How to Find and Use Your Brand's Voice and Tone
Your brand voice is the foundation of all your marketing efforts – it's the heart and soul of your company, and it's what sets you apart from your competition.
But what exactly is a brand voice?
And how do you find yours?
Let’s explore the difference between voice and tone, give you some tips on how to find your brand's unique voice, and provide some examples of brands that have found success with a clear and consistent brand voice.
What's the Difference Between Voice and Tone?
Before we dive into finding your brand voice, let's first examine the difference between voice and tone.
Your brand voice is the personality of your business – it's how you communicate with your audience, and it should be reflected in everything you do. Your voice is the things you say and the words you use.
Tone, on the other hand, is how you express that personality – it's the mood or feeling conveyed in your communication. It’s how you say things. For example, a company that sells children's toys might have a friendly, playful voice, but their tone could be serious when discussing safety concerns.
Now that we've got a handle on the difference between voice and tone, let's look at how to find yours.
How to Find Your Brand Voice
There are four steps to finding your brand voice:
1) DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE
This one is pretty self-explanatory – who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? Once you know who your target audience is, you can begin to understand what they care about and what will resonate with them.
2) KNOW YOUR VALUES
What does your company stand for? What are its core beliefs? Answering these questions will help you determine the personality of your brand.
3) DEFINE YOUR MESSAGING
What do you want to say to your audience? And more importantly, why should they care? Figuring out the answer to these two questions will put you well on your way to finding your brand voice.
4) BE CONSISTENT
Once you've found your voice, you must be consistent in everything you do. That means ensuring every piece of content – from blog posts and articles to social media posts and email newsletters – reflects the same personality. Consistency will help build trust with your audience and establish you as an authoritative source in your industry.
Examples of Brands With a Strong Voice
OLD SPICE
Old Spice is known for its offbeat sense of humour, and that extends to its social media presence as well. The company regularly posts tongue-in-cheek (but clever!) videos on YouTube and Twitter that appeal to its target demographic of young men. While other brands focus on being "aspirational," Old Spice embraces being funny and relatable – something that has clearly paid off, as the company has amassed millions of followers across its social media channels.
GREENPEACE
Greenpeace has never been afraid to make a splash – literally and figuratively. The organization has been a thought leader in the environmental space since its establishment in 1971, thanks to its unafraid attitude towards taking a stand against anyone – corporations or governments – who they feel is harming the environment. Greenpeace backs up its strong words with actions, regularly organizing protests and rallies worldwide to bring attention to important environmental issues.
WENDY'S
Wendy's is one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, but it didn't get there by being boring. The company has built a reputation for itself as being unafraid to speak its mind – whether it's clapping back at trolls on Twitter or roasting its competitors in TV commercials. Wendy's playful attitude stands out in a sea of sameness, helping it appeal to younger audiences who crave authenticity from the brands they support.
Takeaways
At its heart, your brand voice is simply a way of communicating that is unique to your company and that reflects your values.
Why is this important?
In today's noisy and competitive marketplace, a strong brand voice helps you stand out; it attracts customers who feel connected to your mission and values, and it helps build long-term relationships. In other words, it's essential for success.
Fortunately, finding your voice doesn't have to be complicated.
Start by thinking about your core values and how you want your customers to feel when interacting with you.
From there, study other companies with solid voices. You'll have found yours before you know it.
And once you've got it, use it everywhere: in your marketing materials, on social media, in customer service interactions, and beyond.
The world is listening.
