Ah, Mailchimp. The go-to email marketing platform for both marketers and non-marketers alike. If you work in the creative and digital sector like us, I’m sure you’re very familiar with it. If not, allow me to introduce you; Mailchimp is a user-friendly tool that allows you to manage your mailing lists, build email templates and create email campaigns.
I know what you’re thinking – “Email marketing? How dull…” – but Mailchimp’s tone of voice turns a seemingly bland concept into a lively topic.
If I had to sum up Mailchimp’s tone of voice in a few words, it would be empathetic, helpful, humorous and clear.
Let’s break down what makes Mailchimp’s tone of voice so great, shall we?
Empathising with its audience
Mailchimp is a self-aware brand. It knows the trials and tribulations of email marketing and acknowledges its audience’s stressors.
Mailchimp hugs its audience with words, letting them know they’re in safe hands when using the tool. Here’s an example from its Instagram:
The brand acknowledges that people who are sending emails manually could save time and hassle by using the tool. Rather than using facts and stats to promote itself, Mailchimp appeals to it’s audience on a personal level by telling them to start the weekend earlier. Sure, Mailchimp can help you hit your marketing targets, but it’s a time-saver first.
Advocating for wellbeing
Another way Mailchimp comes across as empathetic is by being an advocate for wellbeing. It supports both its staff and its users, encouraging them to manage their stress levels and take breaks.
Mailchimp even created a series of mini games to encourage its users to take a break and do something fun. Now that’s a unique way of de-stressing at work!
Offering a helpful hand
Mailchimp makes it clear that it’s there to guide you through, no matter what you want to use the tool for. When you visit the Mailchimp homepage, you’re greeted with this row of icons:
Mailchimp’s helpfulness is peppered throughout the copy on its website and is included in the first sentences you read. This encourages the audience to trust the tool to live up to its promises, through phrases like:
- Award-winning support
- Get the help you need, whenever you need it
- A directory of trusted pros
- Work with a Mailchimp partner
The brand is aware of the broadness of its audience and makes sure that its helpfulness is inclusive of different industries, like in this example:
Sprinkles of humour
Going back to my point on how Mailchimp avoids the stereotype of ‘dull email marketing’ – the brand makes sure to add elements of humour to its tone of voice. It jokes with its audience, particularly on Twitter, as a way to get them to engage with its content.
Despite being so established as a company, Mailchimp’s tone of voice is far from corporate. I mean, they even came up with a whimsical backstory for the guy on their home page:
Who said ‘clear’ has to be boring?
Mailchimp prides itself on being a user-friendly tool, which is reflected in its tone of voice. Whilst accessible and clear, Mailchimp’s tone of voice remains lively through subtle word choices.
Instead of using the mundane ‘learn more’ as a call to action throughout its website, Mailchimp is very specific with what it wants its audience to do:
There are ‘flat words’ you can swap out for more fun ones without losing clarity. An example of this is how Mailchimp has swapped out ‘resources’ or ‘learning’ for ‘inspiration’ on its homepage. Inspiration is much more likely to capture a user’s attention and intrigue them to click and find out more.
Monkey see, monkey do
So, what can you learn from Mailchimp’s tone of voice?
- Be human-first – it’s always good to acknowledge your audience and your staff
- Guide your audience with your words, never assume knowledge on them
- A little humour goes a long way, subtlety is key
- You don’t have to miss out on ‘fun’ words to be clear
Need a little help with your tone of voice?
Great, that’s something we can do! We have a range of tone of voice services to help your brand sound its best, from workshops to creating tone of voice guidelines.
Enjoyed reading about Mailchimp’s tone of voice? We’ve also taken a look at Headspace and Oatly.
