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When it comes to marketing and branding for a company, many people think of the more visual aspects of it such as the graphics and logos. What they don’t think about is the company’s voice itself. Why is that so important? Because it is how a business comes across to people who receive their messages.
In today’s world where it seems that everyone utilizes some form of social media, it is pretty easy for your company’s voice to get lost in the mix of it all. Your company voice is what helps your business become more recognizable to people. I don’t mean the actual audible voice of your company, rather the tone and wording you use on your website and marketing materials. Consistent branding with your company’s voice is a sure way to set yourself apart from the company.
What Is A Company Voice?
To help you define your company voice, think of it like you were viewing a person. How does it talk and come across? What sort of personality traits would it exhibit? Are there any noticeable phrases or words that it frequently uses? What font style does it use in its messages? All of these questions can help you get a better understanding of your company voice and how it comes across to people who receive any of your messages whether that’s through writing, advertisements, or marketing materials.
When you’ve defined your company voice, be sure to keep in mind that people who view or hear your messages will immediately associate with your company. That is why people’s initial impression of your business is the one that you are looking to deliver. Imagine your brand voice switching from a lighthearted, not-so-serious tone, to something more serious and kind of intimidating. Those same people will be like, “What the heck happened!”
Why Is It Important?
As I mentioned earlier, in the online social media-driven world today, it is much more difficult to leave a lasting impression on people if your brand is similar to other brands. When it comes to standing out amongst your competitors and people in the industry, many people say that a unique or distinct personality helps them stand out from the crowd.
While content may be dominated by photos and videos, your written and verbal content is just as important. Consistency with your voice is also very important to your audience as a survey found that about 45% of them unfollowed an account because the content was irrelevant or just not in line with the typical content that is posted on that account.
Your company voice is a major part of generating brand awareness. With consistent usage of it, and utilizing it correctly, you can be sure that your new audience is engaged and finds your content relevant.
Tips To Develop Your Company Voice
A business doesn’t simply just have a company voice. They have to put in the necessary effort and time to develop it. This requires the business to analyze a couple of things about itself. What do we do? How do we do it? Why do we do it? Questions like these can help businesses get a better idea of how their company voice will sound like. Here are some tips that can help you develop a company voice that you’re proud of.
Look at Your Statements and Mission
Any business that is operating nowadays has a purpose that helps drive them forward. Without a purpose or mission, that company will just work aimlessly without a goal in mind. As a company, you likely do have some sort of documents stating what your mission statement is as well as your purpose. This piece of written information is important to help you develop your company voice.
Your statements, mission, and values can all act as sort of guidelines for developing your company voice. Following them can help you set the tone on how your messages come across as well as the tone you use in them. From there, you have a solid foundation of what your company voice will sound like.
Develop Your Tone
Your tone plays a major role in how people perceive your company whether they are loyal customers or new ones. The first message or most recent message they see from you gives them an idea of what kind of business you are and whether or not they want to do business with you. That is why you must take note of the tone that you use throughout all of your messages and social content. People get an idea of how you sound and come across based on the tonnage you use. Use a tone that is right for your audience and doesn’t come across as something generic or different from what you usually use.
Who Is Your Audience?
A key part of developing your company voice is defining your target audience. You have an audience, but who are they and what do they sound like? Knowing who your audience is can help make sure that your company voice isn’t ideal just for you, but for them as well. You don’t want to come across as aloof when your audience is a bunch of business professionals right? Take a step back and learn more about your audience so that you can get a better understanding of who they are.
Adapt It To Certain Content
Of course, your company voice might sound slightly different under certain circumstances. In certain situations, such as a formal announcement, you might use a bit of a more professional tone in your voice. In a more casual circumstance, such as a social media post, you might be a bit more laid-back in how you deliver your message. Be sure that your company voice is also adaptable so it can be used in all kinds of messages.
With these tips, you can get a better idea and understanding of what your company voice will sound like. With it, you can connect with your audience and set a good impression on new ones going forward.
Your Voice, Your Brand
While many people think branding is just around the more visual elements such as graphics and logos, your voice also plays an important role. Your company voice sets the tone for your messages and your written content. It gives your audience an idea of who you are and how you come across. With the right time and planning put into developing your voice, you can create one that best suits your company.
Need help developing your company voice? At WunderTRE, we are inbound marketing and brand experience experts. Let us help you deliver the perfect message to the audience you want listening! Let’s start that conversation today and have your brand voice developed to create a better tomorrow!
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