Developing Your Brand Voice

You know your brand backward and forward, so it should be easy to get the word out, right?

One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of branding is voice — as in your brand’s personality and point of view — and yet this key element determines how you speak to your customers, readers, vendors and partners, whether online, on social, or even on packaging and events.

Every time someone visits your site, watches a video, reads a tweet, attends an event — engages with your brand — it’s an opportunity to shape how people view your brand and its mission. It’s also an opportunity to build emotional connection with them.

Brand voice can be distinctive, neutral and everything in between. When creating a content strategy, a few key ingredients to consider when creating a brand voice include:

Personality

What traits are key to your brand’s message? What is its story/ethos? What makes your story different than your competitors?

Audience Segmentation

Who are your key stakeholders and where do they connect with you?

Editorial Guidelines

Words and phrases to guide your content as well as what to avoid.

Cadence + Calendar

Putting your brand voice into practical use through content mapping and content personalization (to specific audiences/stakeholders)

Feedback

Listen and track audience analytics to evolve how your brand speaks to specific audiences.