Why You Need to Create a Brand Voice, and How
Everyone has a unique voice and communication style. At times, our voice might be so distinct that friends and family do impressions of us.
If people were to do an impression of your company, would they sound unique at all? Or, would they sound like every other company in your space?
A brand voice makes your company’s content stand out and build an emotional connection with consumers. Building this unique communication style for your business will make it possible for customers to identify your company even when your logo isn’t visible.
How to create a brand voice
- Figure out your company’s core values and why you’re in this business. Go beyond the corporate jargon and figure out the human emotions and desires that drive you. As an exercise, imagine explaining to a child why you decided to create your business and what it does for customers. This will give you a good starting point.
- Compare your company’s core values with your customer’s values and concerns (discover this in your buyer persona interviews). Where do they align? These are the things you have in common that you know your buyer personas will find appealing and can be the basis of a relationship.
- Also, compare your company against its competitors. In what ways are you unique and different? What already makes you stand out that you could highlight even further?
- Create a brand avatar or a fictional representation of what your brand would be like if it were a person. Choose a common archetype that your buyer personas will look up to, such as an expert, coach, or innovator. This character will be the basis for your brand voice.
- Determine how your brand avatar would communicate. For example, an expert would show that they’re knowledgeable by citing their sources, sharing statistics, and providing anecdotal evidence. These are all things to include in your brand voice guidelines.
- Draft your brand voice guidelines. These should include an explanation of your buyer personas, brand avatar, and the top qualities your brand wants to embody. Offer specific guidelines for achieving this voice, as well as your overall content strategy. This is a great starting point for creating content that’s consistent and appealing.
Making use of this relatively new and underutilized technique will help you build client relationships through your content. It will also make the great things about your company shine authentically. Give it a try.
Is it time for a brand voice?
A brand voice makes it easier to create content, connect with your audience, and stand out from the competition. If you want all that, feel welcome to contact us. We would be happy to help you create an unmistakable voice for your brand.
As founder & CEO, Nate has a passion for family, team building, quality, learning, and innovation. He enjoys helping inspire our next generation of leaders, and is the youngest ever Board Member at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.
