What Is A Brand Voice, And Why Is It Important?
When it comes to building a brand, there are a lot of moving parts involved. It’s easy to become overwhelmed–after all, you’re expected to post on social media consistently, keep your website up and running, take photos, create graphics…the list goes on and on.
However, despite all of the things that may change about your brand over time, one thing should stay consistent: your brand voice.
Your brand voice is arguably one of the most important aspects of your brand. After all, it communicates your value and makes you recognizable to your audience! Through your tone of voice, you shape the experience that your audience has with your brand. Are you edgy and moody? Classy and sophisticated? Fun and witty? Your voice is all about how you communicate your brand message and how it makes your audience feel.
Let’s Break It Down
Your brand voice is…
- A consistent expression of a brand through words and speech styles that engage and motivate…it’s essentially your brand’s personality!
Your brand voice is not…
- Susceptible to trends. It should be something that can last the lifetime of your brand!
Why Your Voice Is So Important
In order to succeed in today’s digital world, brands have to be unique and personable. This is where your voice comes in! By setting a good brand voice for your business, you can transform any text into meaningful content that feels more ‘human-like’ and tells a story. This is a key characteristic because customers are 4 times more likely to buy from a company that they feel an emotional connection with.
When your brand’s voice is in tune with your audience, viewers are more likely to feel comfortable with your company and relationships can begin to form!
"Customers are 4 times more likely to buy from a company that they feel an emotional connection with."
Creating (and sticking to!) a Guideline
We know how hard it can be to create a template and actually stick to it, but consistency is the most important factor of a strong brand voice! Without a physical reference on hand, your company could become confused or stray away from your carefully created tone. Below are some recommended steps to take when developing your own brand voice.
Creating Your Own Voice Guideline
Start with your mission: What does your company do? What impression do you want to leave on your clients/customers?
Highlight your core values: Your brand’s values make up a large portion of what defines your voice. What does your company represent? What are your main commitments as a business?
Find out what sets you apart: What is your company’s added value? What do you offer your clients that makes your business unique?
List descriptive words: What words do you want your customers to use when they think about your company? This list can be as short or as long as you want, just make sure it stays fairly consistent throughout!
Refine your tune: What is the mood of your company? What emotions do you want your brand to emit? Think about your target customer…what kind of tone would they respond to best?
Get technical: This is where you get to be picky with the little details. In order to avoid variations in your text, make sure everyone is on board with your specific styles. Do you want to capitalize headers? Should you be using contractions in your writing? Set these guidelines from the get-go.
Brand Voice Examples
Oftentimes, the best way to learn is from example when it comes to brand voice. Here are a few brands that have mastered their own unique voices:
MailChimp
MailChimp uses humor and a witty tone throughout their website in order to create a memorable brand identity. They also utilizes pop culture references on their website to build a better connection with their audience!
Innocent Smoothies
Innocent Smoothies takes a refreshing spin on a quirky brand voice, which features plenty of fruit puns. From their “Compliment Generator” to their “Bored?” pages featured on their website, this brand takes their tone to another level by using attention grabbing phrases as their main strategy.
Sharpie
Sharpie’s voice is all about inspiring their customers to be more bold, courageous, and ‘permanent’. They carry out this fearless voice through the handwritten inspirational messages featured on their social media accounts.
At the end of the day, remember that your voice should be an accurate representation of you and your brand. If you get stuck, ask a friend! How do they perceive you? What words would they use to describe you? How do they feel when talking with you (or interacting with your company)? This can be a great place to start to get the wheels turning.
Need additional help with creating the perfect voice for your brand? We can be your right-hand! We offer a Brand Strategy services at Wela Creative Studio, where we sit down and get to know your brand and create a guideline for you and your team. Contact us at welacreativestudio.com to learn more!
