What is brand voice? It is the unique language, tone, and word choice a brand uses. Establishing a clear brand voice is more important than ever, thanks to the constant social media conversation between customers and companies. 
But brand voice isn’t just heard through social media. A brand also needs to establish a clear, consistent voice through many channels including blog posts, newsletters, advertisements, in-store communication, internal memos and communication, promotional materials, direct mail pieces, sales pitches, and networking introductions. A brand without a defined voice can be viewed as schizophrenic across communication channels, leading consumers to view the brand as less trustworthy, inferior to competitors, and less memorable.
- When defining a brand voice, take an in-depth look at the way business is done. How are employees expected to communicate with consumers? Even routine tasks, such as responding to emails can translate into how quickly businesses should respond to consumers. Take one minute to respond to a Tweet, but one day to respond to an email, and the brand voice becomes schizophrenic.
- Shape your brand voice to talk with consumers, not at them. Don’t alienate with confusing buzzwords or acronyms. Discover what else your target market is interested in, and use the knowledge to your advantage. Businesses selling luxury travel may find their consumers are also interested in fine wine and food, so they should incorporate these topics into conversation.
- Word choice is also an important element of a brand voice. If sales people offer short and to the point answers to questions, but blog posts use confusing technical terminology, the voice is schizophrenic. Be sure to speak the consumer’s language. At a restaurant, if a hostess is very formal and dress code is enforced, but a server speaks very casually to guests, there may be a disconnect between the brand voice that needs to be addressed.
Do you have questions about establishing a brand voice? Contact us!