I have a question for you…
Why would someone purchase your products or services over one of your competitors?
You may say you’ll slash prices to be more competitive…
That’s one way, I guess.
But I’d much rather you remain competitive without compromising your value (and bottom line). I want you to have your cake and to eat it, too.
And that’s where a brand voice guide can be an absolute game-changer.
Let me explain.
What Is A Brand Voice Guide?
A brand voice guide is a document that centralizes your company’s distinct personality and style of communication.
You may wonder why this even matters…
It’s simple: Your brand voice is your business differentiator. This simple document details the tone and feel of your brand as well as the overarching reasons why your business exists. It reveals everything that sets you apart and makes you different.
From your values and mission to your personality and vision, your brand voice guide locks in the character traits that give your business distinction in the market.
Why Is Brand Voice Important?
Author and branding expert Deb Gabor once said, “A strong brand voice creates irrationality loyalty.“
It’s why people will spend 2, 3, or even 4 times as much money on an Apple computer compared to a Microsoft computer, which can do pretty much the same things.
Think about what this means…
Most businesses today have the personality of a curtain rod.
They use boring, corporate talk in their content, emails, website, and marketing campaigns and speak to their customers like a terms-and-conditions document.
What’s worse, they often lack a consistent voice.
As a result, many businesses and content creators have a scatterbrained voice with no cohesion in their communication channels.
Customers today want to do business with brands that have unique personalities.
The best part?
The brands that take this aspect of their marketing seriously are the ones cleaning up when it comes to bringing in new prospects and big profits.
Most businesses don’t take the time to flesh out their voice, tone, and personality.
The consequence? They sacrifice their competitive edge (along with the business growth that comes with it) to the brands that do.
Brand Voice vs. Brand Tone
There is a stark difference between voice and tone.
While both work to create trust, familiarity, and an emotional connection with your target audience, these external communications are different.
For example, your brand voice represents your languaging; it’s the words, terms, slang, expressions, and phraseology you use in content and customer communication.
Brand tone, on the other hand, is the emotional resonance of your brand. It represents the emotions you want people to feel and associate with your business.
Do you have a casual tone like a chill friend who uses inclusive language? Or do you use a more professional and clean-cut type of communication style to reach your ideal customer?
Whatever your style of communicating, a brand voice guide helps you flesh out your tone of voice guidelines.
5 Key Elements To Developing A Strong Brand Voice
While many elements create a unique and powerful brand voice, you can start with a few to build momentum and move in the right direction.
1. USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Your USP is the single statement that differentiates you from your competitors.
It communicates what you do and who you serve, as well as a unique benefit or feature you have that customers can’t get from any other brand or business. This is what allows you to stand out in the sea of competitors who offer the same products and services as you.
There’s a simple 3-step formula you can follow to develop your USP:
- One experience
- A skill you gained as a result of that experience
- How you use that skill to serve your market
For example, if you visit my About page, you’ll clearly see this formula in action right at the top.
It reads, “With years of public speaking experience (Step 1), I’ve honed the skill of persuasive communication (Step 2), which I infuse into copy to convert your audience from cold leads into loyal customers (Step 3).
2. Mission Statement
Your mission statement is an organization-focused sentence that communicates the change your brand seeks to create in the world.
It’s the larger impact you want to produce. Moreover, it should clearly communicate your core purpose (why your company exists), what you do, and who you serve. Your mission statement is all about carving your unique lane in the market.
Once you have this asset locked in, you’ll have a firm foundation from which to operate in your marketing.
3. Brand Personality
People do business with other people.
Nothing can replace the authenticity of a real person-to-person interaction. One way to replicate this idea in your business is to give your brand a recognizable personality—your business needs to have human characteristics.
How do you sound? What words and phrases do you use? What is the emotional undertone of communication style?
The answers to these questions will help you to uncover your brand personality. Think of it this way: If your company were a real person, how would it think, sound, talk, and act? When you come at it from that perspective, it becomes easier to envision your brand’s unique character traits.
4. Brand Story
Your brand story is the sequence of events that sparked the birth of your company.
It’s an important point of differentiation. However, most businesses assume that no one cares about their backstory and will want to read it. That is not the case. Your brand story humanizes you in the eyes of your market. As a result, it’s one of the best and most effective ways to create an emotional connection with prospects.
There are 3 stages that make a good backstory:
- The status quo: This is the state of conditions you found yourself in prior to even thinking about or going on the journey to start your brand/business.
- The challenge: This represents some form of conflict or adversity that interrupts the status quo. As a result, it pushes you toward the step stage.
- The discovery: Any story includes a series of events that shape and reveal a new and better version of the main character. And the same is true with your company. A brand voice guide details your unique story and how it molded your company values, mission, and vision.
5. Brand Convictions/Values
Your brand values/convictions are what your company stands for.
They are the guiding principles that direct decisions and marketing efforts. For this reason, brand convictions are the glue that binds your company values with your actions. There should be no discrepancy between what you believe as a company and how you operate in business.
These two key variables must be aligned and congruent at all times. This is how you foster trust and credibility in your market.
Utilizing Brand Archetypes
Your company receives a massive credibility boost when you have a brand voice guide.
This boost comes from the power of brand archetypes. Famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung discovered the concept of brand archetypes in the 1960s and categorized them as significant aspects of what he referred to as the collective unconscious (impulses, memories, ideas, and universal symbols we all understand at an innate, unconscious level).
What does this matter?
A brand voice guide infuses the archetype that’s most aligned with your company values and mission into your brand personality. As a result, you create a powerful connection with your audience. Here are the brand archetypes in no particular order:
- The Hero
- The Outlaw/Rebel
- The Magician
- The Ruler
- The Caregiver
- The Artist/Creator
- The Sage
- The Innocent
- The Explorer
- The Lover
- The Everyman
- The Jester
Click here for a more in-depth explanation of Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes.
Savvy brands and businesses use this archetypal framework to give their companies personality, distinction, and character. As a result, people connect with these brands on an emotional level as they become more “human” and more relatable.
Examples of Successful Brand Voices
Your brand voice guide will detail your archetype clearly and concisely.
However, you might be wondering how that will look in practical terms. Let’s review a few examples of brands that have masterfully used their chosen archetypes to separate themselves, give their companies life, and connect with their audiences.
- Nike (The Hero): No brand epitomizes the Hero archetype better than Nike. I often search out old and new commercials of companies, and Nike’s ads are often the ones I find the most engaging. And that’s because they embody their archetype so skillfully.
- Rolex (The Ruler): The Ruler archetype represents power, control, and authority. They place a high value on wealth and success. And the best example of a brand that embodies The Ruler is Rolex. Watch their ads, and you immediately get a sense of luxury-infused dominance.
- Nintendo (The Innocent): I’m a fan of watching Nintendo ads on YouTube. Why? Because their wholesome commercials give you a childlike feeling of purity. The Innocent archetype is clearly at play in their marketing, and it’s done exceptionally well.
- Harley Davidson (The Outlaw/Rebel): Rough, rugged, and revolting, Harley Davidson is a classic example of the Outlaw/Rebel archetype. They stand by their non-conforming, solitary values and make no apologies for it. And that’s what makes them such a potent force in the eyes of their market.
- Victoria’s Secret (The Lover): The Lover is sexy, sensual, and seductive. And the quintessential brand that embodies this archetype is Victoria’s Secret. They are soft and gentle, yet tantalizing and provocative. Everything about them exudes sensuality. For this reason, Victoria’s Secret does a masterful job of embracing and using The Lover archetype to connect with its market.
Adapting Your Brand Voice Over Time
Once you’ve fleshed out your own tone and communication style with a brand voice guide, you’ll have a foundational piece of your marketing in place.
And as your brand grows and evolves over time, so will your voice. Think of it as a dynamic part of your marketing that is continually shifting alongside your company. As time progresses, you’ll want to periodically revisit your brand voice guide to ensure its relevance.
This will keep your tone, voice, and overall communication on brand.
Got A Question? Send Me A Message And Let’s Talk
A brand voice guide is a powerful asset.
It will help you rise above the competition and solidify your position in the market (and your customer’s pocketbooks). However, it’s understandable that you may still have questions about the process and what this asset can do for you. If that’s the case, I’ve got you covered.
Send me a message and go over how having a brand voice guide can benefit your business.