5 Exercises to Find The Right Brand Voice That Resonates With People
photo credit: Michele Lee | creative direction & styling by us
Why does having a brand voice matter? It helps your audience relate and connect with you and helps build trust over time. It also enhances people’s impression of you, reinforces your positioning, and helps you stand out in the market.
Your voice can be bubbly, quirky, authoritative, warm, fun, etc. There isn’t 1 type of brand voice that works for every business. It depends on the people you serve, what you stand for, and what you offer.
Before we dive into the 5 exercises that will help you find the right brand voice, here are 2 most important things to be clear on - these 2 are should be the center of all the work do you in branding and marketing for your business.
Know Who Your Are
What is the core of this “brand” you are creating? What is your purpose, vision, mission, and values? What do you strive to do through your business? Click here to get the Complete Branding Checklist so you don’t miss any of the important components for your brand.
Know Who You Are Talking To
Be clear on who your audience is, and know your target audience. Everything about your business and your brand is created to serve more of them, so get clear on who they are. Think beyond demographics and consider every aspect of their psychographics (their inner desire, how they feel when shopping for offers like yours, what keeps them up at night, their world views, their values and beliefs, etc.) Click here to learn the 3 Steps To Define Your Niche.
Now that you’re clear on these 2 crucial things, let’s move on to the 5 exercises that will help you define your brand voice that resonates with the people you want to attract -
#1 Cross-check your brand voice vs. what you stand for
Does your brand voice support what you stand for?
Knowing your beliefs, brand mission and values, what kind of voice supports what you stand for? If you believe in community and supporting others, does your voice make people feel the same? If you believe in excellence and quality, does your brand voice enhance that concept?
Click here to learn our powerful “inside-out approach” across branding, marketing and selling, so you can create a growing business that lasts!
#2 Cross-check your brand voice vs. what people expect
Does your brand voice align with what people expect from you?
To make sure people resonate and connect with your brand, it’s important that your brand voice makes sense given what you do. For instance, if you’re a design brand, people expect a brand personality that’s more creative and that inspires them. On the other hand, if you provide project management services to established businesses, people may expect a more professional voice to feel assured.
List out a list of emotions people expect from your brand - Do they want to be wowed, assured, empowered, soothed, excited, or inspired? What other feelings do they want to feel with you? Then work backwards from that - what kind of voice and tone would support this feeling people expect from you?
Click here to get a list of emotions that your brand can tap into to connect with the people you serve.
#3 Cross-check your brand voice vs. you brand visuals
Does your voice align with the visual design of your brand? Your brand is like a person, so the way this person dresses should also match how he/she sounds. Go through your brand colors, brand visual inspiration, your website, graphics designs and social media feed, and see if your brand voice align with how it looks.
Click here to learn How to Define Your Brand Style That Actually Sticks.
#4 Cross-check your brand language vs. what your people use
Does the language you use align with what your audience uses? Are there any jargon or slang that your people use that should be included in how you talk? Are there any specific terms you use that may be confusing to the people you serve? How about the length of words? Are they expecting shorter and more casual words, or longer and more complex and authoritative words? Can you intentionally use grammar incorrectly to make your brand more approachable? Or should you be very careful with misusing grammar so you’re not losing people’s trust in your brand?
#5 Read your copy out loud
Does this voice sound natural to you? Does it flow well? Now you’re hearing it yourself, is this something your people would resonate with? Would they want to engage with you? Does it sounds like it aligns with everything your brand stands for?
If you’re wondering where you should apply your brand voice, click here and see how you can make the most out of content marketing with the least amount of time and multiply your marketing momentum!
Click here to learn a major mindset shift and why many pretty brands AREN’T growing.
Want to take things to the next level and start growing a loyal customer base? Click here to learn the 3 essentials to build and attract your ideal customers.
Don’t forget to grab your seat at our FREE training, so you know how to grow your profitable brand people love AND a loyal customer community who keep buying from you!