Brand Voice vs Tone of Voice: What’s the Difference & Why It Matters

Many small businesses and growing teams run into this copy problem:

“This doesn’t sound like us.”

Sometimes it’s too formal.
Sometimes it’s too casual.
Sometimes it just feels...off.

That’s usually because there’s no clear system for how your brand communicates. And when teams don’t know the difference between brand voice and tone, things get messy fast.

Let’s clear it up—simply, without the jargon.

What is Brand Voice?

Your brand voice is the consistent way your business sounds. It’s the combination of:

Your personality
Your writing style
Your language choices
Your energy and mood (yes—that’s tone, but it’s part of the voice itself)

Whether you’re writing social posts, emails, or website copy, your voice stays steady. It’s how your brand would sound if it were a person.

So Then, What's Tone?

Here’s the catch:

In some brand exercises, tone of voice is treated as a separate thing—as if you need a brand voice, and then a whole menu of tones depending on the situation.

That can get complicated fast. Especially for small teams, startups, or founders writing their own copy.

In reality?

Your tone is baked into your brand voice. It’s the style layer—the mood and energy you bring to your words.

Are you playful or polished?
Do you use short, punchy sentences or longer, more thoughtful ones?
Are you casual, but not goofy?
Bold, but not brash?

These are tone decisions, but they’re part of defining your voice—not a separate system.

Why This Matters

When your team has to stop and think:

“Wait, what tone are we using here?”

That’s usually a sign your brand voice isn’t clear enough yet. You don’t need different personalities for every piece of copy—you need one consistent voice, with built-in flexibility for context.

Example:
Your brand voice might be "Plainspoken, confident, and customer-first."

That will naturally sound a little different depending on what you’re writing:

Product launch ➡ What changes? ➡ Energy level goes up, but you’re still confident and plainspoken
Customer apology ➡ What changes? ➡ Tone softens slightly, but you’re still customer-first

But the core voice never changes. It’s always you.

Want Help Documenting This?

If you don’t have this written down yet, you’re not alone.

Most teams wing it—and end up rewriting copy over and over because it “doesn’t sound right.” That’s why I built The Brand Voice Blueprint—a DIY system that helps you nail down:

Your brand’s voice
Your style and tone rules
Your language do’s and don’ts
The examples your team actually needs

It’s similar to framework I use with my clients—but packaged so you can do it yourself, for a fraction of the cost.