Establishing a consistent brand voice is an important step to creating a recognizable brand identity. A brand voice is the personality and tone that a business conveys through its communication – including its messaging, advertising, and other content.
Traditionally, the voice is based on the company’s values, mission, and target audience, and is used to create a consistent message and personality across all channels. A successful brand voice should be recognizable, memorable, and relatable.
So, where should you start when establishing yours?
Your Company’s Mission
Your company’s mission or vision statement was thoughtfully created to be representative of the brand that you want to portray. Why shouldn’t you use it when establishing your brand voice?
A mission statement defines your company’s purpose and intentions. In its simplest form, your mission statement is used to communicate to your employees and customers the direction your company is headed. Extending the language and tone used in your mission statement provides you with a perfect starting place to establish your brand’s voice.
Don’ts and Do’s
Choosing the right brand voice is an important step in creating a successful and cohesive brand image. It is essential to take the time to figure out what you don’t want your brand voice to be to ensure that it’s a good fit for your brand.
Before you start writing, make a list of the types of language, tone, wording, and style that don’t fit with your brand. This can help you to narrow down the possibilities and arrive at a voice that works for your brand.
It’s helpful to consider the types of customers you want to attract and the different messages you want to communicate. By doing this, you can ensure that your brand voice resonates with your target audience.
For example, if your business offers financial services, you might lean toward a more serious, confident, and professional tone. If your business is a coffee shop, on the other hand, you might best use a warm, friendly, and functional tone. As a business that provides wellness products, you might want to adopt an inviting, authoritative, and natural tone.
Buyer Persona
When you’re considering your target audience, you’re considering your buyer persona. Think about the characteristics of your ideal customers and what kind of language and tone they would respond to. Try to create a voice that speaks to each buyer persona you might face.
Above all, make sure to avoid language that is offensive or harmful. With a little bit of thought and effort, you can create a brand voice that truly resonates with your buyers.
Content
Reviewing your best-performing content allows you to consider what is resonating with your audience, and how you can use those elements to create a brand voice that is consistent yet engaging.
Finding Your Voice
Think about how you want people to perceive your brand, and the values and culture you want to promote. By being creative, intentional, and clever with your content, you can ensure that your brand stands out from the competition.
A Style Guide
Once you’ve identified your brand voice, it is important to ensure that all members of your team use that voice consistently in all marketing materials. To do this, you should create a set of guidelines for your team to follow when creating content.
Developing a style guide can help ensure that all content is consistent and reflects your business’s values and mission. Additionally, using the same language, tone, and style across all platforms can help build a recognizable identity to your viewers.
You can also create a public-facing set of guidelines to create full cohesion. These guidelines could include everything, from the elements you do want to be part of your voice, to those you don’t.
By providing this guidance, you will ensure that your team and contributors are in sync with the style and message of your brand.
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