Do you know that customers actually notice what makes a brand stand out, especially on Social Media posts?
Research shows that 32% say “Compelling Storytelling”; 33% say “Distinct Personality”; while 49% say “Memorable Content”.
From the above statistics, it is obvious that “Memorable Content” is in first place. However, having memorable content alone can make your business stand out, but only for so long.
It’s not enough to create co that resonates with your audience and grabs their attention through a “Compelling Story”.
If you want your brand to experience maximum growth and be distinct from its competitors, it needs to have a distinct sense of purpose and a unique personality.
In other words, it needs to have a “Brand Voice” and well-written content that expresses your brand can keep it in the spotlight for a very, very, very long time; even to perpetuity.
In this article, you’ll not only learn what a Brand Voice is and why your brand needs to have a consistent Brand Voice; but you’ll also be guided and given actionable steps on how your brand can develop a consistent Brand Voice through content.
So, buckle your seat belt there reader, as we dive in!
What Is A Brand Voice?
A Brand Voice is the unique personality and tone a company uses to communicate with its audience. In other words, it is a distinct personality that your brand presents to the world.
It reflects the brands values, mission and overall identity. A Brand Voice represents the personality of a company, business and product. i.e. it represents how the brand “speaks” across various channels such as websites, social media, advertisements customer service, etc.
What you say and how you say it will set the tone for your Brand Voice and this is essential informing your brand identity. In addition to the colors, logo, slogan and tagline that make up a Brand Story, the Brand Voice is what binds it all together.
A Brand Voice helps consumers identify and distinguish your brand from others, just like your voice is the distinguishable from other people; and a strong brand voice ensures consistency, thereby making the brand recognizable and relatable to its target audience.
For example, a luxury brand such as Chanel, Gucci, Dolce and Gabana, etc. might use a sophisticated and refined voice, a company selling Street wear might adopt a voice with an urban tone, while a brand targeting young, tech-savvy audiences might opt for a conversational, playful tone.
Why Consistency In Brand Matters
Consistency in Brand Voice matters because it establishes trust, fosters recognition and strengthens relationships with your audience.
If you want your company to endure and if you want your customers to get to know, love and remain loyal to your brand, as they would an old friend, consistency is key.
You need to make your brand messaging consistent and repeatable, so your customers continue to know and like what your brand is about. This is what Brand Voice does.
Other reasons include:
It Builds Trust
When a brand consistently communicates in the same way, it signals stability, reliability and dependability.
When your brand voice remains steady and when customers encounter the same tone and style across all platforms, they perceive your business as dependable and professional, thereby fostering trust in your brand, because they know what to expect and this makes them feel more comfortable engaging with your brand
Brand recognition
A unique and consistent Brand Voice helps your customers easily recognize your brand and differentiate it from your competitors, even in a crowded market, there by improving brand awareness.
Familiarity breeds trust and people are more likely to trust something they know well.
Reinforces Brand Identity
Your brand voice reflects the values, personality and mission of your brand. A consistent Brand Voice not only allows you to clearly define your brand personality and values, but also helps customers perceive your brand as genuine.
An inconsistent Brand Voice can make your brand look disorganized or insincere, thereby leading to doubt.
It Builds and Enhances Emotional Connections
Consistency helps create a strong, emotional bond with your customers. When your tone and messaging resonates and remains constant, it’s easier for customers to connect emotionally with your brand.
This emotional bond fosters loyalty and creates a deeper connection with your brand.
It Builds a Positive Reputation and Credibility Over Time
A consistent Brand Voice shows professionalism and attention to detail, which are essential for establishing credibility.
Over time, this credibility turns into trust as customers see your brand living up to its promises.
In addition, a well-maintained Brand Voice contributes to a positive brand reputation by creating and presenting a unified image across all communication channels.
How To Develop A Consistent Brand Voice Through Content
Developing a consistent Brand Voice through content involves aligning your communication style with your brand’s identity and values.
Here are some tips that will help you achieve this:
Define your Brand Voice
This can be achieved through:
Understanding your Brand Identity
Get a clear idea of your mission, vision and core values. As a brand do you really know who you are? Why are you here? What are you trying to accomplish? What’s important to your brand? What makes your brain unique?
In addition, get a clear idea of what your brand is not. Knowing what your brand is not is just as important as knowing what it is.
Make a list of all the attributes that you don’t want your brand to be associated with and keep them nearby as you develop your voice.
This will help you better define your voice.
Know Your Audience
Do you know your target audience? In other words, do you know who you’re talking to? Knowing who your brand is targeting is an important step towards developing your brand’s voice.
Just having a general customer base is not enough. You need to identify your target audience, understand their preferences, communication style and language that resonates with them.
Choose Key Traits
Decide how you want your customers to feel when they interact with your brand.
Ask yourself these questions: “How do I want my audience to feel about my brand?” “Do I want to entertain them? Warm their hearts? Make them feel nostalgic? Persuade them to consider uncomfortable truths?” “Do I want them to see my brand as a professional and reliable one?”, etc.
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Once you’ve answered these questions, select a few adjectives that describe your Brand Voice .e.g. professional, witty, friendly, empathetic, approachable, etc.
It doesn’t have to be many; 3-5 will suffice.
Creating A Brand Voice Guideline
A Brand Voice Guideline contains rules for your images, colors, graphics, copywriting, fonts and all your business’s branding details.
Your Brand Voice Guideline could contain
Tone and Style
Specify how your brand should sound in different scenarios .e.g. playful on social media, formal for professional settings, etc
Do’s and Don’ts
Include examples of language, phrases or approaches to use or avoid.
Formatting Rules
Set standards for grammar, punctuation and structure to maintain a cohesive look and feel.
Being Authentic and Relatable
Write in a way that feels genuine and aligns with your brand’s mission and audience needs. Never try to copy other brands and focus on what makes yours unique.
In addition, you can adjust your Brand Voice when necessary such as during the crisis, a major campaign or other important events, but always remain true to your brand’s core identity.
Tailoring Content To and Ensuring Consistency Across Channels
Adjust your tone and format to suit different platforms while never deviating from and staying true to your core voice.
For example, emails could be formal while social media posts could be more casual.
In addition, make sure your key messages and values are repeated across all content, as consistency reinforces your brand’s identity and makes it memorable.
Auditing and Aligning Existing Content
Review your current content for inconsistencies by carrying out an audit of your marketing platforms. Do a thorough sweep of your marketing platforms and materials to check for consistency in your Brand Voice.
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This should be easy enough for you if you’re well acquainted with what your Brand Voice should be. When this is done, update any material and make adjustments to those aspects of your brand that don’t reflect your brand voice and bring them in line with the rest.
Conclusion
Consistency in brand voice is crucial because it helps establish a clear and recognizable brand personality, allows for a stronger connection with your target audience by projecting a consistent tone and style; and builds trust with customers by ensuring a unified message across all communication choice.
Developing a consistent brand voice through content requires intentional planning and execution to ensure that every piece aligns with your brands identity; and by following the steps listed above, you will definitely establish a clear, consistent and memorable Brand Voice that not only strengthens your identity, but also builds trust with your audience.
So, dear reader, don’t be afraid of giving your brand a big personality. Just make sure it’s unique and appeals to your target audience.
Your Brand Voice will convey that personality everywhere it speaks such as in social media posts, advertising (TV, Radio, Online, etc.), Company Website, Newsletters, Emails, Videos, etc.
