Tones

"It's not what you said, it's how you said it!"

Tone matters. Yes, we should think about what we're saying but much more important is how we're saying it. The tone of our voice communicates so much more than the words themselves. With the right tone, we can convey a whole range of emotions.

But Sam, what does that have to do with TikTok?

Trust me, I'm getting there.

Your videos and your messages are going to have a tone. However, what may happen is that your videos may have all the same tone.

So let's talk about how you can look at the tone in your videos and why they matter.

Color coding your tone

The best way that I've seen this described is by color coding your tones: red, green, yellow and blue.

Red = you're selling

Your "red" tone is your sales tone. This is goal-oriented, business-oriented and the most aggressive of the tones.

Your red tone is not for the faint of heart!  You're going for the sale, no matter what. You want to be seen as the authority in your industry and you want to be known as the go-to person for your product or service.

Your red tone is also great when you need to convey a sense of urgency.

Blue = it's fun time!

Your "blue" videos are going to be fun! You're adding humor here, it can be about events,  challenges, trends, etc. Maybe this is where you're leaning into trending sounds,  dances or challenges.

Your blue videos are a great way to show off your personality and give your audience a little glimpse into your life. But remember, you're still representing your brand so make sure it's still natural and aligns with you!

Yellow = all about feelings

Your "yellow" videos are more intimate. You might be sharing a story or something more personal to you. These videos usually do well because people can connect with you on a more personal level.

Your yellow tone is going to connect to your audience's emotions and their deeper motivations.  This means you're going to need to be vulnerable, which can be difficult on video.

Green = the cold, hard facts

Finally, "green" videos are going to get into the data, the analytics and the specifics. What does working with you mean for your audience, and what specifically are they going to get out of it?

When you are leaning into the data and analytics, you are minimizing the risk for your audience.  You're telling them that what you're offering and what you're all about is backed by evidence.

Expanding Your Audience

Realistically, your personality is going to cause you to lean towards one of these colors more than the others. For me, I naturally lean towards the "red" tones. I am straightforward and don't like to waste time, so I'm ready to tell people why they need to get on TikTok...today!

However, there is a danger in only doing videos in that tone. Let's say (for argument's sake), that 100 people see my videos and they're split evenly by what tone attracts them. My "red" video is going to be great for 25 of those people. The other 75 are not going to be as interested. 

Adding in a variety of tones can actually help expand your audience.  For example, if I do a "green" video that is all about the analytics and the data of TikTok (which happens to be one of my favorite topics), I may attract some people who wouldn't have been interested in my "red" videos.

Additionally, it adds depth to your brand. By showing that you're not just one-dimensional, you're going to be more relatable to more people.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT YOUR BRAND IDENTITY!

If something is not in alignment with your brand, don't do it! 

Just because you see someone doing a challenge or using a certain tone, doesn't mean you need to do it too. There's nothing wrong with being strategic and planned about the content you put out. There's nothing wrong with adding a little bit of variety.

HOWEVER, (and it's a big however), your brand identity still needs to be somewhat consistent. If you go from being consistently sensitive and emotional to extremely quirky and fun, it's going to be jarring for your audience.

You want people to recognize you when they see your videos, so make sure that whatever you post is still representative of who you are and what your brand is all about.

If you want to learn more about this, I have an entire training on building your personal brand on TikTok that you can check out here.