In an endless sea of brands, it’s important not only to remain afloat, but to stand out. Be that beacon your customers can see and swim to from afar. Your choice of language says a lot about you, and can help you do just that—distinguish yourself from the competition, and clearly communicate the personality of your brand.
In order to establish a tone of voice that fits you like a glove, it’s important not only to embrace what makes your brand unique, but also what makes your customers unique. Below we will cover 4 key things that, when given some thought, will help you find your ideal voice.
Buyer persona
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer. You should devote plenty of time to think about this before you start creating content. Write down a list of their characteristics: gender, age-group, profession, potential interests, and likely concerns or problems they may have. Your product or service is intended to improve and enhance your customer’s life. Try to get in their shoes, so to speak, and learn their language.
If, let’s say, you make a living selling handcrafted surfboards, a large proportion of your target audience is likely young, athletic, laid-back, and adventurous. Throwing a “Good afternoon everyone, precipitation levels are probable to remain low today,” will only result in your post getting ignored. On the other hand, “Awesome weather today! How many of you are hitting the beach?” is more likely to generate engagement.
Keep in mind there may be more than one buyer persona for your particular brand. The idea remains the same; simply create a different profile for each main type of customer you’d like to attract. Don’t stray too much, though—stay precise, so that your language can remain precise, too.
Brand image
Going back to our “wavy” example, using casual language is important not only because your customers are likely to appreciate and relate to it, but also because it suits the nature of your brand. Tone of voice can range drastically depending on the image you want to project outwards.
Are you an advisor to your customers, a friend, or a mentor—which of these personalities does your brand allow you to adopt? Your language should both mirror and reinforce your brand identity. Think about what you want to achieve, the nature of your content and subsequently your brand—is it intended to be educational, serious, funny, or a combination?
Brand story
In a world of countless choices when it comes to metaphorical (and actual) surfboards, it’s important that you talk about the ways in which your brand or company stands out from the competition. What distinguishes you? What qualities or merits are you trying to communicate through your content? Is it a long history, passion, expertise?
Everyone loves a good story—sharing yours with your customers builds trust, and adds a more personal and approachable touch to your brand. It’s important not only to communicate what you do, but why you do it. Incorporate your excitement for your industry sector into your writing, and share it with your customers; it’s contagious!
Competition
Have you come across any other brands or businesses whose copywriting you really enjoyed—or really disliked? The internet is full of examples to mimic or avoid, and it’s a good idea to look into both. Do your research, and allow yourself to become influenced and inspired by what you see.
Once you’ve spent some time thinking about these points you should be able to brainstorm and narrow down your language choices to the few appropriate ones that fit your brand perfectly, both stylistically and attitude-wise.
If you require extra pointers or would like to discuss further, don’t hesitate to contact us!