Voice Matters — Everywhere

Field notes from Confab 2017. And what if…?

“Everything the light touches is content,” declares Ann Handley, “from the UI to messages to email confirmations.”

“Hellyeah!” I thought as I sat in the opening keynote at this year’s Confab Central in Minneapolis. Ann went on to stress the importance of voice and tone and how it should penetrate every surface of the experiences we create, from the About Us page in the footer of our websites to landing pages, video captions, FAQs, and emails. Yup, that’s right: everywhere.

Recognizing our voice

“If the label falls off, do you know it’s you?” Ann asked. That is, if we yanked off the logo and tossed the company info from any of our web sites or products, would we recognize our brand and product voice? Well…would we? Some people even ask, “Should we? What difference will it make?” I give a digital shout of YES and it will make an ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE! I’m the director of a Content Experience team at Microsoft and we see that difference every single day as we work with designers and engineers on the UI in our products.

Being recognizable doesn’t mean we need to be offbeat, catchy, or unusual. It can mean the slightest of nuances and inflections. As the writers who craft the words in the UI or in notification messages, FAQs, video captions, or emails, we have a fine-tuned radar that sounds a warning of “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” when that voice is off. Just as I always instantly recognize the voice of a loved one, I immediately notice when the words in our products don’t sound right.

Creating principles for a brand and product voice doesn’t have to be a mysterious quest through uncertainty and danger. I deliberately used those two words together: 1) brand, 2) product, because both are so important. I’ve seen a lot of conversation, effort, and creative talent applied to define a “brand voice” and all the things it should or shouldn’t be, with examples of what to do and what not to do. Yet that work often isn’t extended into “product voice” and the many nuances of the daily experiences of customers who use those products.

Yes, the voice in our products should definitely reflect the voice of our brand. But how do the people and teams working on those products recognize that voice? How can they learn what to look for so they can shout “Whoa!” when something isn’t quite right? Creating meaningful, practical principles for “product voice” is some of the most important creative work that content teams can do. Clear “Product Voice Principles” and solid examples of how that voice sounds is the key to equipping teams to recognize, nurture, and defend it.

Part of the process of defining a product voice often includes writing the stories we tell about our brand and products, as those stories empower the people working on them to recognize their product voice as quickly as they do the voices of their loved ones.

The power of our stories, and…what if…

On the second day of Confab, the great LeVar Burton shared his passion for the transformative power of storytelling. An accomplished actor, avid reader, and now author, LeVar emphasized that it’s “through the stories we tell that we create the world for each other out of who we are as people.” He shared the joy of bringing Reading Rainbow back to life for the digital age and the power of technology in encouraging the next generation of kids to read.

“Thirty years ago, TV was simply the tech to meet kids where they were to take them where we wanted them to go,” he said. “So why not use modern tech, too? I believe that all media is educational. The question is: what are we teaching with it?”

LeVar went on to share powerful examples of his own personal growth through reading, education, and storytelling. He talked a bit about his experiences playing Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the inspiration he’s found in science fiction literature. He said he believes that the two most powerful words when used together are “what if.” Science fiction provokes “what if…” across multiple dimensions: physical, mental, psychological, emotional, philosophical, spiritual.

Listening to LeVar was every bit of the fun, nostalgia, and inspiration that I hoped to experience at Confab. Yet back at home, back on the ground, back at my daily desk, those two words — what if — have become a new milepost, a new mantra to begin each day, a new gift in conversations with colleagues, family, friends.

What if we create a delightful product voice that customers enjoy so much they want more of what we’ve created?

What if technology provides an opportunity for even one more child to learn to read?

What if sharing our personal stories creates a culture of understanding, respect, harmony, and acceptance?

What if?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you’re learning about creating Voice Principles for experiences and products. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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