Why Your Brand Voice is Important: And how to get it right for your business.

Lucinda Brassey
Jul 30, 2024
3 min read

Your brand voice will set you apart from what’s likely to be an already crowded market.

As of 2023 Money UK reported that there were 5.51 million small businesses running in the UK alone. No matter what your speciality or niche is – you can bet there’s a lot of competition out there!

And that’s why having an established Brand Voice is so important.

Let’s get into more about the why. . .

People buy YOU

We’ve already established that the competition out there is fierce – but that doesn’t mean you can’t stand out.

At the crux of it all – no matter how brilliant your service is, people aren’t going to buy into it if they don’t buy you. Building a brand voice that truly reflects who you are is going to make you sound human, relatable and recognisable.

It builds TRUST

Let’s be honest – there’s a lot of nonsense out there at the moment. From faceless marketing and Master Resale Rights being flogged all over the place – consumers are becoming tired and sceptical.

So, you’ve got to work that bit harder to build trust with your prospective customers. And that’s where your brand voice has its power. If you take the time to build something that’s genuine, open and honest – people are going to start trusting you.

And I mean be REALLY honest. Share your highs and lows, say what you want to say – not what you think you should be saying. And make sure it sounds like you – use YOUR words, not whatever’s been regurgitated out of ChatGPT.

Your values should drive your brand voice – whether it’s compassion or grit that drives you – let that show. Don’t cover up who you really are because at some point – the curtain will fall and the trust will be gone.

Build Trust written on wooden blocks with pink background

It keeps your messaging CONSISTENT

Consistency is key in creating clear and engaging messaging across your business. Your brand voice should have a common thread through your:

Website
Social media
Emails
Direct mail

And so on. . .

That consistency will ensure that your customers will always understand where you’re coming from and what you’re all about. No one likes to be confused – so don’t confuse your customers with being brash and bolshy one minute then the epitome of zen the next.

Coherent messaging across your business will help reinforce your brand’s values and keep you recognisable across all platforms.

It builds an EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

Developing an emotional connection with your customers will build their loyalty to you and your business.

If you tap into their emotions – you’ve got them sold. It’s after that connection they’ll then use their logic to justify their purchase. In a study by Harvard Business Review, they found customers that had a full emotional connection to a brand were 52% more valuable.

A connected and loyal customer is going to stick with you for the long-haul and likely bring you more business through referrals. Put the ground work in early, and you’ll see the benefits in the long run.

Building block pyramid with hand placing a heart on the top

Building Your Brand Voice

This will be an ongoing process, but you start with you need to:

Understand your customer

Think about:

Their wants and desires
Their frustrations
Their values
Their lifestyle
What problem you’re going to solve for them

Define your brand’s values and personality

Think about:

Who you want to attract
Who you want to repel
What means the most to you
Why are you doing this?

Build your tone of voice guide

Think about:

How do you want to come across? E.g. authoritative; friendly; supportive
What kind of language you’ll use
How it might slightly differ across platforms
How to be inclusive

Do your research

Don’t skip this step! You should:

Look at your competitors—what do you like about them, what do you dislike, and how do you want to be different?
Go through social media - what accounts do the follow?
Try tools like Answer The Public – what do your customers want to know?
Market research – speak to your ideal customers, what are their key pain points?

None of these lists are exhaustive, but they’re a good place to start when building your brand voice.

Conclusion

Brand voice isn’t just a buzz phrase. If you want to build genuine connections and have customers who truly value and trust you – this is where you need to start.

If you feel a bit stuck, have a go at using my free Brand Voice Guide here.