The Importance of Having a Cohesive Brand Voice
Miranda Potmesil • May 24, 2018
Whether you’re taking the leap to finally get your business idea off the ground, or you’re an established business looking to pivot in a different direction, establishing a strong brand voice and identity is arguably one of the most basic and important steps you can take to boost sales.
What is a brand voice?
Your brand’s identity — or your brand’s “voice” — helps customers get a feel for the core values and mission of your company, communicating its story, standards, and central message. Having a distinct voice helps to humanize your brand, and in turn, makes it easier for people to relate to, and connect with, your company.
Studies show consumers are more likely to do business with a brand they trust, and this trust is often established through shared values. For example, if a person is environmentally conscious, they’ll be more inclined to shop at eco-friendly stores.
In recent years, consumers have become increasingly particular about which brands they want to continually associate with and support. That’s why establishing the right brand voice can help you win devoted customers, often for life.
Why is it important?
In addition to earning strong brand loyalty, developing a consistent brand voice across all media platforms gives your brand a cohesive feel. After a while, people will know what to expect from your company; if done correctly, they’ll come to associate your brand with a few words or feelings.
Think about Coca-Cola. They’re widely known for a few simple things: the color red, the feeling of happiness; and an “All-American” spirit. This is what we mean by a strong, consistent brand.
Establishing your brand voice can also differentiate your company from the competition. Your company’s mission and values can drastically set you apart from other companies that are offering similar goods or services. To identify what makes you stand out in the marketplace, consider the following questions:
- What are you doing that’s different than the other companies in your industry?
- What extra steps are you taking to keep your customers happy?
- Are you using sustainable practices that other companies aren’t?
Let your customers know the answers.
When it comes to social media, having an established identity will make it easier for you to decide what kinds of content you want to post on your various platforms. This way, no matter where you’re posting, you’ll have a strong, shared foundation to tie it together.
Establishing your voice
When deciding upon a brand identity for your business, ask yourself the following questions:
- What does your company stand for?
- What are your company’s values?
- How does your company want to make a difference in the community or the world at large?
For example, if you’re a skincare company, think about the ways in which you want to connect with your potential customers. Do you use all-natural products? Do you care about making your customers feel beautiful from the inside out? Do you offer top-quality products that deliver fast results? All of these factors work together to determine your brand voice.
It can also be helpful to think of your company as a person, then ask yourself the following questions:
- What does it look like?
- What kind of language does it use?
- Is it laid-back or energetic?
- What does its ideal day look like?
Figuring out what kind of “person” your company would be can help you gain insight into the people who would most relate to your brand.
Language is a simple, yet extremely important way of establishing a consistent brand image. Since most of your customer interaction will be done online, your words will leave a big impression. Deciding the kinds of terminology you want to use and applying that across all of your platforms is one of the best ways to help customers figure out who you are.
Identifying your target audience
Think about who you want to appeal to. First, start with the big picture by nailing down their core demographic, considering factors like:
- age range
- gender
- race
- income
- level of education
Once you’ve got that figured out, you can get more specific, examining their habits and characteristics. For example, ask yourself:
- What are their interests?
- What kind of content do they engage in?
- Who are they following on social media?
- How do they like to spend their extra income?
Identifying the brands your target audience is already paying attention to can provide you with a good starting point for establishing your own voice. From there, you can determine how your business can uniquely fulfill the unmet needs of your potential customers.
Choosing your brand aesthetic
A brand aesthetic allows the creative side of your business to shine through. The look and feel of your brand will be influenced by the type of business you’re running and the content you provide. For example, you may want your brand to have a minimalistic feel, or a more playful, casual approach, or, if you’re an outdoor company, an adventurous tone may suit you better. Fonts and color schemes play into this, with different fonts and colors evoking different feelings and moods.
Your logo, slogan, and color scheme will become identifying factors for your brand. So although it may take some experimenting to figure out what works best for your company, it will be well worth the investment of time.
Choosing your aesthetic is especially important for your marketing and social media channels because it will help to maintain a cohesive image, no matter where consumers may encounter your brand. Nothing can confuse customers and repel people from your brand faster than an inconsistent brand image. Whatever message you want to convey to the world, remember to keep it consistent.
Reader Digital Agency can help you to maintain your brand’s voice across multiple platforms. Contact us to get a free content audit and learn more about how we can help increase your web traffic today.
