By Emmy Russell, OT Intern
Every time you talk to a friend, you always know who you’re going to get. Often, you can predict what they’ll say or how they’ll react to certain things. It should be the same for your audience: when they interact with your brand, they should always know who they’re talking to. This is your brand’s voice.
Don’t Confuse Tone with Voice
They’re not the same. Your brand’s voice is always consistent; it doesn’t change across different platforms. However, your tone will change depending on the situation, your message and the platform you’re using to communicate. For example, the tone you use on your social media posts will be different on Instagram than on LinkedIn.
This doesn’t mean your voice changes, though. Your brand still has the same mission and values and offers the same services, regardless of your message or the platform. Your brand’s voice manifests itself in the words and phrases you use consistently. For example, if you own a home cleaning company, and your mission is to provide fast, quality and friendly service, then your mainstay phrases should revolve around these benefits. This means your written communications and visuals should always have a confident and friendly undertone.
Know Your Audience
Now that you understand the difference between voice and tone, it’s important to figure out who your audience is. No, your audience isn’t just anyone who might buy your product. If you own a car detailing company, your target audience are people who own a car, right? So get specific. Understand who your audience is, what their problems are and how you can solve them.
To continue our car detailing example, we’ve established your audience are people who own a car. Let’s dig deeper to find out more about them. Does your company specialize in detailing a certain make or style of car? Do your customers drive luxury or economy cars? What is the budget of a person who owns this type of car? What services do they prioritize? Ask yourself these questions until you’ve nailed down all possible audiences, then tailor your brand’s voice to meet their values.
Know Your Brand
Knowing your brand’s voice requires you to consider your mission, values and products or services. What sets your brand apart from the others? What do you offer that your competitors don’t? What does your brand stand for? Having a clear understanding of your brand’s vision, purpose and unique personality will help you establish your voice.
Know Yourself
The number one way to establish your brand’s voice is to be authentic. Just be you because no one else can. Your audience reacts when you’re yourself, and they can sense when you’re trying to be someone else — so don’t do it. Be organic and be real. Be human. Connect with the things both you and your audience care about. Don’t pretend to care about things you don’t, and don’t try to appeal to an audience that isn’t yours. That’s a one way ticket to failure.
Your audience doesn’t like when you talk about things outside of your purview. Just use relevant knowledge, interests and humor to connect with them. Are you funny? Or are you serious? Are you calm or energetic? Whatever your brand’s attitude, just embrace it and translate it into consistent words and phrases you use when communicating with your audience.
Congratulations! You’ve just graduated from Establishing Your Brand Voice 101! Now that you know how to establish your brand’s voice, it’s time to start talking to your audience. The team here at On Target specializes in communicating with your audience. We’re here to help you develop a marketing campaign that embraces your brand’s authentic voice. Ready to get started? Call us at (407) 830-4550 or contact us online.
