How to Create a Brand Voice That Resonates and Inspires

In this weeks Rise with Rozenberg, we're diving deep into crafting a brand voice that doesn't just speak - it ROARS! 🦁 

Why Should You Care About Your Brand Voice? 

Imagine walking into a party where everyone's dressed in grayscale, speaking in monotone. 

Boring, right? 

Now picture yourself strutting in, decked out in vibrant colors, with a voice that makes Morgan Freeman sound like an amateur. 

That's what a killer brand voice can do for your business. When you nail your brand voice, you differentiate yourself from the competition and build unshakeable customer loyalty. 

The outcome? 

A brand so magnetic, it'll have customers sticking to you like you're covered in super glue (but in a good way, promise!). 🧲 

Let’s get a bit more specific as to why you want to take this seriously if you want to take your business to higher levels of revenue, cash flow, and market dominance. 

How a Well-Defined Brand Voice Can Boost Your Business: 

Improved Brand Recognition 🏆

A consistent, unique brand voice makes your business more memorable. When customers can easily identify your brand's communications, it increases brand recall and recognition. This familiarity often leads to: 

• Higher customer retention rates

• Increased word-of-mouth referrals

• Greater brand loyalty, encouraging repeat purchases 

Enhanced Customer Trust and Loyalty 🤝

A clear brand voice helps build a stronger connection with your audience. When your communication is consistent and authentic, it: 

• Builds credibility and trust with your audience

• Creates an emotional connection, leading to brand loyalty

• Encourages customers to choose your brand over competitors 

Differentiation in the Market 🎯

A unique brand voice sets you apart from competitors. This differentiation can: 

• Attract customers who resonate with your brand's personality

• Justify premium pricing for your products or services

• Create a niche market position, reducing direct competition 

Improved Marketing Efficiency 📈

A well-defined brand voice makes content creation more efficient and effective: 

• Streamlines the content creation process

• Ensures consistency across all marketing channels

• Improves the impact of marketing messages, potentially reducing marketing costs 

Increased Customer Engagement 💬

An engaging brand voice can boost interaction with your audience: 

• Encourages more social media engagement (likes, shares, comments)

• Improves email open rates and click-through rates

• Increases time spent on your website or with your content 

Better Customer Experience 😊

A consistent brand voice across all touchpoints enhances the overall customer experience: 

• Creates a seamless experience across different platforms

• Reduces confusion and builds customer confidence

• Improves customer satisfaction, leading to positive reviews and referrals 

Easier Expansion into New Markets 🌍

A strong brand voice can facilitate expansion: 

• Makes it easier to maintain brand consistency when entering new markets

• Helps new products or services align with your existing brand image

• Supports cross-selling and upselling initiatives 

Attraction of Top Talent 🌟

A clear brand voice can also help in recruitment: 

• Attracts employees who align with your brand values

• Improves employee engagement and retention

• Creates a stronger company culture 

Higher Conversion Rates 💰

A compelling brand voice can directly impact sales: 

• Persuades potential customers more effectively

• Reduces hesitation in the buying process

• Encourages larger or more frequent purchases 

Long-term Brand Equity 📊

Over time, a strong brand voice contributes to overall brand equity: 

• Increases the perceived value of your products or services

• Supports higher pricing strategies

• Provides a buffer during market downturns or PR challenges 

By focusing on developing and maintaining a clear, consistent, and compelling brand voice, you can create a strong foundation for growth and increased revenue. It's an investment that pays dividends across all aspects of your business operations and customer interactions. 

Unfortunately… 

Most small businesses sound about as exciting as a tax audit conducted by Ben Stein. 

😴 Why? Because they're scared to death of offending someone or standing out too much. 

Here are the primary reasons why people struggle: 

• Identify Crisis: They don’t know who they are, so it’s hard to define their own brand.

• FOMO: They have FOMO also known as the “fear of missing out” on sales and revenue so they try to have a voice for everyone, thinking everyone is their market. When you try to speak generally to everyone, no specific group hears you.

• Inconsistency: They flip-flop between voices faster than a politician during election season.

• Imitation Game: They're trying to sound like everyone else (newsflash: that's called being boring).

• Lack of Guidelines: They wing it without a clear brand voice strategy. 

Don't worry! Here's how you can overcome these challenges and create a brand voice that resonates and inspires! 🚀 

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Brand Voice 

Step 1: Define Your Brand's Personality 🎭 

Why it's important: Your brand personality is the foundation of your voice. It's like choosing your business's spirit animal, but way more fun. 

Quick Example: 

• Dollar Shave Club nailed this by defining their brand as the witty, no-nonsense friend who tells it like it is. Their tagline? "Shave time. Shave money." Boom! Personality in five words. 

• Action Item: Grab a pen and paper (or open that fancy note-taking app) and jot down 5-7 adjectives that describe your brand's personality. Are you the sassy best friend? The wise mentor? The quirky innovator? Get specific! 

Step 2: Create a Brand Voice Chart 📊 (See example below) 

Where many go wrong: They skip this step and end up with a voice more scattered than my aunt's stamp collection. 

How to do it right: 

· Create a simple table with three columns: Character Trait, Description, and Do's/Don'ts. Fill it out for each of your brand personality traits. 

Example:

• Trait: Witty

• Description: We're clever, but never at someone's expense

• Do: Use wordplay and pop culture references

• Don't: Use sarcasm that could be misinterpreted 

Step 3: Take Your Brand Voice for a Test Drive 🚗 

Motivation: This is where the rubber meets the road, folks. It's time to put your brand voice into action and watch it work its magic. 

How to do it: 

• Rewrite your website's 'About Us' page using your new brand voice.

• Share it with a trusted friend or colleague.

• Ask them if it sounds like your brand, or if it sounds like you've been body-snatched by a corporate robot. 

This step, combined with the others, ladders up to creating a brand that's as recognizable as Oprah's laugh. When done right, your customers will be able to spot your content from a mile away, even if your logo is smaller than the fine print on a medicine bottle. 

Your Brand Voice Step-By-Step Roadmap: 

Analyze Your Brand 📊

• □ Define your brand's mission and values

• □ List your unique selling propositions

• □ Identify your target audience demographics and psychographics 

Research Your Audience 🔍

• □ Conduct customer surveys or interviews

• □ Analyze social media interactions and comments

• □ Review customer service interactions and feedback 

Audit Your Current Communications 📝

• □ Collect samples of your existing content across all platforms

• □ Identify any inconsistencies in tone or style

• □ Note what's working well and what needs improvement 

Define Your Brand Personality 🎭 (See the starter list below)

• □ List 5-7 adjectives that describe your brand

• □ Create a brand persona (give your brand human characteristics)

• □ Determine how your brand would (and wouldn't) speak if it were a person 

Develop Your Brand Voice Chart 📊 (See the example provided below)

• □ Create a table with columns for Voice Characteristics, Description, Do's, and Don'ts

• □ Fill out the chart for each of your brand's key personality traits

• □ Include specific examples for each trait 

Craft Your Tone of Voice 🗣️

• □ Decide on the level of formality

• □ Choose your brand's point of view (first person, second person, third person)

• □ Determine your sentence structure preferences (short and punchy vs. long and descriptive) 

Create a Style Guide 📘

• □ Document your brand voice and tone guidelines

• □ Include examples of do's and don'ts

• □ Add guidelines for specific content types (social media, emails, blog posts, etc.) 

Develop a Brand Vocabulary 📚

• □ Create a list of words and phrases that align with your brand voice

• □ Identify words or phrases to avoid

• □ Include industry-specific terms and how to use them 

Test Your Brand Voice 🧪

• □ Rewrite existing content using your new brand voice

• □ Create new content samples for different platforms

• □ Get feedback from team members and trusted customers 

Train Your Team 👥

• □ Conduct a brand voice workshop for all content creators

• □ Provide examples of the brand voice in action

• □ Create a quick-reference guide for daily use 

Implement Across All Channels 🌐

• □ Update website content

• □ Revise social media profiles and content strategy

• □ Align email marketing campaigns

• □ Update customer service scripts and guidelines 

Monitor and Refine 🔄

• □ Regularly review content for brand voice consistency

• □ Collect feedback from customers and team members

• □ Adjust your brand voice as your brand evolves 

Create a Brand Voice Measurement System 📏

• □ Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for brand voice success

• □ Set up a system to track these KPIs

• □ Schedule regular brand voice audits

Remember, creating a brand voice is an ongoing process. Be prepared to evolve and refine your voice as your brand grows and your audience changes. 

Your Starter List of Powerful Adjectives 

This is a start list that you can use to describe you brand. These are versatile and can apply to various industries and brand personalities: 

• Innovative

• Trustworthy

• Authentic

• Reliable

• Dynamic

• Passionate

• Sustainable

• Inclusive

• Adventurous

• Transparent

• Empowering

• Visionary

• Approachable

• Cutting-edge

• Ethical

• Luxurious

• Playful

• Sophisticated

• Minimalist

• Bold

• Eco-friendly

• Resilient

• Collaborative

• Disruptive

• Inspirational

• Curious

• Agile

• Compassionate

• Daring

• Intelligent 

Remember, the key is to choose adjectives that genuinely reflect your brand's values, personality, and unique selling propositions. It's also important to consider your target audience and how these descriptors will resonate with them. 

When selecting adjectives for your brand, try to: 

• Choose a mix of attributes that cover different aspects of your brand (e.g., personality, values, approach to business).

• Ensure the adjectives align with your brand's mission and vision.

• Select words that differentiate you from competitors.

• Pick adjectives that your target audience will find appealing.

• Limit your list to 3-5 core adjectives to maintain focus and clarity in your brand voice. 

Here's How to Make the Most of These Descriptors 

Prioritize and Refine Your List 

Start by selecting 5-7 adjectives that best represent your brand. Then, narrow it down to 3-5 core adjectives. This focused approach ensures your brand voice remains consistent and memorable. 

• Example: If you're a tech startup, you might choose: Innovative, Disruptive, Approachable, Visionary, and Ethical. 

Define Each Adjective in Your Brand's Context 

For each chosen adjective, write a brief description of what it means for your brand specifically. This helps ensure everyone in your organization interprets these traits consistently. 

· Example: Innovative: "We constantly seek new solutions to old problems, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our industry." 

Create Do's and Don'ts for Each Adjective 

Develop guidelines for how each adjective should (and shouldn't) be expressed in your communications. 

· Example for "Approachable":

• Do: Use conversational language, explain complex concepts simply

• Don't: Use excessive jargon, adopt a formal or aloof tone 

Align Adjectives with Brand Elements

Ensure your chosen adjectives are reflected not just in your written and verbal communication, but also in your visual branding, product design, customer service approach, and overall user experience. 

Use Adjectives to Guide Content Creation 

When creating content, use your adjectives as a checklist. Ask yourself: "Does this content embody our core traits?" 

Develop a Brand Voice Spectrum 

For each adjective, create a spectrum to show the desired intensity of that trait in your communications. 

Example:

· Playful |---------x--| Serious

• This shows you want to be predominantly playful, but with a touch of seriousness when needed. 

Apply Adjectives to Different Communication Channels 

Consider how each adjective might be expressed differently across various platforms (e.g., social media, email marketing, website copy, advertising). 

Use Adjectives in Team Training 

When training your team on brand voice, use these adjectives as the foundation. Conduct exercises where team members practice creating content that embodies these traits. 

Create a Unique Vocabulary 

Develop a list of words and phrases that align with your chosen adjectives. This “brand dictionary” can help maintain consistency across all communications. 

Regular Review and Refinement 

Periodically review how well your chosen adjectives are serving your brand. As your brand evolves, you may need to adjust or refine your core adjectives. 

Contrast with Competitor Adjectives 

Compare your chosen adjectives with those that might describe your competitors. This can help ensure you're differentiating your brand effectively. 

Use Adjectives in Brand Storytelling

Weave your core adjectives into your brand's origin story and ongoing narrative. This helps reinforce your brand identity in a memorable way. 

Remember, the goal is not just to list adjectives, but to bring them to life in every aspect of your brand. When done effectively, these adjectives will become the essence of your brand personality, guiding all your communications and helping you connect more authentically with your audience. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey to brand voice brilliance! Keep rising, keep roaring, and let's make your brand the one everyone's talking about! 🌟 

If this newsletter gave you “Ah Ha!” moments or even made you chuckle, nod in agreement, or reach for your branding notepad, why not share it with a fellow entrepreneur? After all, success loves company (and so do I)!

Keep rising, keep achieving, and we’ll see you next week with more transformative wisdom and game-changing insights. If you found this newsletter helpful, don’t keep it to yourself – share it with your network and help them unlock their potential too! 🌟

Until next week,

Steve Rozenberg
Rise Above, Achieve Beyond 🚀

P.S. Loved this newsletter? Share it with your fellow entrepreneurs and let’s create a community of unstoppable business owners! 

GreenTrail Adventures: Brand Voice Chart Example 

Voice Characteristic: Adventurous

Description: We inspire our customers to explore and push their limits.

· Do:

• Use action verbs

• Share exciting outdoor stories

• Encourage trying new activities

· Don't:

• Use passive language

• Focus on indoor activities

• Discourage risk-taking 

Voice Characteristic: Eco-Conscious

Description: We emphasize our commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

· Do:

• Highlight eco-friendly materials

• Educate on environmental issues

• Promote sustainable practices

· Don't:

• Ignore environmental impact

• Use "greenwashing" tactics

• Promote wasteful behaviors 

Voice Characteristic: Knowledgeable

Description: We provide expert advice and insights on outdoor activities and gear.

· Do:

• Offer detailed product information

• Share expert tips and tricks

• Use industry terminology (with explanations)

· Don't:

• Provide vague or incorrect information

• Oversimplify complex topics

• Use jargon without explanation 

Voice Characteristic: Friendly

Description: We create a welcoming community for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.

· Do:

• Use inclusive language

• Engage in two-way conversations

• Show enthusiasm for customer stories

· Don't:

• Use a formal or aloof tone

• Ignore customer feedback

• Create an elitist atmosphere 

This chart outlines four key characteristics of GreenTrail Adventures' brand voice, providing guidance on how to communicate in line with each characteristic. It's a tool to ensure consistency in brand communication across all platforms and touchpoints.