When it comes to starting up a business you need to create an identity and this can be a hard thing to do. The identity of your business isn’t just the logo and branding, but it’s about how to develop a brand voice too. And in turn, your brand voice needs to communicate your brand message in a consistent manner.
Your business needs a voice in order to communicate with its target audience, and if you haven’t developed your voice, you’re not going to be able to resonate with your listeners as much as you’d like! It needs to be crystal clear as this is the ‘soul’ of your business.
Your brand voice needs to portray your values as a business and also your personality too.
So how can you actually develop a brand voice for your business?
I would sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and think about the values of your business along with your business personality. Here’s a handy worksheet to help you with that. I would narrow it down to the top three personality traits you’d like your business to have, so for example, a luxurious beauty salon would be:
- Passionate
- Friendly
- Kind
Break these down even further so ask yourself why are you passionate, what makes you friendly and why and how are you kind? This is your brand voice and should come through every written piece of communication that comes from your business.
Make sure you stand out from your competitors with your brand voice.
Is your brand voice true to your business and is it engaging? Can it be distinguished as your brand voice? Every piece of communication published albeit online or offline needs to exude these qualities. Your brand voice doesn’t just stop at the door either. Educate your employees in your brand voice. Make sure they are portraying the exact same qualities to ensure consistency. If you have specific industry terminology, make sure your content simplifies your message. Your target audience needs to understand everything you’re saying. Think about the tone of your voice too. Is it upbeat and happy, or is it professional and helpful.
The evolution of your brand voice
Over time and as your business grows, it could be your brand voice needs to also grow and evolve. Go back through this exercise again and ask yourself if your voice needs to pivot a little to match your current business offering.
Your brand voice also comes out in other ways too – your packaging of products, all your printed materials, your posts on social media. Whenever a person experiences your brand, they are experiencing everything about it, so make sure it’s a good experience and one that will WOW them and make them rave about you to all their friends and family.