How to Create a Strong Brand Voice
What is a Brands Voice & Why is it Important?
A brand voice is used when a company engages with an audience. People are social beings, and brands construct a voice around their brand to better form bonds with their supporters, consumers, and target audience. Think of it as a company trying to construct a personality for their brand. With multiple people in charge of creative, copy, visuals, social media, PR, advertising and so on… a brand voice is necessary to guide all of these different lanes into one cohesive entity. Follow along for Amplimark’s beginner tips to creating an effective brand voice.
Define your Audience
Once you can determine your target audiences, think about their general personas. If you are trying to resonate with a younger crowd, for example, you will want to create a brand voice that feels organic to that group of people. Cultivating a voice that makes your consumers feel comfortable is key to building trust and interest. Creating a balance between what the consumers may want and what your business goals and ideals are can be challenging. The best advice we can give is to use the knowledge you have and incorporate that into what feels right to your brand. If a company is too focused on forcing a personality that isn’t authentic to the brand, consumers are bound to notice. Real, authentic content is far more valuable than chasing trends.
Evaluate Your Brands Content
If your brand has been engaging with the community in any way, now is as good a time as any to start documenting. A great way to get insight on a brand’s voice is by combing through what has currently been working on your social channels and other communications. Find what has been getting more positive attention. If you haven’t already, create social profiles where you can calculate which posts perform the best. Starting is the best way to learn. It is rare for a brand to hit one out of the park first try. A brand voice can learn and evolve with the company. One thing that makes marketing so interesting and so difficult is a level of unpredictability.
Describe your Voice
It is normal for multiple people to be involved in creating content or materials that will represent the brand. Having a guide to outline the general rules of your voice will help so each member involved has a clear understanding when creating content. Different situations may call for a variety of options for a brands tone of voice. Think back to the suggestion that a brand voice is giving a brand the personality and humanization that people will want in order to connect with it. In some situations humans will talk or act differently. For example, if your brand, or personality is more comical and witty that may be fine for a social post, or responses on social media. But, if sarcasm and comedy is used in response to a poor review or negative comment, that would be extremely inappropriate.
Come Up with Examples
The best way to document your ideal voice is to come up with examples. By showcasing what your brand does and does not condone in specific situations, there will be a more solid formula for creatives to work with. This can include common vocabulary, brand phrases, descriptive examples and your tone of voice. Demonstrating all the things that make your voice unique.
Consistency is Key
Once you are exercising the brand voice, it should be monitored. You will not truly understand what the public response will be until you are deep in practice. Evaluating the engagement will help you to improve over time and evolve the voice as your company becomes more knowledgable and experienced.