Developing Your Brand Voice: Why It's Essential and How to Perfect It
Alright, we’re diving right into the hard facts of the matter: if your business doesn’t have a defined brand voice, you’re doing yourself a serious disservice. According to HubSpot, “your brand voice is the personality your brand takes on in all of its communications.” Without an established brand voice, it’s impossible for your target audience to recognize your business in the vast sea of influencers, competitors, and other brands that exist in the same digital spaces as you. There’s a plethora of other reasons that your business needs a defined brand voice, and boom shakalaka, that’s why I’m publishing this blog. In this blog, I’ll outline more reasons as to why you need (yes, need) a brand voice and discuss exactly how to get the ball rolling for developing one!
Why does my business need a brand voice?
All business owners have unique goals, but there’s at least two that remain the same no matter what your business offers or where your business is located: attract new customers and retain current ones. Your business needs a brand voice so that your target audience can realize what you offer and so that your current customers remain loyal to your brand. These goals can be achieved through establishing a brand voice, as it plays a serious role in building:
Consistency & Recognition
Customer Trust & Loyalty
Engagement & Interaction
Consistency & Recognition
As noted in the introduction, a consistent brand voice aids in creating a business identity that stands out. When your audience sees or hears the same tone and style, overtime, they can easily identify your brand. As a result, your audience cultivates a growing sense of familiarity with your brand.
Think about some strong brand voices that you’d recognize from a mile away. For me, I immediately think of Nike (empowering and assertive) and music streaming software Spotify (which has mastered speaking in the language of their audience, oftentimes including humor). Their brand voices are one of the key reasons that I recognize these brands!
Sometimes wish we could go back in time to experience album releases within the current robust meme economy of the modern day, ya know?
— Spotify (@Spotify) July 26, 2024
Customer Trust & Loyalty
When you consistently communicate with your target audience through a distinct brand voice, you build trust. This trust reinforces customer confidence in your brand, which in time, will also build loyalty. As a result, you set your business up for longterm growth.
Let’s return to my previous example there for a moment. I LOVE Spotify, and while I love their service (and I think they are geniuses for the ways in which they create unique playlists for each and every listener), it was their brand voice that got me to invest in them in the first place.
Engagement & Interaction
A strong brand voice attracts your ideal audience– an audience who needs your products or services and who is aligned with your business’s mission. Consequently, this means you’ll establish a community of people who can relate to your brand– and to each other. This is great for fostering engagement, whether that be through people interacting with each other on your social media posts, making purchases, or leaving reviews.
Yet again, Spotify is a great example of this. Just look at the conversation they’ve sparked online!
You’re building the ultimate summer playlist with your friends 😎 What songs are you adding?
— Spotify (@Spotify) July 16, 2024
What should I consider when establishing a brand voice?
Establishing a brand voice isn’t as complicated as you think it’d be. When you decide to establish a brand voice for your business, there’s a few key factors you’ll need to consider, and the answers already lie within the framework of your business. Be sure to consider your:
Brand Mission & Personality
Target Audience
Competitors
Brand Mission & Personality
When you go about defining your brand’s voice, your brand’s mission and personality need to be top of mind. Why did you start your business in the first place? Was it to inspire managers to be better team leaders? Take on a friendly, professional tone. Was it to help others repair their romantic relationships? Maybe take on an understanding, warm tone. All of this to say, start by considering your brand’s “why’s.” Once you understand that, you’ll have an easier time bringing its personality to life.
Target Audience
You also have to consider your target audience when establishing a brand voice. What do they value and what are they interested in? How old are they? When you consider your target audience when creating a brand voice, you ensure that your message is in a language they understand, thus capturing their attention and tugging at their heartstrings.
Competitors
When you consider your competitors when building a brand voice, you ensure that your business truly stands out and offers something new to your (unfortunately shared) target audience. By analyzing your competitors, you can find gaps in the market that will ultimately strengthen your brand’s appeal.
Conclusion
A strong brand voice is not just an important “part” of marketing your business; it is the entire foundation for how your business should be marketed. A brand voice that’s built on a firm understanding of your brand’s mission, target audience, and competitors will ultimately contribute to brand recognition, loyalty, and engagement. That’s the plethora of reasons that your business needs a defined brand voice, and boom shakalaka, you’ll see some serious benefits when you implement one!