A powerful brand voice for small, creative businesses means…
- Being remembered by your clients, so when they read your content they instantly know it’s your brand
- Connecting with them on a deeper level, so they become brand loyal
- Making more impact within your community, helping more people and creating a sustainable business
A weak brand voice, however, may result in things like…
- Being overlooked for other brands because your brand voice isn’t memorable and sounds similar to others
- Not enough visibility online, because your content lacks the punch to make it stand out in a saturated market
- Inconsistency within your brand, making your platforms, client communications, and website disconnected, losing clients
If you feel your brand voice is falling into the weak area, let’s change that! This post will walk you through The Quirky Pineapple Studio’s 3-step formula to discover your brand voice.
A Brand Voice for Small Creative Businesses
Small, creative business owners – the way we approach marketing is drastically changing! The easiest way to stand out from the crowd is to create a brand that is truly captivating, and that starts with your brand voice.
Your brand voice is how your business sounds.
But not just how it sounds while you’re talking, your brand voice comes through in all copywriting aspects of your business. This could look like:
- Social media captions
- Website copy
- Video marketing
- On-boarding material
- Off-boarding material
- And how your team communicates with your audience and clients
Whether you think you need to hone in on your brand voice or re-discover it, we’re going to share a 3-step formula you can start with right now.
STEP ONE: Define your ‘brand’ words to get clear on your brand voice.
Similar to speech patterns, you’ll often find that your brand uses words often. It could be specific words used to describe a process, exclamations when you’re excited, or your own idioms – these words create a part of your brand voice.
For example, you could call your audience and ideal clients “Superstars!” instead of clients. That is a specific word related to your brand!
Make a list of all the brand words you use, to refer back to. Keep this in one document and title it “Brand Words” (seriously, this will save your life!)
STEP TWO: Decide how your brand sounds to make your brand voice stand out.
Your brand could use all the same words as another one within the same niche, but the way your brand sounds will be unique to you and what you decide.
Does your brand sound…
- Excited
- Whimsical
- Fierce
- Sassy
- Professional
- Relatable
- Calming
- Encouraging
- Wise
- Or something else?
The more you’re able to describe the way your brand sounds using specific adjectives (I like to pick at least 3), the better. Yes, professional and business casual are great places to start, but let’s get deeper than that.
Your brand can be business casual and professional, while also sounding endearing. Once you decide how your brand sounds, this creates a communication style for your business, making it stand out and different from how another brand communicates.
Let’s give an example. You want to share that you are excited for the weekend to spend time with your favorite books, lounging in the sun and grabbing a smoothie.
A brand that sounds business casual, professional and endearing could sound like:
“Hey Superstars! I’ve closed my laptop for the week, changed out of PJs (finally – our little secret), and am so excited to have alone time. I’ll be lounging outside in our backyard and soaking up the sun, reading my favorite book, and sipping on a homemade banana smoothie – my type of relaxation.”
As opposed to a brand that sounds business casual, professional, and sassy, that could sound like:
“Hello, Superstars! Can I get a HIGH-FIVE because it’s officially the weekend! Client emails? Those can wait until Monday. Laundry? I like to consider those M-F chores. The only thing I’ve got planned this weekend is a whole lot of ME time: soaking up the sun, reading my favorite book, sippin’ on a banana smoothie and NO ONE ELSE TO BOTHER ME. That’s what I call relaxation!”
The difference is all in how the brand sounds and the tone of voice it uses!
STEP THREE: Determine your brand expressions to make your voice signature to you.
Does your brand use specific catch phrases, taglines, or expressions? Do you use specific catch phrases, taglines, or expressions?
For example, an expression that most small, creative business owners understand when they sign a client is “Yes! Contract signed!”
Now take that and add in your brand voice, this expression could be expressed like “Hello, Superstar! Your contract is signed and we are ready to roll!”
The difference between the two expressions is one is generic copywriting and the other adds more punch and flair.
What brand expressions are you already using in your business? Write this down to keep in one document!
Brand Voice Complete, Now What?
Now you’ve got your 3-step formula to discover your brand voice:
- Define your brand words.
- Decide how your brand sounds.
- Determine your brand expressions.
Once you’ve done that, the next step is to make sure you keep it consistent! Here’s how you can make sure your brand voice is consistent throughout your copywriting:
- Write out example phrases your brand would say or how it would sound
- Create a ‘swipe folder’ of phrases and texts from other brands that you enjoy and identify with
- Keep all of these examples in one document to return to in the future or share with your team
A brand voice is one of the most important aspects of copywriting and branding. Although it isn’t visual and seen “immediately,” a brand voice is what makes your copy and content stand out from others within the same industry, field, niche or profession.
It is what makes your brand memorable because you can use words, phrases and expressions that speak directly to your ideal clients. And when you do that, you’re instantly making a connection and building brand loyalty.
So what does your brand voice sound like?
Once you’ve figured this out, you’re well on your way to establishing your business. Use HoneyBook’s small business management platform to help you grow.
Ready to connect and convert your ideal clients? Get our Brand Voice & Copywriting Ultimate Guide.
Plus, 5 more posts you might like:
- Finding Your Brand Voice to Stand Out on Social Media
- How to Define and Market with Your Brand Voice to Attract Your Dream Clients
- How to Create a Brand Messaging Guide to Write Better Copy
- 9 Tips for On-Brand Website Copywriting that Converts
- Top SEO Copywriting Tips Every Creative Entrepreneur Needs to Know
