#18 No Sea-Witch Magic Necessary: Choosing a Brand Voice That Feels Like Me
(TL;DR: I overthought everything, made a spreadsheet, and now I have a brand voice that actually fits.)
How I Defined My Brand Voice
I found these posts and read through them:
https://www.brandedagency.com/blog/brand-voice (A good general overview of each brand piece)
https://www.beutlerink.com/blog/brand-verbal-identity (An overview plus a chart for defining brand voice and style)
I started with my list of values that are important to me (get out that brainstorming from the other day! we’re going to build from there), then worked backward to figure out how those values should shape my tone and communication. Here’s what to do:
| Because I value… | My voice is… | Which means my communication is… | Which means it’s not… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Supportive Empathetic Inclusive Approachable | Open, helpful, transparent, understanding, respectful, welcoming, thoughtful, simplified, audience-aware, friendly, and conversational | Dismissive, rude, condescending, overly technical, uninviting, exclusive, overly complex, alienating, formal, distant, or intimidating |
| Humor | Playful Quirky Uplifting Relatable | Lighthearted, engaging, creative, unique, witty, sometimes unexpected, positive, cheerful, casual, fun, and entertaining | Offensive, immature, random, confusing, off-putting, mean-spirited, dismissive, dark, forced, awkward, arrogant, overcomplicated, exclusive, or overly sarcastic |
| Uniqueness | Creative Slightly unconventional Distinctive Authentic | Imaginative, innovative, fresh, playful, sometimes unexpected, original, memorable, a little bold, genuine, honest, and true to brand | Chaotic, confusing, overly complex, alienating, generic, copycat, contrived, forced, or overly polished |
| Kindness | Warm Compassionate Encouraging Respectful Friendly | Approachable, inviting, understanding, empathetic, heartfelt, uplifting, positive, thoughtful, considerate, cheerful, and friendly | Cold, aloof, dismissive, patronizing, distant, insincere, rude, abrasive, fake, or pushy |
| Authenticity | Genuine | Honest, relatable, and rooted in truth | Forced, artificial, or overly polished |
| Etc. |
Hopefully you get the idea! It might also help to think of what values your target audience holds that you also want to demonstrate or represent with your brand.
Fill in the column on the left with a value and then work out how that value shapes your brand voice and communication style.
Once you have your list polished, you have a handy-dandy cheat sheet you can use every time you write a social media post or draft something for your blog. Use it to remind yourself what voice and tone your brand uses to keep all of your content across all channels consistent with the brand you’re building.
The Final Brand Voice Statement
When I finished putting mine together, I ended up with the following statement:
I want my brand voice to be supportive, playful, bold, and, above all, inclusive—a mix of humor, honesty, and encouragement. I want to challenge norms and produce unique takes without alienating people, and I want my work to feel like a welcoming space for everyone, but especially for disabled and chronically ill readers.
Hopefully, you can see this voice and communication style in this blog post and across all of my social channels. Remember, the goal is one, unified, consistent, and recognizable brand voice.
Next Steps:
Refine my brand promise statement (next post)
Look into creating branded visuals that match my tone (I’m procrastinating because I’m bad at this 😬)
💬 Question for You: If you use the same table and format, what values are you starting with for your brand? What voice and tone do you want to use to make your brand consistent? 👀