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30th July 2019

6 Steps To Finding Your Business’s Brand Voice

8
minute read

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, so think twice before you exercise your brand voice. This means every time you speak, write, design, post, respond and attempt any engagement with customers online. 

Think carefully about what you want to convey through your messaging and online content. Building a strong voice for your business is the key to standing out from the rest, with customers eagerly reading your emails rather than their eyes glazing over them.

Now, we’ve explained the “what” and the “why”, here's the “how”:

Brainstorm

The key to finding the right brand voice is to brainstorm ideas. This will not be a quick process, so don’t just jump at the first thought that pops into your head. 

The best place to start is with your business’s personality. The easiest way to do this is to write down a list of adjectives and human characteristics you think best describes your company. For example, try imagining your company as a fictional character or celebrity. Is your company ‘funny’ like Bugs Bunny, or more ‘straight-laced’ like Elmer Fudd? 

Now you have a clearer idea of who you are, you can start to incorporate this into your content. Have a look at everything on your website, taking into account your logo, blog content and social media posts. Consider what they all have in common and how their attributes could help shape your company's growing vibe and voice. 

Stay true to your beliefs

While your voice should ultimately connect with others, it should also connect with who you are and how your company improves people’s lives.

While we all like a business who makes us laugh, the jokes may fall flat if they aren’t relevant to what they stand for. Brands like Cards Against Humanity win customers through their dark humour on social media, their tagline on Twitter, for example, reading “The card game for horrible people”. While this comedic tone undoubtedly attracts audiences, it is also in keeping with the game’s spirit and its satirical view towards politically incorrect content.

With this in mind, consider your product, service, sector and overall message before you start posting online. For example, if your organic snack brand is all about saving the planet and building community, your brand voice probably wouldn’t be snarky and sarcastic.

Don't forget your target audience

It is your customers that visit your website, follow you on social media and buy your products and services. For this reason, it makes sense to keep them in the forefront when building a brand voice for your business. 

Everything you create should appeal to your target audience, with your vocabulary, tone and style relatable to their age group and sensibility. For example, avoid industry jargon if your demographic is young adults. In fact, try to avoid jargon altogether. When you are appealing to humans, it makes sense to sound like one. Whether you’re sending an email, writing a blog or updating social media, try to write the same way you talk. 

If you want your online content to resonate with your target audience, try a Sponsored Content article. Our professional journalists will write an online article for your business that interests and informs your demographic. 

Establish what you aren’t

While you’re figuring out what you are, it’s important to know what you are not. Establish your Unique Selling Point, as well as what’s indistinguishable about the competition.

You brainstormed good ideas earlier, now try the reverse approach. What do you not want to be? Make a list of all the buzzwords you hate, brands you dislike and phrases that you believe your company could do without. This sneaky piece of reverse psychology will help you to stay true to yourself.

Keep your branding consistent

Congratulations, you’ve found your brand voice. Now, you just have to stick with it. An inconsistent voice will not only confuse your target audience but confuse your overall message.

Writing down some simple branding guidelines is a simple but effective way of ensuring all social posts, website content and promotional materials speak in the same tone and style.

A great way of introducing audiences to this new consolidated brand voice is through video advertising. Written and designed by our marketing experts to fit your company, the 30-second live video will reach new customers and help you convey messages more clearly and creatively.

Revisit and revise over time

Just as marketing evolves, so will your brand voice. 

While it’s important to find the right brand voice for your business, you might not get it right the first time. Perhaps you’ll decide that your tone is too ‘preachy’ or ‘straight-forward’ for your target audience, or new competitors or changes in consumer behaviour could arise, and influence how you speak, write and engage online. 

Evolving with your customers will help you better relate to them. Using metrics and interactive tools will help you assess, and enhance your business’s identity.

Finding your brand voice will not be quick, but it will be a positive process for business owners, employees and customers. As a modern business, everything you do is part of an ongoing conversation. It’s important you have an honest, consistent voice to join in. 

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