If we asked you to define your brand voice in just three words, could you do it?

We’ve been thinking a lot about this at Market My Company HQ over the past week – having recently gone through the process of refining and defining our voice, personality and position as we plan ahead for 2017. It’s been an enlightening and inspiring exercise, and one that has seen the team lose hours at the local coffee shop, waxing lyrical about what makes us, US.

We’ve loved geeking out and going through this exercise of self-discovery – but it got us thinking. Marketing is our jam, and while we have a self-professed word nerd on our team to wrangle the right turns of phrase, most small businesses don’t have that luxury. Many SMEs struggle to define their voice – so we’ve come up with a no-nonsense, 5-step guide to help you figure it all out. Boom! Let’s get started.

What IS Brand Voice?

First things first. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of discovering your brand voice, let’s quickly define what that actually means. A lot of people think of ‘voice’ as being all about the tone and style you use when writing for your brand. Sure, this is true to a point – but much more importantly, brand voice is about personality and values. But more on that shortly…

Step 1: The Ultimate Brain Dump

Start with a brain-dump of all the words that spring to mind when you think about your brand and team. DO NOT censor yourself at this point. If – for some reason – nonsensical or inappropriate or otherwise hilarious words spring to mind, go ahead and scribble them down. This is not the time for overthinking! Adopt an anything-goes mindset. You can always edit those bad boys out later.

Want to skip Step 1? Download our bespoke Brand Voice Discovery Cheat Sheet now! Jam-packed with 400+ expressive and inspiring words, it’s a fantastic place to start. And it’s FREE. You’re welcome.

Step 2: Employ ‘Party’ Thinking

When creating your list, be sure to think about your brand’s personality and values to prompt some more descriptive doozies. If it helps to think of your brand as a person, go ahead and do that. Would your brand be outgoing or reserved? Independent or social? Would they be brutally honest, or diplomatic? Thoughtful or free-spirited?

If your brand were a walking, talking guest at a cocktail party, what personality traits and characteristics would they display? When mingling with other party-goers, what values, standards and ideals would they convey? Would they be talking about the latest tech toys, helping tend the bar, or sharing their favourite organic, free-range recipe?

Write it all down.

Step 3: Step Back…

While it may be tempting to power through, it’s important to take a step back from the list you’ve produced to let the creative dust settle. Get on with the business of doing business, and let your unconscious brain work on it for a spell. Set your mountain of wonderful words aside for a day or two before looking at it with fresh eyes. Then…

Step 4: Trim the Fat

Get ready to kill your darlings*.

Yes, this can be terrifying when you’ve spent so much time brainstorming and mind-mapping and debating synonyms for ‘expert’ with your team – but it can also be liberating!

First, scan your list and scrub any words that don’t resonate or feel right. If they don’t sing to you or perfectly convey the essence of your brand, they’ve gotta go.

Next, remove any jargon or buzzwords. If it’s a term that doesn’t compute with people outside of your industry – or if it can be better said in simpler words – replace it, or remove it entirely. The last thing you want your brand voice to be is confusing or inaccessible.

Cut, condense, and be discerning. If you have ten words that all mean ‘professional’ choose the one that fits best.

Step 5: The Final Three

Here’s where your brand voice really starts to take shape. Review the short and powerful list of words in front of you with the following questions in mind:

  • Which of these words best reflect our brand personality?

  • Which of these words best align with our values?

  • Which of these words will make our target market feel the way we want them to feel when they think about our brand?

  • Which of these words align with our key messages and objectives?

  • Which of these words feel most authentic?

Consider which shortlisted words you’re most drawn to, and pick your top three. Be decisive! Be bold! Scrawl big red circles around your top three words, and let those be the terms that guide your voice as you go forth and communicate with your clients, your prospects, and the world.

Bonus Step: Let Your Voice Evolve

No voice is unchanging. I mean, were any of us still saying “as if”, or “all that and a bag of chips” post 1997? No – thankfully, we were not. Because, like our choice of slang, our voices evolve over time. Your brand voice is no different, so as you go through this process now, avoid getting hung up on the idea that any of the decisions you make are forever set in stone. The opposite is actually true.

Review your brand voice regularly – perhaps every year or so, depending on your industry – and let it evolve as your business does.

 

*If you haven’t heard this expression, it was American writer and Nobel Prize laureate William Faulkner who said it first. Basically, he was referring to casting your ego aside and culling words that you might love, but that don’t necessarily add any real value.