Finding your brand voice

In the wide world of marketing – which is, as we all know becoming increasingly fragmented by the day – it’s hard to know where to invest your time and energy. And without knowing the intricate needs of your business, we can’t tell you specifically where you need to turn your focus right now, but one thing we can tell you with absolute certainty is that branding is important. Always has been, always will be.

Done right, branding can change the whole perception of your business taking a quaint mum and dad setup to a legit professional player, which can translate to opening up whole new target market/s. Same goes when applied in reverse. It’s all about the positioning. So, without getting too heavy on the details, here’s a few tips to help build your branding strength, starting with your brand voice.

Describe your brand voice in three words

If your brand were a person, how would you describe their personality to someone? Narrowing this down to three words gives you a better understanding of how you want to communicate your brand voice to your audience. Brainstorm ideas with your team choosing only words you think validly encapsulate your brand. Make sure you’re not just choosing words that you think sound good, they have to authentically reflect your brand and business.

The cheat sheet below should be able to help get you started. It takes into consideration personality, language, tone and purpose. Once you’ve brainstormed ideas, narrow it down to three key words to describe your brand voice.

Another helpful brainstorming idea is “Always and Never”, listing how you want your brand voice to be presented. Here’s an example of what we mean:

Once you have a list of words, visit each one and ask yourself if it’s the most suitable word for the voice you want to present, or if there’s another word that describes the idea better. 

Putting your brand voice into action

Sit down with your content creators and ensure they know how to put the brand voice into action through the content they’re making. Review your content and see if there’s anything that you think doesn’t fit your brand voice. Look through your website, social media channels and any other messages your brand is putting out into the world – is the messaging in-line with your brand voice? If not, how can you change the content to ensure it is?

Revisit this as your brand grows

As your brand grows, it’s only natural for your brand voice to adapt. Your brand voice should be fluid and always evolving. Revisit those three words on a yearly basis at least, to ensure it’s still the way you want your brand to be represented. Remember to review the content regularly to keep an eye on any content slipping through the cracks that doesn’t suit the voice you’ve created. And look out for inspiration from brands you admire, how has their brand voice evolved?

Get all communications on brand

Your website, business cards, Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/LinkedIn accounts, email signatures, media releases and basically any message your brand is putting out into the world needs to be consistent. All forms of communication should revolve around the brand voice and those three magical words.

So if you want to communicate across new channels, keep your audience engaged and connect with them in fresh new ways, revisiting your brand voice is crucial. Take these tips and brainstorming ideas and start finding your own brand voice.

And if you don’t have the time or resources in-house to take your brand to the next level, why not talk to a specialist like, say… us. We live and breathe all things branding, marketing and communications and know exactly how to elevate your brand, no matter where you are right now.

Drop us a line through www.wildandfree.com.au.