Building a Brand Voice

It’s a lot easier said than done. 

Will it be carefully curated, or oversharing public therapy, maybe somewhere in between. 

In trying to build my voice, I figured it’s worth sharing what I believe works. 

Start now - try often

There is only one way to develop a voice, by speaking out loud. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do have to start using it to improve it. 

Try things out, see what works, what feels right, what people connect with.

The bigger your company gets, the harder it will be to take risks. Take them now. 

There is a reason big brands end up with stale tag-lines and vanilla output. They have a whole lot more to lose. More eyes are watching, more history to live up to. 

Take advantage of your ability to take big risks when no one is looking. You’ll learn a lot and who knows, those risks might connect with a big audience. 

Stand for something

People flock to voices they agree with. 

Define what you believe in and share it with others. 

If you don’t know what your brand stands for, how do you expect anyone else to figure it out and want to support you?

Look to your heroes

Think about the companies you support, the people you follow and look up to. 

What drew you in?

What do they do that you admire, how do they express themselves, what makes you want to support them and follow along with their journey.

Don’t copy them; there is no worth in carbon copies. Use them as inspiration to formulate how you want to portray your brand.

Everything in moderation

It seems like a no brainer, but look at social media, and I guarantee you’ll see an excess of highly curated content that connects with no one, it’s oversaturated and lacking touch with reality. 

On the other side, there is also plenty of accounts out there that share all their trials, tribulations and heartaches on every post. 

If everything is an emotional rant, it loses its value. People tune out.  

Find your balance. 

Personalities sell products

If you want people to believe in what you do, you have to put yourself out there. 

If you’re not comfortable being the face, find someone that is. 

People need heroes; people want characters, if you want a following, give them someone worth following. 

Product photos, studio shots, and overly produced content will always have its place, but that place exists within every other brand as well. 

Your voice is the only differentiator you have. Use it wisely.