When you’re creating copy for an organization, the approach you have to take is anything but one-size-fits-all. The basics of SEO, grammar, and professionalism all still apply, but when speaking on behalf of your organization, you need to consider the brand voice first and foremost.
The brand voice of an organization is how they speak to the world. It’s used to set expectations of quality and reliability, set the brand apart from competitors, and create a customer ecosystem designed to inform and/or sell.
Once we partner with a new organization, we at SalesLabX always review their website and social media. Using a six-point system, we then create what are called Brand Voice Guidelines. This is a specialized document used by our copywriters as a reference so that when they write copy for landing pages, emails, or social posts, the voice they use is consistent with the voice the organization has already established.
Here’s what we look for when we consider how to define the voice of an organization, and why it’s an important consideration. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find ways to improve the brand voice of your own org!
Consider Your Audience
A big part of your brand voice is going to depend on who you’re writing to. It’s the first factor we look at when creating
our guidelines. If you’re marketing medical equipment or software, then you need to think about what sort of voice a consumer would trust when looking to make such a purchase. You’re probably not going to inject a lot of humor or slang into what you’re saying. You’re going to want to keep it professional, clear, and informed. If you’re selling toys, it’s an entirely different story. Think about the things you buy, and the voices that tell you to buy them. What speaks best to you and your target audience?
What Do You Want Them To Feel
As we’ve explained in previous articles, emotion is a powerful tool in marketing. Compelling your prospects to feel what
you want them to feel is a perfect way to guide them in their buying journey. If you sell security systems, you might want your customers to feel confident in choosing the systems you’ve designed, but also a bit insecure about their current security situation. You might consider sprinkling in crime statistics that support the need for what you have to offer.
You Better Change Your Tone
When you’re responding to a customer complaint, are you going to be apologetic and humble, or do you think sarcasm
is the way to go? Tone will change depending on where and why you’re writing, but a general tone can be noted from an organization's main website copy. Energetic, direct, playful, and helpful; are all perfect descriptors when looking to describe the tone of the copy you’re analyzing. Sure, that tone may change depending on the type of writing you’re doing, but that’s completely fine. You have to be adaptable to be successful. It’s just something you need to be aware of. As long as you can see the tones shift and change in your copy, you can maintain much better consistency.
It’s The Little Things
Your organization is unique. It might have a product similar to one created by another company, but they will never be
you. When building your brand voice guidelines, you’ll want to make note of all the little things that make you you. If you have company hashtags you use regularly, make sure they’re noted. The same goes for catchphrases, regional dialects, and even emojis. Do you have emojis you like to use in your social posts? On the doc, they go. Every bit of information you can put in your brand voice guidelines is valuable!
