creating useful personas and tone of voice guidelines

Matthew Stibbewww.articulatemarketing.commatthew@articulatemarketing.com@wearearticulate

Creating useful personas and tone of voice guidelines

Persona: Matthew

* Not actual size

About you

Why is this important?

Reader first, customer first

Talk to them about their needs and problemsin their language

(Not your needs and problemsin your language)

What brands have a distinctive ‘voice’?

Brands we like

Personas

What is a persona?

‘Semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer based on real data and some select educated speculation about customer demographics, behaviour patterns, motivations and goals’(HubSpot definition)

Sample persona

http://academy.hubspot.com/examples/customer-examples/?Tag=Buyer+Persona

Sample persona

http://academy.hubspot.com/examples/customer-examples/?Tag=Buyer+Persona

Articulate Persona

Turbine persona

What are they for?

• Identification• Targeting• Consistency• Finding hooks• Briefing

Personas are NOT

• A product spec in human form• Actual real people

• Market research• Everyone

• Generic

Research tips

• Who knows customers the best?• Composite of real people• Ask actual customers

Let’s make a persona!

Overview

• Biography• Day in the life• Reading• Challenges• Needs

Biography

• Name• Job title• Employer• Education• Family• Career• Hobbies

Day in the life

• Where do they work?• What do they do there?• How do they spend their time?• What do they like?• Dislike?

Reading

• What do they read for pleasure?• What do they read for business?• What websites do they like?• What blogs do they visit?• Who do they follow on social media?

Challenges

• Pain points• Business challenges• Threats• Development needs• Barriers to progress

Needs

• Career opportunities• Business opportunities• Product or service wish list• What would they do if they had three

wishes

Your examples

Tone of voice

What is a tone of voice (TOV)?• Branding• Story-telling• Differentiation• Personality• Proof of ‘why’• Emotional

connection

What are they for?

• Insight• Change• Permission• Consistency• Briefing• Inspiration

Do your research

Talk to your tribe

Be consistent or look clueless

Don’t do quirky for the sake of it

http://www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk/all-guidelines/guidelines/primary-care-trusts-new-guidance/tone-of-voice

http://brand.britishcouncil.org/tone-of-voice

Let’s write a TOV!

Overview

• Audience• Voice• Language• Viewpoint• Relationship

Audience

• Who are you writing for?• Personas?• Reading age• Education

Voice

• For example:• Ironic• Cheeky• Serious• Earnest• Jokey• Formal• Conversational

• Who speaks like this?• What other companies use this voice?

Language

• Mandatory words?• Forbidden words?• Readability requirements?• Style guide?• British English? American English?• For translation?

Viewpoint

• What is your attitude?• What do you know?• Why should people listen?• Who has this attitude?• Platform• Permission• Authority

Relationship

• Actual?• Desired?• Who has this relationship?

Your examples

What next?

Matthew Stibbewww.articulatemarketing.commatthew@articulatemarketing.com@wearearticulate