How to Create a Brand Voice Guide
When you started your business, you likely took a lot of time picking out your brand colors, designing a logo, creating a website, and more. But how long did you spend coming up with your brand voice? *crickets* So many brands jump into the visual aspect of their business but forget about something even more important - how you sound.
Just think of it like this. You can go on a date with the most put-together dude on planet Earth. But if he opens his mouth and it’s just garbage coming out - you’re probably not going to be interested. That’s why brand voice is important. We want people to be attracted to what they see and hear from your brand.
What is Brand Voice?
Your brand voice is the messaging and written style of your business, and it can determine the type of clients you bring in or how successfully you sell products.
For instance, if you are selling luxury vacations, then you’ll probably want to use elevated language and more formal messaging. Whereas a dog wash company might opt for a fun and bubbly (pun intended) brand that is casual and quirky.
Understanding the type of people you want to attract and their feelings toward what you are selling can help you develop a brand voice. Of course, your brand voice should also reflect how you want to present yourself to your potential customers.
Creating a Brand Voice Guide
Just like creating a website or a logo, a brand voice isn’t made overnight - and it will probably change with time as your business pivots and grows.
To get a good grasp on your voice, you’ll want to create a brand voice guide. This guide can help you when writing your own copy, but it’s also super beneficial if you hire out for a job. You can use it with social media managers, VAs, copywriters, and more.
Here’s some elements I like to include in my brand voice guide -
Brand Adjectives - List of adjectives that describe your brand
Brand Personality - This is a fun way to visualize your brand. Describe how your brand would be, if they were a person.
Brand Story - This is how your brand begin and why you started your brand.
Phraseology - These are common words or phrases you use in your business.
Style Guide - Any specific stylized rules you tend to follow, like capitalization, punctuation, etc.
How to Create a Brand Voice Guide
Creating a brand voice guide can be a bit intimidating, especially if writing isn’t your favorite pastime. However, think of your brand voice as a flexible guide that changes with you. Your brand will evolve and change, and so will your voice! Just start with where you are right now.
Here’s a few tips for creating a voice guide -
#1 Identify Your Audience - You need to know who you're serving in order to know how to talk to them.
#2 Identify Your Unique Value Proposition - What sets you apart from other people in your niche or your competitors?
#3 Decide How You Want to Sound - How do you want people to perceive your brand? What emotion should they feel when they come across your voice?
#4 Look at Old Copy - Sometimes, the best way to identify your voice is to look back at what you’ve previously written. Find blogs, emails, captions, and more that you like and don’t like. Then, try to find some common phrases you use or a common tone to your voice and wording.
Hey, I’m Branda! I’m a copywriter and content strategist for female entrepreneurs who want personality-packed, nurture focused copy. Let’s make your copy something people want to read.
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