Your brand voice is more than a writing style—it’s the emotional and psychological connection your customers feel when interacting with you. In Klaviyo, this translates to the words, tone, and personality you inject into every email, SMS, and on-site form.

Why is this important? According to Klaviyo’s Brand Voice Best Practices, customers are more likely to open, click, and convert when the messaging feels familiar and consistent. In e-commerce, consistency isn’t just nice to have—it directly impacts retention rates, lifetime value (LTV), and email deliverability.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• Define a unique brand voice for Klaviyo

• Apply it across templates, flows, and segments

• Adjust tone by channel while staying on-brand

• Use proven e-commerce examples to drive conversions

Step 1: What Is Klaviyo Brand Voice and Why It Matters for E-commerce

Your Klaviyo brand voice is the consistent tone, style, and personality applied to all communications — from campaign subject lines to automated transactional flows. It covers:

• Tone – The emotional flavour (e.g., playful, professional, bold).

• Vocabulary – Specific words and phrases you use (and avoid).

• Sentence structure & rhythm – Short and punchy vs long and descriptive.

• Formatting quirks – Use of emojis, caps, and exclamation marks.

Why consistency matters in Klaviyo:

• Builds trust by creating familiarity.

• Increases open and click-through rates because people know what to expect.

• Prevents brand confusion when multiple team members create campaigns.

Pro Tip: Want to see how tone impacts engagement? Check our guide on 8 Proven Strategies to Boost Your Open Rates.

How Klaviyo supports brand voice: While there’s no “brand voice” switch, you can apply it using:

• Email AI tone presets to create on-brand copy fast.

• Saved templates and universal content blocks for repeatable voice elements.

• Segmentation to adapt tone by customer stage—see our 3 Klaviyo Segmentation Strategies to Boost DTC Sales.

Klaviyo can also analyse your past emails to learn your style—everything from emoji use to sentence length. You can refine these rules or replace them with your own brand style guide, so every AI-generated draft automatically follows your voice.

Step 2: Define Your Klaviyo Brand Voice From Scratch

Before you can apply your brand voice in Klaviyo, you need to define it clearly.

Action Plan:

• Choose 3–5 tone descriptors – e.g., “Approachable, Witty, Confident, Empathetic.” These will guide every piece of copy.

• Create a “Say This, Not That” list – Example: Say “exclusive drop”, not “product launch.”

Examples:

Source: HeyOrca

Source: Nine Blaess

• Audit customer language – Review reviews, testimonials, support chats, and social media comments to find recurring words your customers use.

• Align with your ICP – A Gen Z streetwear buyer will connect with “drop” and “hype,” while a luxury skincare customer may prefer “limited release” and “refined formula.”

• Document your findings in an accessible guide.

Pro Tips: Analyse your top-performing Klaviyo campaigns to see what language, tone, and CTAs drove the most engagement—your audience already voted with their clicks.

• Add a “Say This, Not That” chart for common phrases

• Pull real words/phrases from customer service chats for authenticity

• Map tone to different customer lifecycle stages (e.g., new subscribers vs. VIP customers)

Examples:

• Patagonia – Purpose-driven, eco-conscious, and activist, appealing to customers who value sustainability.

• Nike – Motivational, bold, and high-performance, inspiring athletes of all levels.

• LEGO – Imaginative, playful, and creative, connecting with both kids and nostalgic adults.

• Apple – Minimalistic, innovative, and premium, attracting tech lovers who appreciate design.

• Trader Joe’s – Quirky, friendly, and approachable, resonating with shoppers looking for unique finds and a personable experience.

For tips on how to connect tone with customer buying stages, explore our Klaviyo customer journey framework.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Brand Voice in Klaviyo Templates & Email AI

Once you’ve defined your brand voice, make it part of your Klaviyo setup so every message stays consistent.

• Use Email AI: Choose tone presets like “Witty,” “Friendly,” or “Professional” in Klaviyo’s Email AI. These settings help create on-brand subject lines and copy. Always review the text to make sure it sounds like your brand, not a generic bot.

• Save Templates: Build templates with approved greetings, subject line styles, and CTAs so your team can reuse them without guessing the tone.

• Universal Content Blocks: Store branded headers, footers, and disclaimers so you keep formatting and tone consistent across campaigns.

• Segment Your Tone: Adjust tone for different groups. VIP customers might get casual, playful copy, while first-time buyers may get a more trust-focused message. For ideas, see 3 Klaviyo Segmentation Strategies to Boost DTC Sales.

  
  

Source: Klaviyo 

Pro Tip: Combine segmentation with dynamic content so your voice adapts to each customer stage. Add “content block notes” in Klaviyo to guide your team on tone rules. For more ways to keep messaging on-brand and efficient, read our Klaviyo AI: 7 Ways To Save Time (And Money).

Step 4: Applying Your Brand Voice Across Klaviyo Email, SMS, and Forms

Each channel requires voice adaptation without losing identity:

• Email: More space for storytelling, but keep tone consistent in subject lines, headers, and body. Use Klaviyo’s A/B testing to see which tone performs best (see our A/B testing playbook).

• SMS: Short, snappy, and aligned with your voice—avoid overly complex words or long sentences, check our 5 proven techniques for increasing SMS opt-ins.

• Forms & Landing Pages: Match headlines and CTA language to your tone. Use conditional logic to adjust the voice according to each audience segment. Use Klaviyo pop-up form strategies to maximise conversions.

Example:

• Loyal customer CTA: “Let’s make it official—join VIP.”

• First-time buyer CTA: “Sign up for 10% off your first order.”

Pro Tips:

• For SMS, test “signature” phrasing that appears in every message to create familiarity.

• For forms, use microcopy in form fields and disclaimers to reinforce tone (e.g., “We pinky-promise no spam!” for playful brands).

Step 5: Using Ecommerce-Specific Klaviyo Templates With Your Brand Voice

Your brand voice should be woven into each core e-commerce flow so the messaging feels unmistakably yours while still accomplishing its conversion goal. The following real-world examples from Sephora illustrate how a consistent tone can be applied across different automated flows in Klaviyo.

• Back-in-stock: Keep urgency high but avoid desperation. Think playful tension: “It’s back, but not for long…” rather than “Hurry before it’s gone!” (see our full back-in-stock guide).

  
  

Source: WhyWordsWin

• Loyalty rewards: Reinforce appreciation with language that celebrates the customer’s status: “{{ first_name }}, your VIP status just got an upgrade.” This makes retention feel like a privilege, not a sales push.

  
  

Source: Campaign Monitor

• Win-back: Match tone to the length and reason for churn. Use lighthearted copy for short lapses (“We saved your spot—ready to come back?”) and empathetic, reconnection-oriented language for longer absences. (read our winback flow tips).

  
  

Source: SmartrMail

• Transactional: Keep clarity first, but still sound human. Even functional updates like shipping confirmations can carry warmth: “Your gear is on the move 🚚” feels more personal than “Order shipped.”, (learn about Klaviyo transactional emails).

  
  

Source: ParcelTrackr

Pro Tip: Include pre/post-purchase voice variations (post-purchase might be more supportive, pre-purchase more persuasive).

Step 6: Creating a Klaviyo Brand Voice Guide for Team-Wide Consistency

A brand voice guide keeps everyone—marketers, designers, copywriters, and customer service—speaking the same language. It’s your team’s playbook for tone and style in Klaviyo.

Your guide should include:

• Core tone descriptors with clear definitions.

• Do/Don’t lists for vocabulary, grammar, and emoji use.

• Flow-specific examples for recurring campaigns (e.g., welcome series, abandoned cart, win-back).

• Review schedule—update at least quarterly or after major campaigns.

Where to store it: Use shared platforms like Notion, Google Docs, or your company wiki so everyone can access it. In Klaviyo, save a copy under Documentation for quick reference during campaign creation.

Pro Tips:

• Pair your guide with Klaviyo Academy’s voice exercises to train new team members faster.

• For campaign ideas that align with your voice, explore our guide on 8 Essential Klaviyo Flows to Boost Customer Loyalty.

Step 7: Test and Optimise Your Klaviyo Brand Voice for Conversions

Your brand voice isn’t set in stone—it should evolve as your audience and market change. Regular testing helps you find what works best.

• A/B Testing: Compare playful vs direct tones for key flows, like abandoned carts, to see which drives more opens and clicks (use our split testing strategies).

  
  

Source: Klaviyo

• Performance Tracking: Use Klaviyo analytics to measure open rates, click-through rates, and conversions for different tones.

• Audience Segmentation: Test voice separately for new vs returning customers, or by product category, to uncover tone preferences.

Pro Tip: Track customer reply sentiment in conversational campaigns to understand emotional impact.

If you update your brand voice settings in Klaviyo, rerun A/B tests after a few weeks to check for performance gains. Since Klaviyo’s AI applies your updated tone to every future draft automatically, you can measure results faster and make changes with confidence.

FAQs

1. Does Klaviyo have a built-in brand voice tool?

• Not exactly. Klaviyo doesn’t have a single “brand voice” switch, but you can set the tone in Email AI, save templates, and use universal content blocks for consistency.

2. How often should I update my Klaviyo brand voice guide?

• Review quarterly or whenever you launch a major campaign, rebrand, or notice performance shifts in tone-related A/B tests.

3. Can I use different tones for different customer segments?

• Yes. Use segmentation to adapt tone without breaking brand identity—e.g., playful for VIPs, more informative for new subscribers.

4. How can I test if my brand voice is working in Klaviyo?

• Run A/B tests on subject lines and CTAs with different tones, track engagement metrics, and measure lift in conversions.

5. What’s the most common mistake with brand voice in Klaviyo?

• Inconsistency—especially when multiple team members write copy without a shared brand voice guide.

Conclusion

If your Klaviyo emails, texts, and forms feel disconnected, your customers will notice. A strong brand voice makes every message sound like it’s coming from the same trusted source. By defining your tone, saving it into Klaviyo templates, and applying it across channels, you create a seamless experience that builds trust and drives sales. 

The result? Customers who open, click, and buy more—because your brand feels familiar and reliable. Consistency isn’t just about looking polished—it’s about making your customers think they know you, and they can count on you every time.

Key Takeaways

• Define Your Tone Early – Pick 3–5 tone descriptors and create a “Say This, Not That” list.

• Embed Voice in Klaviyo – Use Email AI, templates, and content blocks to lock in consistency.

• Adjust by Channel – Keep tone intact while adapting for email, SMS, and on-site forms.

• Test & Optimise – Use A/B testing to see which tone drives the best engagement.

• Document Everything – Share a brand voice guide with your whole team to prevent mismatches.

• Stay Dynamic – Review and refine your brand voice quarterly to match audience shifts.

Is your Klaviyo content missing that spark of brand personality?

Inconsistent tone, vague messaging, or bland copy could be costing you clicks and conversions. Our Klaviyo specialists will audit your emails, SMS, and forms to define a distinct brand voice that feels authentically you—and converts like crazy. Click here to schedule your free audit with us!