What is brand voice? And how do you find yours? Brand voice is the personality of your company, and it comes through in all aspects of your brand – from your logo to the copy on your website to your emails to your social media posts. Your brand voice should be memorable, relatable, funny, witty– anything that you feel best represents you!  It will help you connect with customers on an emotional level, which will differentiate you from competitors who have similar products and services. Finding the right brand voice can be tricky, so here are five ways to get started!

Find Inspiration

Inspiration can stem from many sources. Think about the brands that you connect with– what stands out to you? What works for them? How could you apply those principles to your own company?

Sometimes there’s inspiration right in your own digital backyard. You can glean that inspo by starting with a thorough audit of your own online presence. Examine every touchpoint with customers, from your website and social media profiles to advertising campaigns and e-newsletters. Each one should reflect who your company is.

Evaluate each communication based on its effectiveness in helping you achieve business goals. Think about how it makes you feel, what it’s saying about your company’s values, and how it relates to you personally. This analysis will help inspire your brand voice. It may also reveal that multiple voices are already at work within your organization—and that’s okay! You can use them all as inspiration for defining a singular brand voice. Just make sure they align with your brand identity.

For example, if your customer is seeking new ideas and solutions, then their online experience should convey a sense of excitement or playfulness; but if they value dependability and professionalism above all else, then their experience might exude a more serious tone. Look at each customer interaction individually before deciding which type of brand voice would best suit it.

Consider Your Tone

It’s important that your brand has an online presence, and that you understand company tone when building it. Tone can be both literal (how you talk) and figurative (how you behave). Defining a voice for your brand is more than just writing about what you sell – it’s about making sure everything from ads to blogs sound like they’re coming from one brand, not a bunch of different brands or people. Skipping steps will put off customers, so make sure to create a consistent voice across all media. Remember that your unique company personality will influence how your audience hears what you have to say. Don’t be afraid to let your brand be human! After all, brands are made up of real people who want to connect with others on a personal level.

Think of your brand as a person: Who is this person? What do they stand for? How do they speak? The answers to these questions will help you define your brand voice.

While your brand voice is informed by who you are as a company, it’s important to remember that there’s a huge difference between on-brand and in-character. It’s all too easy for an authentic brand personality to seem inauthentic. Consider everything from tone of voice (for example, if you are formal, make sure your voice doesn’t slip into sarcasm) to behavior on social media. If you’re funny, be funny – but don’t overdo it or use humor at inappropriate times. If you’re serious, don’t suddenly start cracking jokes just because they might get some attention.

If people can’t relate to your company’s voice, they won’t trust what they hear from you. And without trust, companies can’t build long-lasting relationships with their customers.

Embrace Personality

Online presence is no longer simply about showing up on social media and posting links. Now, it’s about building a brand personality around your company. Showcase your creative side—your true colors, so to speak—by tapping into your brand voice. Make sure your messaging is coming from a real place and reflects who you are as a company and as people. By incorporating personality into everything you do online, you’ll make customers feel more comfortable with connecting with you in turn.

Think of tone like an imaginary megaphone that amplifies your company’s personality. When we say don’t be afraid to be yourself, we mean that literally: embrace whatever kind of person or company makes sense for your industry. If you’re funny, be funny; if you’re serious, be serious; if you want to try something new (or different), go for it! The point is that your company should have its own unique voice rather than trying to fit in with everyone else. After all, isn’t being unique what sets great companies apart?

Reflect Your Ideal Customer

The people who are likely to become your customers are those who love what you do, and seeing yourself in your ideal customer will help shape your brand voice. When you feel like someone is speaking directly to you—and knows exactly what they’re talking about—you feel connected. This creates loyalty and keeps customers coming back for more. That’s why it’s so important that you embody your brand’s personality and values in everything that you say or do on social media. Because if you don’t, then your followers won’t see themselves reflected in what you’re doing. And they’ll stop following along.

To keep your audience engaged and coming back for more, it’s essential that you understand what kind of person is likely to identify with your brand. To do that, try writing from your customer’s perspective in order to get into their heads and imagine what matters most to them. When you have a clear sense of who they are, you can take on their voice—and let them feel like a part of your company. The better you know your ideal customers, the easier it will be to connect with them. And as a result, they’ll be more likely to stay loyal customers.

Be Consistent

When it comes to brand voice, consistency is key. And consistency ensures authenticity. When you use consistent language across social media platforms, make sure to write your Facebook posts to look and sound like something you would also put on Twitter or Instagram.  In other words, even though each platform offers its own opportunities for creativity and personalization, they should still feel like they’re coming from one company. By using consistent language across all of your platforms, you will build trust with customers and encourage them to return again and again.

Reach Out!

Crafting and perfecting your brand voice doesn’t happen overnight. Understanding who you are as a brand takes attention to detail, customer outreach as well as consistent effort to keep the image up.

Need help with shaping your business’s brand voice? Contact Social Spice Media at 805-482-8312  or fill out our contact form to get started