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Finding your voice in the age of AI
- Ellie Senior
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 28
In a world where AI can churn out content faster than you can say ‘ChatGPT’,
standing out has never been more crucial.
Yes, AI can be a great tool for producing a first draft from a messy brain dump. But it often serves your thoughts up in the same vanilla flavour you’ll find in every other ice cream shop (or in your case, competitor’s website!).
The secret to cutting through this digital noise isn't just about what you say - it's about how you say it.
Taking some time to think intentionally about the right tone of voice for your business will help you create a meaningful connection with your customers – past, present and future. It's the difference between sounding like every other company in your sector, or sounding unmistakably YOU.
Tone of voice has become your competitive edge
When potential customers can access the same information from every corner of the content universe, they're not just choosing based on facts and figures. They're choosing based on feeling.
Does what you write make them feel confident? Understood? Inspired?
Or does it make them feel like they're reading a robot's best guess?
AI-generated content often lacks the quirks, insights and authentic perspective that comes from real human experience. It hasn't lived through the 3am panic calls, the breakthrough moments or the hard-won lessons that shape how you really talk about your work.
The eleven voices that could transform your business
When I’m working with a client for the first time we talk about tone of voice.
I like to start with Nick Parker's brilliant framework: The 11 Primary Voices from Tone Knob.
Nick’s super-simple-but-clever tool defines 11 distinct voices that you can adopt, mix and play with to work out exactly how you want your business to sound every time you write.
They include:
The Warm Friend, who feels like having a reassuring conversation with someone you know and trust.
The Straight Talker, who says it like it is, using basic words with no fancy talk.
The Energiser, who brings pace and movement… come on, let's do this!
The Sensualist, who creates intimate connections through poetic language that entices the senses.
Each voice creates a completely different relationship with your audience. The question is, which one feels authentically yours?
Three real-world examples of purposeful tone
Here are three examples straight from my client work, each needing a completely different personality to connect with their crowd:
AFP Structural & Civil Engineering Consultants is a Purposeful Straight Talker:
"With imaginative thinking backed up by decades of experience, we design practical, resilient and efficient structures that add value to your project and consider the implications on the environment around you."
This tone creates immediate trust through confident, definitive statements about what they do while remaining approachable. An active voice, present tense and strong verbs position them as experienced professionals taking decisive action.
Indie Cambridge is your Playful Warm Friend
"Life is all about the small stuff. Where you drink your morning coffee. How you get advice to fix your bike. What you do to treat a friend. It's also about community and place..."
The intimate, relatable examples and conversational style feel like chatting with a trusted friend. Short sentences, everyday language and direct address using ‘you’ encourage personal connection over corporate distance.
KL Magazine is a Sensual Storyteller:
"It was 15th December 2023. In the predawn darkness, waves towering over 12 metres high crashed against a small ocean rowing boat..."
Precise details, varied sentence structure and descriptive language create immediate engagement. This tone draws readers into your story while keeping professional authority through sharing specific facts.
Time to discover your voice
When your tone of voice clicks into place, your content comes alive. Customers feel like they know you before they've even met you. They choose you over competitors who might be cheaper or closer because they connect with how you communicate.
Take action…
Start by examining your recent content with fresh eyes.
What impression are you giving?
Does your communication feel authentically yours, or could it have been written by your biggest competitor?
More importantly, does the feeling it creates match what you want your customers to experience?
