Two words: person’s name.
A famous actress who shares the name of my brother’s childhood pet ferret… Her show was called “I Love_____”
A bouncy _____ that kids play with that goes really high when thrown against the ground.
Lucille BOUNCY!
That’s what my brother shouted out during a family game of Catch Phrase when deciphering my hints for “Lucille Ball.” He was on the right track, but didn’t quite get it. And I don’t remember if he eventually got it right because all I remember is the howling we-can’t-breathe-laughter that ensued for minutes after he yelled “Lucille Bouncy!”.
My family LOVES the game Catch Phrase, a word guessing game from Hasbro that is played by everyone sitting in a circle trying to guess the word that is on a small screen. If you haven’t played it, I highly recommend it for your next game night! Only the person holding the screen sees the word and is the hint giver. The hint giver can’t say any part of the word on the screen, using other words to describe it and give clues. The word may be a word or phrase, such as a famous person’s name, a country, an everyday household item, etc.
What I have yet to see pop up on a Catch Phrase screen (which they may have updated since my game’s edition) are business names. How would you describe McDonalds without saying their business name? Or BMW? Or…your business?
If a group of your customers were to describe your brand without saying your business name, what descriptive words and phrases would they use? You can shape how your customers view you through a brand voice.
The Importance of Brand Voice For Small Businesses
A brand voice is the unique personality that defines how your business communicates across all channels and platforms, and should not change. It guides how people represent your brand in the digital world (and offline too). If crafted and executed well, a consistent brand voice will keep you from confusing your audience and sounding like an infomercial on Facebook yet a jokester on Instagram. It gives coherency, stability, and authenticity to all your communication efforts.
Your brand voice is also what people will remember about your business. A consistent brand voice is key to building brand recognition and trust among your current and potential customers.
Take the National Park Service, for example. If you follow them on social media (our favorite is their Instagram account), you’ll find a very clear, strong brand voice that has amassed millions of followers. They are quippy, love puns and word plays, and aren’t afraid to throw out a cultural reference or two. The brand manages to turn night vision camera photos into hilarious comic strips. They educate the general population on important park rules and survival tips with humor and an edgy perspective. If you saw a post from them without seeing who posted it, you’d be able to identify the National Park Service, no problem. This relevant and consistent brand voice has amassed their brand millions of followers.
How To Establish Brand Voice Guidelines
Crafting a brand voice takes some time and thought, but the investment is well worth your time and consideration. Establishing brand voice guidelines for your small business – a document that clearly defines your brand voice and how to communicate it across teams and platforms – is one component of a successful communications strategy that will make a big impact towards achieving your business goals.
Brand Voice Guidelines should include:
- Your Brand Story – The vibrant, colorful story about why and how your business exists.
- Your Mission Statement – Your big picture goal.
- Your Vision Statement – Your aspiration for the future.
- Your Purpose Statement – The reason your business exists.
- Your Brand Promise – What your clients or customers can expect from your business.
- Your Core Values – The principles that guide your business.
- Your Brand Descriptors – Traits that describe you.
- Your Brand Differentiators – What sets your brand apart.
- Your Personality, Tone, Style – What makes your brand uniquely human.
- Your Brand Do’s and Don’ts – Guidelines to direct your actions.
- Your Brand Anchor Language – Who you are, what you do, and your elevator pitch.
- Customer Personas – A snapshot of your target audience.
If you need support crafting Brand Voice Guidelines for your small business, we’re here to make the process simple and quick. Our team at Crafted Voice will manage the process from start to finish, gathering information about your small business, interviewing you and your team, and learning about your goals. From there, we’ll craft Brand Voice Guidelines that set your communication efforts up for success. Contact us today to get started.
A Brand Voice Example | Crafted Voice Communications
If Crafted Voice Communications popped up on the screen of a Catch Phrase game, these are some of the words and phrases that we would use to describe our brand:
Creative. Relational. Empathetic.
Respectful. Friendly. Personal, yet professional.
Easy going. Composed. Positive.
These are a handful of our “brand descriptors,” one part of our comprehensive and established brand voice. If you read any section of our website, get an email from someone on the team, or dive into any resource we’ve produced, you’ll recognize a red thread that connects everything we produce: our brand voice.
Here is a snapshot of Crafted Voice Communications Tone, Personality, and Style:
- We are personal yet professional. We care about the people we work with and are always friendly, warm, and kind.
- We are laid back and fun-loving. Every interaction with us feels like you’re meeting up with a friend for coffee. We enjoy getting to know our clients and have fun while we work. We use humor when it’s appropriate, check in on the family, and ask to see photos from vacations. We have fun and enjoy our working relationships.
- We are passionate. We love what we do and care deeply about producing the highest quality work for our clients.
- We are warm and inviting. Everyone feels comfortable approaching us to ask the hard questions or have the tough conversations. Our working environment is a safe place for all to voice their concerns and experiment with new ideas without fear of judgment. If we disagree, we share our thoughts and recommendations respectfully and never argue.
- We think the glass is half full. The sun is always shining above the rain clouds, and even the worst communication emergencies can be handled with positivity and hope. We use positive language and are always looking for ways to encourage others.
Our complete Brand Voice Guidelines document consists of 29 pages that outline exactly who we are, what we do, and provides clear, specific guidelines to anyone who is to write or speak on behalf of Crafted Voice Communications.
How To Use Brand Voice Guidelines
Anyone who is writing or communicating directly with your business customers needs to read, understand, and incorporate your Brand Voice Guidelines into their messages and interactions to customers. Incorporate a thorough review of the guidelines into your onboarding process, and keep them top of mind by encouraging a quarterly review or anytime there are updates to the document.
When crafting social media content, or email campaigns, or website copy, your Brand Voice Guidelines should lead the way, dictating your tone, verbiage, writing style, and personality. For the people doing the actual writing for your business, I’ve found that the following process makes it less overwhelming to write using a specific brand voice, especially if that voice is different from your natural writing style.
- Review the Brand Voice Guidelines. Even if you’ve reviewed them before, reviewing them right before you write will make it fresh in your mind.
- Write your “crappy first draft.” I had a professor in college tell me that you should title all first drafts “Crappy First Draft” to take the pressure off. It’s advice that I still use to this day because it works! This step is all about getting words on the page, not about perfection. Although, since you just reviewed the Brand Voice Guidelines, you should try to incorporate the voice in as much as you can.
- Edit for voice (and other things). You should also edit your work for grammar, spelling, flow, transitions, etc. Do that, but also edit for voice. Are you using the right words? Is your style too buttoned up when you need to write in humor? Take one, two, or three passes to get the voice right.
- Take breaks to freshen your perspective. It can be helpful to step away from the writing in between drafts to give yourself fresh eyes and perspective. You can also skim the Brand Voice Guidelines again to make sure you aren’t missing a particular angle or descriptor in your writing.
Using Brand Voice Guidelines can feel restrictive and difficult at first. The more you use it, and get familiar with the particular voice of your business, the easier it will become. Your Brand Voice Guidelines is a critical tool in building a strong communications strategy that supports your business goals.
Need Help Finding Your Brand Voice?
Crafting Brand Voice Guidelines for your small business will take time, energy, and intentionality. If you don’t have the time, or aren’t sure that you have the right skillset to do it yourself, our team at Crafted Voice is here to serve as your Communications Strategist. We’ll walk you through every step of the process, working shoulder-to-shoulder to ensure that your Brand Voice Guidelines are exactly what you need to reach your goals, and execute an incredible communications strategy across all of your platforms. Explore our services and contact us today to get started!