Waking up drenched in sweat after having a nightmare that AI is going to take away your business is not an ideal way to start the day.
Has that happened to you? Just me? OK, so I wasn’t actually covered in a cold sweat, but I really did have a moment (that lasted a few weeks) in March of 2023 with a very real fear of AI that gripped my mind.
I had just made a big decision to part ways with my stable, corporate job to fully invest in my business that I had been building since 2015. After much prayer and reflection, it was the right move for me. I gave my notice, lifted my head from the world of self-introspection, and saw AI breaking the internet. (Yes, I know it was happening well before that, but after this life-changing decision is when it hit me.) Everyone was talking about it as it pertained to a myriad of topics, including marketing and communications: news outlets, conferences, podcasts, even the government. As someone who makes a living as a communications strategist and content writer, WHAT WAS I THINKING?
AI was going to put me out of business before I even had a chance to announce my newly branded company to the world.
Instead of giving in to the fear, I plunged head first into learning as much as I could about AI: how it works, what it can and can’t do, and how it can benefit the world of business communication and writing. I took courses; I listened to podcasts; I attended webinars. Getting to know your fear is a great way to overcome it.
As it turns out, AI is not omniscient as my nightmare suggested and humans are not even close to being replaced when it comes to communications strategy. AI doesn’t know anything about your brand unless you provide it with the necessary information on your brand voice. “Training” AI on your brand voice is critical to protect your brand from embarrassing marketing blunders.
Brand Voice: the unique personality that defines how your business communicates across all channels and platforms.
Your brand voice will keep you from confusing your audience with inconsistent messaging, giving coherency, stability, and authenticity to all your communication efforts.
For a successful communications strategy that utilizes AI tools, you need to know how to communicate your brand voice to AI. If AI is utilized without this, you’ll end up sounding like an infomercial on Facebook but a jokester on Instagram, alienating customers and negatively impacting brand awareness, engagement, and trust.
Establishing brand voice guidelines is one component of a successful communications strategy that will make a big impact towards achieving your business goals and will make it easier to train AI to assist you.
Brand Voice Guidelines: a document that clearly defines your brand voice and how to communicate it across teams and platforms.
But don’t just take my word for it. I decided to ask AI itself its opinion on the use of brand voice and brand voice guidelines.
Hey chatGPT, is it important for a business to have established brand voice guidelines before using AI in communications and marketing?
ChatGPT: Yes, it is important for a business to have established brand voice guidelines before using AI in communications and marketing. Having clear brand voice guidelines:
- Ensures consistency,
- helps in building trust with customers,
- aligns AI-generated content with the brand’s identity and values,
- enables effective adaptation across various channels,
- and contributes to brand differentiation in a competitive market.
Without these guidelines, there’s a risk of inconsistent messaging and potential divergence from the intended brand image. (formatting mine)
So there you have it, straight from the horse’s, er, AI’s, proverbial mouth.
The importance of a well crafted brand voice has never been more evident than in the rapidly expanding age of AI. Does business have a clear brand voice? Is it clearly documented so that it doesn’t shift from month-to-month, platform or platform? If you don’t, put the task at the top of your list to tackle this quarter. Especially if you plan to use AI in your marketing and communications efforts.
Need Help With Your Brand Voice Guidelines?
Your story is incredibly valuable and compelling – and worth protecting. The foundation of any communications and marketing strategy is clear and comprehensive brand voice guidelines that lay out the language, key messaging, tone, and personality of your business. Brand Voice Guidelines direct all employees, contractors – and, yes, even AI – as to how to talk and write about your business.
If you are interested in setting up brand voice guidelines but don’t know where to start, we offer this service a’la carte.
Set up a free consultation to get started!
“I am professionally (and personally!) very thankful to be working with Kristina Gorr. I can say without a doubt that her insightful guidance and her marketing, writing, and branding expertise have catapulted my business from launching just under a year ago to succeeding way beyond my expectations. She captures my personality and point of view to fully engage with my customers. Kristina is smart, kind, insightful and very, very good at what she does. I cannot recommend her enough.”