Why do you need tone of voice?
Do you ever find yourself deliberating over a particular phrase or word in your latest LinkedIn post? Do you wish you could talk about your business in a way that would set you apart from your competition? Do you hesitate when deciding what your brand’s stance should be on a particular topic or issue? Do you scroll through your feed and sense a lack of unity and cohesion from post to post?
One of the ways to solve these problems is a brand language. Here are just a few things a brand language can do for your business:
1. Streamline strategy
Uncertainty or confusion in a brand’s copy sometimes points to a lack of clarity in company strategy.
Defining your brand language forces you to answer the important questions: who your business is for, why it exists and how you plan to express this. It’s a chance to gather the biggest brains from around your business and get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. This is not only good for your communication – your newfound cohesion and strategic clarity will guide business decisions across the board.
This is still super relevant even if you’re a one-person enterprise. Because maybe there isn’t much difference between your brand persona and your actual personality, but that’s a decision you should make with intention. Your business persona should be the very best parts of yourself. Having guidelines for who you want to be will help you show up at your best every time you go to work, even when you aren’t feeling tip-top.
2. Communicate consistently
It’s simple, really. If your brand is jolly and jokey one day, and sombre and downbeat the next, your customers aren’t going to know who the hell you are. Sure, there’ll be fluctuations, but your core traits should remain the same. Brands that do that well are recognisable whether you encounter them on social media, in your inbox, on the supermarket shelf or on a billboard. Consistency builds trust and trust closes sales.
This is important for all businesses, but you can see its value most clearly when looking at the smallest. If you’re a company of one, that consistency needs to carry through to the moment you meet your customer face to face. If the person they meet on the Zoom call doesn’t match the person you projected in your copy, you’re breaking down that trust you worked so hard to build.
3. To stand out in a crowded market
Think of some of your favourite brands. Why do they stand out? It could be a superior product, unique visual branding, a particular focus on purpose or a distinctive approach to manufacture. But if your market is crowded, these elements often aren’t enough. A distinctive brand voice is a great way to show your customers who you are, what you stand for and why they should choose you.
If you’re looking to hire a florist, are you going to hire the one with the generic web copy that doesn’t tell you much? Or are you going to hire the florist with the personable, reassuring, yet no-nonsense tone of voice? The one that gives you some insight into how it might be to interact with that business. To have them turn up on the morning of your wedding with the table decorations, a pat on the shoulder and a comforting word.
4. To know what to say
When you’re stuck for what to say about a product, service or event, when you’re looking for that unique angle or take, your brand personality can spark inspiration.
Say you’re selling a new hair product designed to add shine. If your brand personality is chilled out earth lover, you’re going to take a different angle on that product than if your brand is mega-watt super-glam party gal. See what I mean? When you trace it back to your brand persona, you’ve got a rich seam of inspiration for your next campaign.
Chat to me on LinkedIn, I’d love to know your thoughts. If you’re thinking about brand language for your business and want to have a chat, find me here.