Article by Sarah Wallace and Kailey McSwain
An In Depth Guide to Mastering a Recognizable Brand Voice
Millions of brands are competing for a following via social media every second, so how does one break through the noise and differentiate themselves from all others? The answer lies in a recognizable brand AND voice. Just like J.K. Rowling has a completely different writing style and voice than J.R.R. Tolkein, your brand voice and its subsequent messaging should be unique to you, making it easy for customers to pick you out of the noisy crowd that is social media.
According to Sprout Social, one of the most common reasons consumers unfollow brands is due to the lack of customer-oriented service. In a world where social media has essentially monopolized every modern marketing technique, brands need to know how to market themselves on social in a way that differentiates them from their competitors, raises brand awareness, and encourages website traffic.
Brand voice is the distinct tone, style and personality that is infused into social media copy, visuals and public messaging surrounding your brand. Your brand voice should reflect who you are, who your target audience is, and how you want to be perceived by the public. This personifies your brand and makes it more relatable to your targeted audience.
Some brands that have unique brand voice’s include Starbucks and Wendys.
The Starbucks brand voice not only conveys passion for their product but passion for their consumers and issues impacting their target audience. They invite positive consumer engagement by capitalizing on their audience’s common love of their products (and crippling caffeine addictions.)
Wendys, however, has strategically embraced a brand voice that is humorous, sarcastic, and personable- garnering them increased attention from the younger generations on social media. They often tap into popular pop culture references like memes, puns and friendly banter with their competitors.
The archetypal identifiable brand is equal parts brand voice as it is brand look- so consistency is key. From eye-catching visuals, to consistent color schemes, to a unique brand voice with strategic messaging- each element of a recognizable brand relies on the other to effectively market yourself in today’s world.
Check out the following Brand Voice Tips:
- Be consistent
- Consistency is crucial for identifiable brand maintenance. Here at Sinclair PA, we like to say “your audience should recognize your brand based on the consistent use of colors, fonts, aesthetics and messaging- not just your logo.” Just like how our names and faces don’t define our personality, you can’t solely rely on a logo to set the only standard for who your brand is.
- Embody the tone of your business and its leadership
- The most unique part of your business are the people behind it! Tap into the camaraderie and vibe that exists in your workplace.
- Put yourself in your consumer’s shoes
- The most important factor that drives business decisions is how well brands cater to the opinions and needs of their target audience. An in depth understanding of what is relevant to your patrons/constituents/consumers allows your brand to connect and build crucial relationships with your targeted publics.
- Always adapt
- We are in the world of the 24 hours news-cycle, where things are constantly changing on social media. Stay one step ahead of your competitors in the coverage of relevant issues, hot topics and phenomena directly affecting your target audience. This builds public trust and positions your brand as a thought leader in your respective community.
Sinclair Public Affairs specializes in the creation of unique and recognizable brand kits on behalf of our clients. If you are interested in updating your branding efforts, our trained staff at Sinclair is here to help. Contact Sinclair Public Affairs at [email protected]
