Have you ever had a friend who could make you laugh or inspire you with just a few words? If so, you already know what connecting with a strong voice is like. Consider a few of your favorite brands and why they are your favorite. The products and services have much to do with it, but that’s only part of the big picture – a brand’s voice also plays a huge role in customer loyalty. It’s the personality behind every word, message and social media post you share. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. So, how do you create one? Keep reading to find out.
Start with Your Company’s Mission
Your brand voice should be an extension of your company’s mission. Ask yourself, What does my company stand for? and What values are most important to us? Your mission statement likely already captures your business’s core purpose and goals, so use that as a starting point for defining how you communicate. For example, if your mission is to inspire people to live boldly, your tone might be more energetic, daring and motivational.
Use Your Buyer Personas as Inspiration for Your Brand Voice
Your buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers, and they’re very useful when crafting your brand voice. What do you know about your customers? Don’t be afraid to list specific details: their age, interests, pain points or even how they like to consume information. The more details, the better. If your target audience includes business professionals, your voice would be more polished and informative. The goal is to create a tone that feels like it was made just for them.
Look at Your Best Performing Content
Look at your content that’s already getting the most engagement. Which blog posts, social media posts or emails seem to resonate the most with your audience? Chances are that this content already reflects a tone or style that clicks with your customers. Next, analyze what sets this content apart – is it a casual tone, humor, clear information or emotional appeal? Use these insights as a guideline to develop your brand voice.
Make a List of Do’s and Don’ts
Having a clear list of what fits your brand voice (and what doesn’t) keeps your messaging consistent across all channels. This list can help your team stay on track.
Do’s:
- Use conversational language that feels personal.
- Use humor where it feels natural but stay away from sarcasm.
- Be direct, with a playful tone.
Don’ts:
- Avoid slang or jargon that could confuse our audience.
- Refrain from using overly formal language.
- Steer clear from sounding too salesy.
A comprehensive list like this acts as a guardrail to keep your brand’s communication on point.
Create A Communications Document
Now that you’ve established your brand voice, it’s time to document it into a guide. This guide should include your brand’s mission statement, capabilities statement, tone, key messaging points, word choice preferences and example scenarios for different types of content (social vs. email). Having a communications document that is easily accessible ensures that every piece of content aligns with exactly how you want to communicate it.
Hire JSK Marketing
Feeling overwhelmed? That’s where we come in. At JSK Marketing, we can help you define and refine your brand voice, ensuring it matches your mission, appeals to your audience and resonates across every platform. With a focus on integrated strategies, we can create a personalized plan that brings your brand’s personality to life. Get started with us today!
