Your brand needs a voice. Here’s how to give it one.
One of the fundamental concepts of any brand is the brand image. Your brand must project an image to the consumer — and it must be an image the consumer likes or wants to be associated with.
A key component of the brand image is the brand voice which — at its simplest — is the personality that the customer feels when they interact with your brand.
Brand voice. Pretty straightforward.
Why is it important? Because your potential customers want to hear from you. Before making purchase decisions, a lot of customers will visit your website and social media pages. They want to know what you have to say, and how you say it. This can either make that customer take the next step or turn away forever.
Your brand voice is more than just marketing material. It encompasses every form of communication that comes from your brand, both internal and external. Billboards, welcome emails, and employee memos are just some of the instances where a brand’s voice is reflected.
When you have a consistent brand voice, it becomes easier for your customers to identify with you. It also helps improve your brand’s reputation.
It is key to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to giving your brand a voice. Adele works and Lil Wayne works too, you get me?
What you should know: What kind of brand are you? What kind of product/service do you offer? Who are your target customers?
You should already have an idea of what you are. Refer to your company’s mission statement for help regarding this. Are you brave and courageous? Are you a minimalist, easy-going brand? Or is your brand more friendly and fun? Your idea of your brand will be the foundation for your brand voice.
The industry in which your brand falls in is a factor in choosing a brand voice. For a youth-oriented fashion brand, your voice is expected to be casual, fun, and energetic. For an insurance company, you’re expected to be more serious, caring, and knowledgeable.
Your target audience is an even more important factor. What kind of person would they want to hear from? If you’re a digital publication that focuses on politics, would your readers want you to sound like a hip adolescent or a more mature person?
It’s not a bad idea to carry out a survey among your customers, to ask for their opinion on your current brand voice and the type of voice that would resonate with them.
The right brand voice will attract customers to you while the wrong brand voice will see you struggle to generate interest among potential customers because they simply do not resonate with you.
Implementing your brand voice: When you have decided on your brand voice, you should begin to use it in all your marketing and communication materials.
If you have a content team, you must ensure that everyone fully understands the brand voice. It’s best to have a brand chart that shows the type of emotions to evoke/avoid so that everyone is on the same page regarding the type of content they are to produce.
It is crucial that you must be very consistent in your implementation. If customers are attracted by your social media posts, then your email newsletters sounding different may chase them away.
It’s also important to note that creating a brand voice is not a one-and-done task. As your brand grows or your industry/customer segments evolve, it is important to review it often to make sure that you are still in touch with them.
With the pandemic creating a semi-permanent shift in work culture, many people are spending more time in front of their screens and are seeing your brand content now more than ever. Make sure they like what they see.
