How To Find Your Travel Brand’s ‘Voice’A Guide To Writing Website Copy That

Speaks Your Prospects’ Language

Dustin Walker is a travel copywriter and marketer with more than 10 year’s of experience as a professional scribe

About the author

He helps travel companies get better results from online marketing through his agency: Jet Copywriting.

A company’s written voice helps define the brand’s personality and can create an instant bond with the reader. When done well, it makes your audience realize that you “get them.”

Why Develop A ‘Voice’?

No traveler wants to book a hotel room or go on a tour that will make them feel like an outsider. If the copy for your hip resort sounds like a 60-year-old accountant wrote it, some of your best prospects won’t bother clicking onto your amenities page.

It’s Essential For The Travel Biz

How to define your travel brand’s written voice

Four must-follow tips when deciding what your brand should sound like

A writing cheat-sheet to help you get the tone of voice you want

Here’s What This Deck Covers:

How old are they?

Where are they from? (cities or small towns, for example)

What do they want most from your product or service?

How much money do they earn?

What type of experiences do they prefer? (Voluntourism? Luxurious escapes?)

First, understand your audience

What kind of words your customers would use to describe your brand. Funky? Charming? Inspiring? Extreme? Check out review websites like Tripadvisor and read comments about your business.

You’ll likely find one or two adjectives that really stand out – keep them in mind while developing your tone of voice. 

How do your customers describe your travel brand?

Are they adrenalin-hungry daredevils? If so, make sure your written voice is packed with short sentences and super-strong verbs.

Maybe they’re affluent jetsetters who love the finer things in life, in which case you’ll need to use much more elegant language.

Think about what kind of language will resonate with your audience

1) Don’t be boring. Write the way people talk and ditch all

the jargon.

4 Crucial Tone of Voice Tips:

2) Clarity is more important than having a distinct voice.

What good is your website if people don’t understand what

you’re saying?

3) Don’t write for everyone. Tailor your written voice so it appeals to the audience most

likely to use your services or buy your products. Think about the

core 30-50%.

4) Always use a consistent voice throughout your

website. There may be situations where you will need to alter your

tone, but your website overall should sound consistent.

Every brand’s web copy should have its own personality, so this is by no means an all-encompassing list. But hopefully, it will give you some useful ideas to get started…

Tone of Voice ‘Cheat Sheet’

Focus on more refined language (but don’t be flowery).

Use longer, flowing sentences. Go easy on the contractions. Use phrases that suggest exclusivity. Make the reader feel as if the experience isn’t available to everyone.

For luxury brands…

Here’s an example:

Slip in some slang. If it suits your main audience, try adjectives like ‘killer,’ ‘sweet’ or even ‘kickass’.

Use timeless pop culture references that won’t be stale in a few months.

Add a little snark to your copy, but don’t go overboard. You don’t want to seem mean.

Bend the grammar rules. Focus on writing exactly how your demographic talks.

For hip & cool brands…

Here’s an example:

Avoid hyped or excited language. Keep command-focused verbs to a minimum.

Ask questions to demonstrate you understand your prospects’ concerns or objections. (Worried you might miss your flight? No problem, our guides will wake you in the morning.)

Use words and phrases that feel warm and friendly

For brands built on dependability…(such as transportation services)

Here’s an example:

Avoid adverbs that end in –ly. They’ll slow the pace of your copy down.

Focus on strong, verb-driven imperative sentences (Plunge into the waves…)

Always opt for action-focused adjectives that suggest power or speed.

Set a quick pace with your copy

For brands that deliver excitement…

Here’s an example:

So now that you have an idea of the basics, mix it up to find the exact voice that fits your brand.

Maybe you run a swanky nightclub and want your copy to sound hip but lavish.

If you provide fishing tours, perhaps your itineraries should have an exciting yet dependable voice.

Or maybe your voice doesn’t fit any of the above styles. Perhaps it’s romantic or charming or even high-tech nerdy.

Or maybe mix it up

No matter what kind of voice you decide to use, just make sure your copy speaks your customers’ language and doesn’t sound forced.

Pull it off and your website will be a much more powerful marketing tool.

But always be authentic

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This report will show you how to:

Use descriptive language to drive conversions Write headlines that get more clicks Figure out how best to tell your brand’s story

Plus, you’ll get access to additional travel marketing, copywriting and blogging tips

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