Connecting with your customers gets easier when you think about each message as an actual, in-person conversation.
No, really, picture it: you sit down for coffee with a customer and you talk to them one-on-one. Not as a distant, symbolic “corporation” but as your brand itself. What’s that conversation like? Are you charming and funny, or sympathetic and genuine? Do you get excited and passionate, or are you interested in showing compassion?
Every word you use in that conversation leaves an impression, and every time you send a message you’re building those conversations to create a lasting opinion of who you are.
So…who are you when you’re talking? What’s your brand voice? And why does that matter?
Creating a Consistent Brand Voice
Combine all those coffee conversations into one “brand voice.” Your voice is your brand’s personality, the grammatical and stylistic choices you make, the adjectives you like, your distinctive slang and flow of words. It’s what helps customers understand who you are, allowing them to form connections with your brand.
That same distinctive voice should happen everywhere: social media posts, newsletters, announcements, advertising. For your customers, talking to your brand should feel the same no matter what platform they’re on. Otherwise, it would be like finding that you speak in witty slang over coffee and then start dropping five-dollar words when they see you on the street. With a consistent tone, you establish your reputation and personality.
(Note that brand voice and brand tone are not the same. Your brand’s voice is its personality, while its tone is the way you adjust your voice to fit a specific context. A little inconsistency for tone is expected and encouraged!)
Why Your Brand Voice Matters
Everything about your brand should be designed to serve your customers. The goal is to speak to them on a personal level, to hook their attention without letting it go. It’s to give them something they can reliably come back to over and over again.
When your audience knows they can expect consistency from you—no matter what platform they find you on—it helps you stand out in a crowded digital landscape. You become the welcoming Starbucks in a foreign city; once visitors step inside, everything is warm and familiar.
That familiarity and comfort is key for best-in-class brands. A distinct brand with a memorable voice and compelling content encourages customers to keep coming back for more, time and again, over one whose voice changes every day of the week.
That said, developing and amplifying your brand voice is easier said than done. Whether you’re working to establish a business or personal brand, you’ll need to put in the time and effort to match your audience. When it comes to branding, I’m here to help you leverage your uniqueness, so reach out for a chat to see what we can do together!
Lara Schmoisman, CEO & Founder of The Darl and Marketing Simplificado