The Ultimate Guide to Defining Your Brand's Voice

Hey there! 👋🏽

Standing out in today’s crowded marketplace isn’t a walk in the park. But here’s a secret weapon that can give your brand a standout edge: your brand voice.

Think of it as your brand’s personality—the way it speaks and interacts with your audience. 

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!

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1. Understanding Brand Voice

Let's start with the basics.

Your brand voice is like your brand’s personality—it’s the unique way your company communicates with its audience. It’s present in everything from your content and social media posts to your emails and advertisements.

Here’s a couple examples:

Nike: Their voice is empowering and motivational, driving athletes to push their limits.

Old Spice: Known for its humorous and quirky tone, it stands out in the personal care market.

Make sense?

Now, Here’s Why Consistency Matters:

1. It Builds Trust: Consistency in your messaging helps your audience feel more connected and trust your brand.
   

2. It Enhances Recognition: A distinct voice makes your brand memorable and easily recognizable.
   

3. It Differentiates from Competitors: A unique voice helps you stand out from the competition, making it easier for customers to remember you.

2. Identify Your Brand’s Core Values and Personality

Core Values

Start by defining your brand’s mission, vision, and values. These are the principles that guide your brand and influence how it communicates.

For Example, the Patagonia’s voice echoes its commitment to environmental sustainability, reinforcing its brand’s mission through every message.

Brand Personality

Think of your brand as a person. What traits would you use to describe it? Use brand archetypes like The Hero, The Caregiver, or The Rebel to help shape this personality.

Mailchimp’s brand voice, for example,  is friendly and humorous, reflecting its approachable and supportive personality.

Now, before you can create your brand's tone, considering doing these things first....

Analyzing Your Audience

To craft a voice that resonates, you need to understand your audience. Conduct surveys and analyze social media to gather insights about their preferences and behaviors.

Creating Buyer Personas

Develop detailed personas representing your ideal customers. This helps tailor your voice to meet their needs and expectations.

Glossier uses a conversational tone to connect with millennials and Gen Z, creating a relatable and engaging experience. While HubSpot adopts an educational tone, catering to marketing professionals seeking expert advice and guidance.

Also, if you aren’t utilizing HubSpot for at least an educational tool......

We need to talk! 

Moving along….

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3. Creating Your Brand Voice

Your brand voice should remain consistent, but your tone can vary depending on the context. This consistency builds trust and recognition, ensuring that your audience can always identify your communications regardless of the channel. However, while your brand voice should stay the same, your tone can and should vary depending on the context and medium.

For instance, consider a formal tone for official communications like press releases or corporate announcements. This tone conveys professionalism and credibility, crucial for maintaining your brand's reputation in formal settings.

On the other hand, when engaging with your audience on social media, a more playful and casual tone can be highly effective. Social media platforms are designed for interaction and community-building, so a light-hearted, approachable tone can make your brand more relatable and foster a stronger connection with your audience.

Once you get the hang of this balance, you'll see how smoothly you can move through various situations without losing your brand's essence.

Once You Pick Your Tone, Create a Voice Chart.

A voice chart is a tool used to outline the key characteristics of your brand’s voice. It provides guidelines for how your brand should communicate with its audience, ensuring consistency and alignment with your brand’s identity.

Develop a chart that outlines key characteristics of your brand voice. Include descriptions and a list of do’s and don’ts to guide your content creation. 

Here’s What’s To Include:

• Descriptive words that capture the essence of your brand’s personality (e.g., friendly, professional, energetic, authoritative).

• The general attitude of your brand’s communication, which may vary depending on context (e.g., formal for press releases, casual for social media).

• Descriptions of how the voice characteristics should be applied in different types of content (e.g., emails, social media posts, website copy).

• Insights on how the voice should be adapted to resonate with your specific audience (e.g., a younger audience might appreciate a more informal tone).

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Now, Here’s The Most Important Part....

Developing a Style Guide

Did I mention it’s the most important part?.....

A  style guide (also known as a Brand Guideline) ensures everyone on your team, even if it’s just you, uses the brand voice consistently. It covers grammar, punctuation, and overall style.

And it's more than just a set of rules; it’s the cornerstone of maintaining a consistent and cohesive brand voice across all your communications.

A style guide provides clear guidelines on how your brand voice should be applied in different contexts, ensuring that your messaging remains uniform across all platforms—whether it’s your website, social media, or email marketing. This consistency helps build a recognizable and trustworthy brand image.

Here’s A Couple Tips To Get Started:

• Canva is a great tool to get your started with a visual template for your brand guideline. Do a quick search for ‘brand guidelines’ and pick the template that best matches your brand visual.
  

• Outline your core messages and key talking points. This ensures that all content consistently communicates the main ideas and values of your brand. Highlight what should always be communicated and what should be avoided.

• Include a visual style guide section that details how your brand’s visual elements—such as logos, colors, fonts, and imagery—should be used. Provide examples of proper and improper usage to maintain a consistent visual identity.

• Include a couple content templates to illustrate how the guidelines should be applied. This could be in the form of sample social media posts, email templates, or web copy.

• Regularly review and update your style guide to reflect any changes in your brand strategy, voice, or industry standards. This ensures that the guide remains relevant and useful over time

Last but certainly not least, 

Stay consistent! Even as you evolve, maintain your core values and personality. Your brand voice should grow but stay true to what makes your brand unique.

Creating a unique brand voice isn’t just a task—it’s a journey that sets you apart in today’s crowded marketplace. By getting clear on your brand’s personality, defining your core values, understanding your audience, and creating a solid set of guidelines, you’re setting yourself up for success.

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So, what’s the one word or phrase that perfectly captures your brand’s personality? How can you use it to make every piece of content resonate more with your audience?

Let’s get those creative juices flowing! 

We’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or any questions you have in the comments below. 

And as always, if you need a bit more guidance, don’t hesitate to explore our resources or reach out. Your brand voice is waiting to shine—let’s make it happen!