Your brand voice matters
Why developing your brand voice is one of the most cost-effective ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
A guide for small businesses with tiny marketing budgets
Think about all the brand messages you might hear or read every day. It’s probably in the hundreds, if not thousands. Now think about whether the majority of these messages come from businesses with big marketing budgets.
The breakfast cereal you ate this morning, for instance. Did the packaging tell you it was a healthy choice? What about the ad you saw on Instagram for a new pair of trainers? Another big brand? Thought so. These brands can bombard you with marketing messages because they can afford to. They literally spend billions on advertising.
Now, think about your marketing budget. Do you even have one? Or is your marketing essentially the time you spend creating your own content for your socials, website and emails? If this is you, then defining your brand voice is one of the most cost-effective ways to level up your brand and ensure you connect with your ideal audience.
What is a brand voice?
Your brand voice refers to the personality and style of your brand's written communication. It encompasses the words you choose, the way you structure your sentences, and the overall feeling you convey to your readers.
As a small business, I’ll bet you’ve spent a fair amount on your website, logo, and brand colours. Most people understand that visual identity is important for making a good impression and attracting customers. However, for some reason, they often neglect their verbal identity, which is just as important (if not more so). It's an essential part of creating a cohesive and consistent brand experience. I always like to say that pictures and videos can communicate a lot, but ultimately it’s the words you use that seal the deal.
It’s noisy out there.
We’re all thinking about ways we can stand out amid the noise. But making more noise isn’t the answer. In her book Marketing Above The Noise (2015), Linda Popky argues we should focus on making a positive sound instead.
“In conversation, you can only avoid noise in two ways: talk louder than the other person or be completely silent. In marketing, if you go for the former, customers will get annoyed with you, and if you opt for the latter, they’ll ignore you. But in the marketing world, there’s also a third way: you can create something positive that people want to be around.”
This means having empathy and understanding your environment. What are people discussing, and why? What do they care about? Tap into their emotions.
As Andy Maslen writes in his book Persuasive Copywriting (2019), the reason good copy will evoke certain emotions in a reader is that emotions are at the centre of our motivations. Every time you write any copy, you’re hoping the reader will take a certain action, whether it’s to make a purchase, provide a donation or sign up for a newsletter.
It doesn’t matter what platform you’re on or that the marketing landscape has shifted away from paper and ink towards social media and content marketing; people are fundamentally the same.
Today’s customers have many of the same emotions, fears and desires that their predecessors had 50 or even 100 years ago. And what good copy has always done, first and foremost, is to evoke the emotion that will motivate the customer to take a desired action.
These basic marketing concepts, which have endured over the years, are still relevant. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry about short-lived trends and focus on what has been proven to work. Going back to basics is a lovely thing to do for businesses on a small budget, and developing your brand voice is a fundamental part of that exercise.
How does brand voice impact your business?
The aim is to create a verbal identity that resonates. You want to speak the same language as your customers. Here’s why:
It drives connection — when you have a clear and consistent brand voice, you’re having a conversation with your audience on a personal level. They feel like they're talking to a real person, not just a faceless corporation, and that makes them more likely to engage with your content.
It makes you memorable — in a world where everyone's trying to get attention, having a clear brand voice is a great way to stand out. It's your brand's personality, and it's what's going to make people remember you.
It inspires action — a persuasive and engaging brand voice can make all the difference when it comes to getting people to take action. Whether you want them to buy something, sign up for a free trial, or download a whitepaper, the right brand voice can make it happen.
It gives you confidence — there’s nothing more empowering than knowing what to say and how to say it.
Confidence is so valuable in this context, especially if you ever get imposter syndrome (I mean, who doesn’t). If you know you've got something special and valuable to offer your customers, and you can talk about it in a way that makes sense and feels real, that'll come through across all your communications. And it will make your customers’ experience with you positive and memorable.
How to develop your brand voice
Developing your brand voice takes time and effort — or not if you invest in a seasoned writer to do it for you! Here are some tips if you want to have a go.
Identify your brand values — what are the core values that your brand represents? Your brand voice should reflect these values.
Understand your audience — who are you writing for? What are their interests and needs? Make sure your brand voice resonates with them.
Be consistent — your voice should be consistent across all channels, including your website, social media, and email marketing. However, your tone can flex according to the situation.
Be authentic — your brand voice should be genuine and authentic to your brand. Don't try to be something you're not. You’ll just waste time fretting every time you put pen to paper (trust me, I’ve been there).
Need help finding yours?
In a crowded marketplace, a strong brand voice is your competitive edge. It's how you forge authentic connections with customers, build lasting brand loyalty, and fuel sustainable growth. Sure, purpose matters, but profitability is the lifeblood of your business. Target your ideal customer with intention, then craft a voice that resonates, persuades, and closes the deal. Authenticity is your superpower, so embrace it.
Because when it all gets a bit much, you need to find your tribe. You can’t be everything to everyone. As Brian Sooy, author of Raise Your Voice (2014), says:
“Making your voice heard in this cacophony can be nearly impossible. Your only hope is effective communication, and that means speaking with a single, clear voice. That’s because the best communication is clear communication.”
If you’re interested in learning more about my brand voice guidelines for start-ups, solopreneurs and soulful brands, drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.
