Having
a unique company voice has become more important in recent years. Companies big
and small struggle to find the right tone of voice to use on social media, in
content marketing campaigns, in advertisements, when being interviewed by the
press, and even in personal interactions. Anything that negatively affects the
overall brand voice is problematic. Whether it’s a leaked video of a CEO
arguing with an employee or a spokesperson for a brand making bigoted comments
online, everything public about your company can affect its reputation.
How important
is finding the right brand voice?
Every company must determine the right tone
to set for themselves. While beer companies can get away with humorous
advertising and social media campaigns, security companies would be panned for
using that tone since most people don’t find the idea of having their identity
stolen funny. Some companies are good at taking advantage of trending topics
and current events by using them in their social media and content campaigns –
Taco Bell is famous for this – but companies in smaller niche markets likely
need to avoid anything that might divide their customers. Striking the perfect
balance can seem like an impossible task to a small company, but it is
possible.
How do you
determine the right brand voice?
The best way to determine what will work
for your company is to know your audience. While some humor is almost always
appreciated, it can be jarring if your customers expect you to be informative
and straightforward in your communications. If your target audience is mostly
millennials, commenting on current trends in social media or using memes should
probably be part of your strategy. However, if your target audience is an
executive at a fortune 500 company with money to invest, you probably want to
take a more direct, benefit-driven approach to your communication. Companies
with a broad audience are generally the hardest to gauge. In this case, testing
different communication strategies might be the best way to determine your
long-term voice.
How do you get
all communication on brand?
In small businesses, it’s usually easier to
keep all your materials on brand since the marketing department is often small
– or even just one person. However, it’s still important to think of everything
as being connected. If your advertising campaigns focus on how knowledgeable
your staff is, your company blog should have useful information for your
customers rather than just listicle-style collections of memes and comics about
your industry. While diversifying your content is good and can engage your
customers, customers should get the same overall tone from your company
website, blog, guest posts, social media, and advertisements.
How do you make
your voice stand out?
With so many ways to communicate today and
so many companies competing for a customer’s attention, it can be difficult to
find a way to stand out from the crowd. The best way to be unique for your
customers is to be honest and to speak their language. Know what is most
important to your target audience and speak honestly to them about it. They’ll
appreciate it, and you’ll reap the rewards.