Watch Your Tone Online

My dog is really smart. But she can’t read. No dog can. But dogs don’t have to read to understand your communication. If you use a happy, endearing tone of voice and say “Bad dog. You’re a bad dog, aren’t you? Come here you big bad dog.” your dog’s tail will probably wag and she will come over to you for a little love . Conversely, if you use an angry and displeased tone while saying “GOOD DOG! WHY DO YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY! YOU’RE THE BEST DOG IN THE WORLD!” your dog will probably put her tail between her legs and lower her head.

* My girl Shadow (above) always knows that I love her because of the tone I use, not the words I say.

I’m not suggesting that the people you communicate with online are like dogs, but the tone of your message will have similar effects with your online audience. The words you use are only a part of communication. The tone of your message is equally important. Of course, it’s more difficult to express the tone of a message when body language and voice are not used. This is why joking sarcasm is often misinterpreted by readers and mistaken for downright meanness online.

The tone of your online communication will effect the response to your message in the same way that your tone of voice affects the response of your dog. Here are 5 tips to use tone effectively to enhance the effectiveness of your email and other online communication:

1. If you have bad news to share, use a positive, resolution-centered tone to focus readers on the future and your commitment to tackling problems rather than on the bad news itself. Of course, admit that there was a problem, but use your tone to help move your readers forward to resolution rather than holding them back by the problem itself. The more negative the news, the more positive your tone should be. Don’t belittle the problem. Just don’t dwell on it. Communicate the solution and your commitment to ensuring that it won’t happen again by using a positive and confident tone.
2. Make the process easy by keeping the tone of the message uncomplicated and helpful. “It’s as easy as 1-2-3″. Avoid confusing the reader with too much information or too many links. Focus on your core objective and use a style and language that represents simplicity. Avoid visual distractions, non-essential information and unnecessary content.
3. Inspire action by using a tone in your message that supports immediacy. “Get it today”, “Get started now” are both good examples of an immediate tone of writing. Again, a tone of immediacy is best served by reducing the noise around your core objective. If you want your reader to buy something now, it’s probably not a good idea to encourage them to read several interesting articles related to the product or service you want them to buy. Sell it now. They can read about it later.
4. Avoid disenfranchising half of your audience by using a tone that is gender neutral. Don’t use references, language or images that are overly masculine or feminine unless you are targeting either men or women for a response.
5. Match your tone to your brand, products and services. If you provide security or financial products, services or information, then a serious, formal tone would be best. A formal tone might not work as well if you developed a cool new app that you want to see gain traction on MySpace or Facebook. Consider your audience and structure your communication with them in mind. Use language and a writing level that your audience will connect with. Don’t get academic with young people who are looking for the next cool app to impress their social network.

Bonus: For anyone who doesn’t yet understand, when you use ALL CAPS in online communication, your readers think that you’re yelling at them. So if you’re not yelling, you might want to, um, tone it down a bit.