and depression. A miscarriage can be shocking and devastating for you and your partner. You’ve lost not only a pregnancy but also your hopes and dreams of becoming a parent or of having another child.
...
There’s no right way to feel or grieve after your miscarriage. This experience is different for everyone, and everyone grieves differently and in their own time.
Example 2: 40 weeks pregnant
This article also has a factual tone. But it is considerably more upbeat than the Miscarriage article. Note, for example, the first sentence and last sentence of the article:
Congratulations, you’ve reached your due date!
We wish you the very best!
We generally recommend avoiding exclamation marks. This means that when we do use them, as in this example, they are a powerful way of influencing tone.
Note also how these sentences establish a relationship between raisingchildren.net.au and the user by speaking directly to the user – 'Congratulations' and 'We wish ...'.
Other things to note in this article include the calm, reassuring and positive quality of the article's tone, despite the potentially serious issues the article deals with:
Your baby’s movements should continue to be regular and strong. If you notice a change in your baby’s movements or you’re at all worried, call your health professional or the hospital.
...
If you haven’t had your baby by 41 weeks, you’ll have more frequent checks to make sure your baby is healthy.
The tone of the article puts the user in the right frame of mind to focus on the article's message without being distracted by any negative emotions.