23 Jun Oi! Watch your tone: Why your brand needs a voice
Emails. Website content. Social media posts. Signage. Product packaging.
Every time your brand has something to say, it uses a voice. But it can’t just be any voice.
No no no. If you want to connect with your audience in a meaningful, memorable way, your brand needs to establish its own tone. With a consistent vocab, style, personality and purpose.
In other words, it’s time to turn your brand into a human!
Think of it like a TV character that exudes the values and essence of your business.
Many brands have their tone perfected (trust me, you know it when you see it). But some are still trying to woo their readers with a bland, safe, cookie-cutter tone. (Spoiler alert: they’re not succeeding.)
So, if you want to get a true edge on the competition – this is your opportunity.
Read on to learn why a carefully crafted tone of voice is what your brand desperately needs.
Show off who you are
With the words you choose and the style you write with, you can tell your audience a lot about who you are as a business – and what you have to offer.
For example, an insurance company may value credibility and simplicity. So it would make sense for its brand voice to be serious, rather than funny, with concise language and straight-to-the-point messaging.
Now think of a hire-a-clown business for children’s parties. It’s a fun, playful, child-friendly brand. So its voice might be sprinkled with circus-related puns and vocabulary – and exude enthusiasm and optimism.
Be noticed – and remembered
Highway billboards, Instagram posts, the back of your oat milk.
Everywhere your audience looks, brands are yakking away at them. Meaning there’s a constant battle for their fleeting attention, and a secure spot in their increasingly overburdened memory.
That’s when a distinct brand voice gives you the upper hand.
A voice tightly bound to your brand personality will shine with originality, interest and authenticity – leaving a lasting impression in the minds that matter.
And like it or not, to be distinct does require a little nudge of the boundaries.
If you’re going for a playful tone, let loose a little. If you’re going for a strong and assertive tone, make your audience sit up straight from the first sentence.
Connect with your audience
Humans are emotional beings.
So if your audience recognises a shared value, experience or understanding with your brand, they’re more likely to choose you over another option.
And – surprise surprise – you can achieve this with your brand voice. Providing, of course, that it starts and ends with your target audience. And their emotions.
So do your research. Understand how they feel, how they speak and what they care about most. If you mirror all this in the words you use, the messages you send and the stories you tell, you’ll create a customer bond that’s hard to break.
Communicate with one, unified voice
Behind the guise of your brand, we bet there are a few different people – with different personalities – writing your content.
But from your audience’s perspective, you want every communication to feel consistent, like it’s coming from one entity. Your business.
That’s why establishing a brand voice – and getting your whole team across it – is so vital. Afterall, there are many writers. But there should only be one voice.
However, your brand’s tone can change for different contexts – but only slightly. For example, an Instagram post might be more light-hearted than a formal tender response.
Compare the way you’d speak to a colleague in a business meeting, with how you would at Friday drinks. We bet when you’re off-the-clock, a few more jokes are thrown around – even though you’re the same person, with the same audience.
It all builds trust
A personality-bursting, memorable, consistent and unified voice builds a reliable brand. It shows your audience that you’re capable, competent and have your shit together – and that you won’t let them down.
But remember: Even if you talk the talk with a tight brand voice, you’ll need to walk the walk, too. If you fail to be the brand you present to your audience, the trust you earn will be short-lived.
So what’s next on your business’s to-do list? It better be your brand voice!
If you need help defining the perfect tone, it’s our specialty. Get in touch to tell us about your business and brand – we can’t wait to get crafting.
