A brand must have a voice for consumers to trust it. The wrong TOV will lead to a lack of
sales. This rule works for any business from a tech online gambling real money South Africa
platform to an old-fashioned second-hand online store. In this article, let’s learn what a brand
voice is, what it’s for, and how to find it.
Tone of voice is how a brand communicates with its audience. In other words, it’s the tone of
all the messages that are broadcast on behalf of the company: social media posts, ads, TV
spots, messages, emails, comments, etc. It allows you to communicate your values, to
distance yourself from your competitors and to connect with your audience by speaking the
same language.
ToV businesses meet lots of challenges, such as:
Making themselves known to consumers.
Being remembered.
Establishing an emotional connection with them.
Increasing trust and commitment to the brand.
Scaling sales.
Why You Need a Brand Voice
An established ToV allows different employees who communicate with audiences on behalf of the company to follow a unified communication style. But that’s not the only reason. Let’s look at the key ones and learn more about why you need a brand voice.
Maintain Recognition
The style of communication, which has its own features and chips over time, connects to the
overall picture of the perception of the brand. People begin to recognize the tone of voice by
coming into contact with it in different situations. They memorize turns of phrase, slogans,
first associations and make decisions about purchasing or address to the company without
even realizing that it is dictated by the voice of the brand.
Broadcast Values
The TOV reflects the brand itself – the cross-cutting idea behind the company. The mission
and values, even when not spoken directly, are read into the brand messages.
Increase Audience Loyalty
When brand values and messages resonate positively with customers, there is an emotional
connection that influences product selection. A well-thought-out tone of voice becomes one
of the marketing tools that turns situational customers into loyal ones.
Set Yourself Apart From Your Competitors
Tone of voice is a kind of non-visual brand identity that makes a brand stand out among
others. Its elements are value statements, slogans, branded hashtags.
Increase Sales
Ultimately, a brand’s TOV serves one purpose: to generate revenue. But for the voice to start
working, you need to define it correctly and follow it clearly.
How to Find the Right Tone of Voice
First, you need to understand the brand itself, and then what language it will speak. The
following questions will help you do that:
Who do you work for?
What do you do?
Who are you?
Why do you work?
What are you good for?
How are you different from your competitors?
What makes you different?
What values are closest to your potential customers?
What is your mission as a brand?
By answering these questions, you’ll shape your company values. It’s time to figure out how
to communicate them to potential customers.
The next step is to create a portrait of your brand’s target audience. In addition to gender, age,
and location, think about:
Education.
Position.
Marital status.
Lifestyle.
Consumer preference.
Or analyze your real customers: Who are they? How do they spend their free time? What are
their hobbies? Etc.
These two steps will help shape the way the brand communicates. Don’t forget that the
customer needs to understand you at a glance and feel that you’re on the same page with them.
In 2016, Nielsen Norman Group experts suggested analyzing the tone of brand
communication by characteristics.
You have to figure out how to combine the brand persona and the target audience. The result
should:
Convey the right values and mission of the company.
Evoke confidence, positive emotions.
Create strong associative links.
Be clear, not vague.
The chosen voice should be followed by all employees. Such an approach will help create a
holistic impression of the company. If email messages are written in dry, formal language,
advertising messages are bold and provocative, and social media posts are friendly, the
audience will be perplexed.
Never thought about the benefits of a simple tone of voice and its impact on the business, would surely consider this! Thanks for bringing light to such a significant aspect which mostly people miss!