Why your tone of voice sounds vague — and how to fix it

A lot of teams think they have a tone of voice problem when, in reality, they have a clarity problem. Their writing feels flat, vague or interchangeable — not because their personality is wrong, but because the message underneath it isn’t anchored to anything.

If your content feels like it could sit on any competitor’s website, or if readers finish your copy without really knowing what you meant, you’re not dealing with a tone of voice issue. You’re dealing with vagueness.

And vagueness is what makes otherwise smart, sharp businesses sound generic.

Before you rewrite your entire website or update your brand guidelines, it’s worth understanding why this happens — and how to fix it properly. If you want a deeper look at how clarity affects search visibility now, what AI search actually sees is a helpful next read.

The real reason tone of voice starts sounding vague

Tone of voice collapses the moment the message underneath it becomes unclear.

The problem usually starts earlier than most people think. The business isn’t aligned on:

• what it wants to say
• who it’s saying it to
• what those people already know
• what those people actually need
• what makes the business meaningfully different

So the writing becomes a patchwork of safe phrases, soft qualifiers and “sounds professional” language that doesn’t really say anything. Words get added to fill space, not to add meaning.

And suddenly the tone of voice feels vague — not because the tone is wrong, but because the message is weak.

If this sounds familiar, why your content strategy isn’t working gets into how messaging falls apart long before content is written.

Vague writing is usually a symptom, not the cause

Most vague content comes from one of three places:

1. No point of view

If your content avoids taking a stance, everything will sound soft.
This is one reason founders and execs often turn to ghostwriters — not to “sound like someone else”, but to get clearer on the perspective they already have.
If that’s something you’re exploring, LinkedIn ghostwriting: what it is and why it’s not cheating breaks this down well.

2. Too many stakeholders, not enough ownership

When seven people review a single paragraph, the safest version usually wins. Safe writing is vague writing.

3. Trying to sound “professional”

Professional often gets confused with bland.
If you’ve ever tried to remove personality because you work in finance, SaaS or a regulated industry, how to write compliant content that still connects will help.

The words that instantly make your copy vague

You don’t need to avoid these words entirely — but notice how often you use them:

• “support”
• “solutions”
• “innovative”
• “help you achieve”
• “end-to-end”
• “tailored”
• “seamless”
• “flexible”
• “holistic”
• “we partner with you…”

They sound fine. They mean nothing.

Vague words creep in when the message hasn’t been fully articulated. You’re writing to sound like a business instead of writing to communicate something clear.

How to fix a vague tone of voice

You don’t need a full brand overhaul. You need sharper thinking and cleaner articulation.

Here’s the simplest way to get there.

1. Get clear on what you want to be known for

Tone of voice isn’t decoration — it’s delivery. If you’re not aligned on your core ideas, your tone will never feel right. Start with the handful of messages you want people to remember.

If you feel stuck here, how to build a content strategy that aligns with business goals is a helpful reset.

2. Replace soft claims with specific statements

Instead of:

“we help teams streamline operations”

Try:

“we reduce admin hours by removing the bottlenecks slowing your team down.”

Instead of:

“we offer tailored solutions for lenders”

Try:

“we help lenders improve credit decision workflows by making complex messaging clearer.”

People trust specifics, not slogans.

3. Use language your audience actually uses

If your customers wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t put it in your copy.
This is one reason industry-specific content works so well. If you want examples, these are helpful:

• Content foundations for lenders
• Content foundations for B2B SaaS

Good tone of voice mirrors the reader’s language, not the brand’s internal phrasing.

4. Stop polishing the life out of your writing

Over-editing removes personality. The more people touch a piece of content, the flatter it becomes.
This is one of the reasons so much AI-edited content feels lifeless — it’s technically correct but emotionally empty.

If this is happening in your content, how to fix your AI-generated content will help you spot the patterns.

5. Make one point per paragraph

Vagueness often comes from cramming three ideas into a single section. Instead, give each idea space. Structure creates clarity, and clarity creates a natural tone.

Simple writing isn’t simplistic. It’s generous.

6. Have a clear stance

A tone of voice isn’t memorable unless it contains opinion.
You don’t need to be provocative — you just need to be clear.

If you’re struggling to find your stance, AEO vs SEO: what’s changed is a good example of taking a position without shouting.

What good tone of voice actually looks like

It’s consistent.
It’s clear.
It sounds human.
It communicates something real.

And most importantly, it leaves the reader with a sense of how you think, not just what you sell.

Good tone of voice supports the message. It doesn’t carry it.

When you should consider external support

If your tone of voice feels vague across your website, sales material, LinkedIn presence or long-form content, it’s often a sign that your message needs sharper articulation — not just “more personality.”

This is where outside support is genuinely useful:

• Website Audit
• Blog Audit
• Visibility Retainer
• Fractional Content Lead

Each gives you a different level of clarity, direction and execution.

If your tone of voice feels vague, start here

Don’t rush to rewrite everything.
Start by fixing the message underneath.

Tone of voice becomes powerful — even memorable — when it’s built on clarity, not decoration. Once your message is sharper, your tone of voice becomes something people recognise, not something they skim past.