Finding your brand voice isn’t so much about creating it as unearthing it. You do that by exploring your values, your audience and the kind of experience you want to create.
“Just Do It” isn’t just a tagline; it’s a distillation of Nike’s voice. It’s assertive, commanding, and action-oriented. It’s concise–no poetic ramblings here.
Contrast that with the brand voice of Oatley, an oat milk company that I’ve got a copywriting crush on for its cheeky, cute, yet still intelligent vibe. I don’t even buy oat milk, but I am now considering the switch from dairy because their voice is so clear and compelling.
This type of brilliant marketing isn’t something just for the big guys. With a bit of creative thinking, you can create an equally strong voice for your business. Here are a few of my favourite exercises to get you warmed up and sounding off in your very best brand voice.
Exercises to unearth your brand voice
1. List 10 adjectives that describe your brand.
Click here for a list to help. Is your brand a little snarky? Direct? Confident? Relaxing?
Jot down as many as you can.
Next, let’s narrow it to a shortlist of the 3-5 most important. If you’re a company of one, do this exercise for both your business and yourself.
Which words were on both lists? These are the essential traits your writing should embody. Refer to this list when you write. Ask yourself: does my writing reflect these qualities?
2. List three brands whose voice and messaging you love.
Look at their content and writing with an analytical eye: what is it about their style that is so appealing?
Are there commonalities between them? And are you comfortable emulating them? Figure out how you can blend your story and style with elements of their work that you love.
3. Identify who or what you don’t want to sound like.
Survey the websites and content of three such individuals or organizations.
Notice themes, keywords, and trends. Make a list of several of these elements, and refer to it when you write, to ensure you don’t slip into this style, which is likely your industry or community’s default voice.
4. Audit your content:
What’s working? Review some of your best work. What made it effective? How did voice and tone, word choice, sentence length and structure, and even punctuation play a role?
5. Create a profile of your ideal reader:
Who are you writing to? Include their age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, personality, interests, job, sensibility, values, and worldview.
Done? Good. This is the one person to whom you will write. Not your wife, your brother, your friends or your colleagues.
Write to your Ideal Reader–other readers will follow.
6. Talk to your audience:
Use references, vocabulary and situations to which your readers can relate. Your Ideal Reader is the proxy for this group. The more specific the detail, the better.
7. Write without editing yourself. Then leave it alone.
The next day, come back to it with fresh eyes. Does it feel like your brand? And do you like it? If so, keep going! If not, go back to your brand adjectives list and audit and see what you can tweak to strengthen your voice.
8. Read your work aloud:
Does your writing sound like how you talk? Does it feel natural? If you find yourself stumbling over words, that may be time to change them. Your voice should be effortless. It should feel natural. It should feel just like, well, you and your company.
9. Do As Nike Does.
The best way to define your brand voice is just to do it. Pick a few of these exercises and schedule the time in your busy calendar to focus on this critical work. We’ve even created a helpful PDF version for when you’re ready to get started:
Are you already finished? What did you find on your brand voice journey? Comment below with the adjectives you’re using for your brand voice so we can follow along online.
