5 Easy Steps to Finding Your Brand Voice
In today's competitive market, having a creative and distinct voice is important to set your brand apart from the others. Think of your brand voice as the personality of your business—just like every person has a particular way of communicating, your brand should have a recognizable tone of voice. In this post, we will go over the steps to defining your voice and creating a tone that will bring your brand to life.
Before we dive in, here are a few tips to get you in the right mindset:
Don't overthink: Keep it simple! No need to get stuck in your head. Start by scribbling what comes to mind, quickly moving from each thought to avoid overthinking. You may end up scraping most of your list, but that’s ok!
Be authentic: Trends come and go, but being genuine will always resonate. Plus, it's easier to stay consistent when you're being real.
Ask for feedback: Bounce your ideas off those closest to you. They know you and your goals better than anyone.
Step 1: Research Your Audience
The first step to finding the perfect voice for your brand is to get to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? How do you want your products or services to connect with them? Your brand voice should make a connection with your target audience and leave them wanting more.
C+M Tip: Create an audience persona—think of them as illustrations of your ideal customer. What are their motivations? What types of hobbies and values do they have? How will your brand fit into their lifestyle? This will help you zero in on how to speak directly to their wants and needs.
Step 2: List Your Values
Your brand voice should align with what your business stands for. Take some time to reflect: Who are you? Why is your brand important? What makes you different from other brands? Your core brand values will set the foundation for your voice and brand identity.
C+M Tip: List 3-5 core brand values and consider how they would influence your language and tone. Do you value boldness or playfulness? Casual or professional? Conventional or quirky? This will help guide your voice.
Still trying to figure out how to begin? Check out our post How to Write and Set Your Brand Values to learn how to set the perfect values for your brand.
Step 3: Define your Voice
Now comes the fun part! With your audience and values in mind, it's time to merge them into a communication style that authentically represents your brand. Think of this step as assigning your voice a personality.
C+M Tip: Imagine that your brand was a person. How would they communicate? What energy would they give off? Examples:
Professional: Direct, formal, matter-of-fact.
Approachable: Warm, comforting and supportive.
Luxurious: Elegant, sophisticated, well-spoken.
Playful: Fun, lively and full of personality.
Step 4: Develop a tone for your voice
Your tone is the emotional flavour of your brand voice. It's how you express your voice in different situations. A consistent tone builds trust and strengthens your connection with your audience. It is also a powerful way of putting your brand's values into words.
C+M Tip: Play around with different phrases in your ideal tone of voice. Try comparing them to opposing voices to understand how different tones make a specific impact. Examples:
Professional: "Please feel free to inform us on how we can be of assistance."
Approachable: "We always welcome your feedback; let us know how we can lend a helping hand."
Luxurious: "We invite you to share how we may best be of service to you."
Playful: "Leave a comment below on how we can brighten your day."
Step 5: Stay Consistent
Consistency is key! Once you have found the perfect tone of voice for your brand, it's important to maintain it across all of its platforms. Staying consistent over time will build brand recognition and trust with your audience.
C+M Tip: As your brand grows and changes over time, don't be afraid to refresh your voice. Just like your brand, your voice should grow with you!
✿ Written By Tori Warkentin
Hey there! I’m Tori, the in-house writer at Cedar + Mint Co.! With a deep love for words and a passion for storytelling, I specialize in crafting engaging, insightful content that resonates with readers.
