You don't have to be business savvy and hold a Ph.D. in business administration to understand that some businesses fare better than others. Some are ahead of the race, while others chase the wagon and try to hop on board. So what sets stellar companies apart from others? Why do some succeed and others don't?
The buzzword here is branding. Branding builds businesses that endure the test of time and earn their buyers' trust and loyalty. Creating a compelling brand with a strong voice is the only way to remain competitive. But how do you activate your brand's voice and make it heard loud and clear so that you stand out from the crowd?
Keep on reading to find out.
#1. Have A Clear Mission Statement
Your mission statement should reflect your values, and your brand's voice should reflect your mission statement. A clear mission statement is the beginning point that will act as the roadmap to guide you towards formulating your unique brand voice. How can your marketing efforts connect your values to your brand, and how can you activate your voice to perfectly align it with your mission?
#2. Decide On Your Voice Depending On Your Mission Statement
Once you have your mission statement in place, decide on your voice. Your voice describes your brand's personality and should be an accurate reflection of your message. Your voice is unchangeable, and it is what will characterize your brand and make it recognizable in the eyes of your audience. So, deciding on your voice is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Do you want your voice to be fun? If yes, make sure that it is fun but not silly. If you're going to come across as confident, try not to come across as cocky instead. Similarly, if you want to give your brand an air of expertise, try not to make your voice seem bossy. Suppose that you understand your audiences' pain points and want your voice to reflect this genuine empathy. In that case, try to strike the perfect balance between being helpful and being too overbearing.
#3. Have Accurate Buyer Personas
Having accurate buyer personas is paramount in helping you activate your brand's voice. Much like with actual human interactions, you need to adjust how you speak depending on who you talk to. For example, teenagers might require a friendlier, funnier, and nonchalant approach, whereas middle-aged, educated professionals will expect you to reach out to them in a more serious, respectful manner.
If you do not know who your buyers are, it is impossible to create a compelling brand voice that will reach out to them. So make sure that you craft accurate buyer personas, map their buying journey, and reach your audience where they are and not where you wish they were.
#4. Decide On Your Brand's Tone
Your brand's voice is different from your brand's tone. If you have accurate buyer personas in place, you will be able to match your audience's tone and reach out to them. Whereas your voice is unchangeable and describes your brand's personality and character, your tone is the emotional inflection applied to your voice and adjusts to reflect your audiences' own emotions.
So, depending on your buyers, you may need to change your tone while keeping your voice unique and unchanged.
If you can match your buyer's tone, you will succeed in connecting with your audience on a more emotional level. Showing that you understand and share their pain points, and putting your buyer at the center of all your marketing efforts, will help build a strong relationship and foster a close bond based on principles of trust, empathy, and mutual understanding.
#5. Decide On Your Platform
Activating your brand's voice also requires choosing the right platform for your message. If you choose the wrong forum, your message will never reach your audience, and your voice will remain inactive and ineffective. So, depending on your audience, you will have to pick the right platform to activate your voice.
For example, teenagers can be found at TikTok and Instagram, millennials on FB, etc. Using the wrong platform is like standing in the middle of a kindergarten room and performing an outstanding speech on quantum physics in front of kindergarteners, a stellar lecture but the wrong audience.
#6. Audit Your Content Against Your Mission
To ensure that your content is aligned with your mission and that your brand's voice is successfully activated, you need to audit your marketing efforts.
Go over your website, blog posts, social media posts, videos, radio ads, TV spots, print collateral, email newsletters, etc.
Does your current voice reflect your values, and does it serve your brand's purpose? If not, what steps can you take to improve it? Is your voice consistent across all mediums so that it is easily recognized as your own? If not, then go back to the beginning and redefine your mission statement AND your voice.
Pay close attention to what seems to be working and whatnot. What are the lessons you can learn from your most successful pieces? Which pieces receive the highest traction, and which articles get shared the most? This will tell you the type of content that resonates with your audience and help you create similar stellar content for the future.
What Next?
Activating your brand's voice is crucial and is the only way to keep ahead of the race and set you apart from the crowd. Easier said than done; such marketing efforts are best left in the expert hands of professionals.
Our team at Iris Writing International consists of stellar marketers and content writers who have been giving brands their voices for the past decade. We have a fantastic record of creating unique and compelling brand voices that help businesses reach out to and connect with their customers. We proudly serve businesses within the US and abroad and know what it takes to elevate a business and catapult it to success.
What about you? Will you still be chasing after the wagon, or let us help you hop on board and stay ahead of the game? Contact us today to find out more about our excellent content packages available.