How to Develop Your Brand's Voice
Usually, the most popular brands out there have the most recognizable brand voices. When you hear or see the phrase “Just Do It,” you automatically know it has something to do with Nike. This is because Nike has consistently built its brand voice around inspiring people on and off the field with its infamous tagline. When building a brand voice, you need to make sure it's unique and resonates with your target audience. When it comes to lash brand voices you may think of companies like Lash Affair, but did you know even your solo lash business has its own brand voice too? In this article, we’ll dive deeper into exactly what a brand voice is and how to develop it.
What Brand Voice Is And Why It's Important
A brand voice refers to the personality, tone, and image that’s infused into your brand’s marketing and communications. Your brand voice should be consistent, present across all channels, and most importantly unique to your brand. If your brand’s message appears to change often or is just non-existent, it’s difficult for audiences to understand what your brand is all about. This is why having a strong brand voice for your lash business is crucial for developing a positive reputation with your current and potential customers.
Now that you know what a brand voice is, it’s time to start building your own. Let’s take a look at the five steps you can take to create your lash brand’s own unique voice.
1. Create Personas
Before you can truly establish your brand’s voice, you need to establish who you are targeting. This goes beyond basic demographics; take a closer look at your audience and think about the following in relation to your lash business:
What does he/she look like? Where does he/she work? What does he/she do for fun? Who does he/she look up to in the beauty industry? What beauty trends does he/she follow? What does he/she want out of your lash business? Knowing your audience inside and out is key to establishing your lash brand’s voice.
2. Define Your Brand in Three Words and Chart It
If someone could describe your brand in three words, what would you want them to be? How would you describe it to someone else? Think about what makes your brand different and what sets you apart from competitors. Using the three words quirky, authentic, and passionate as an example, you can do the following:
- First, determine what ways your brand is quirky and how you can incorporate that tone into your messaging
- Next, find out what makes your brand authentic and why your clients resonate with your brand so well
- Lastly, decide what your brand (and you) is most passionate about and how you’re going to portray that to your audience
Are the three words that you chose in alignment with your brand messaging? Once you determine the three words to describe your brand, your brand voice should reflect those words to a T.
3. Identify Where Your Brand Voice Will Be Featured
Once you know what you want your brand voice to entail, it’s time to decide where your brand voice will be highlighted. According to SproutSocial, when your brand voice is used through the right channel, you increase your influence. Some examples of popular ways to incorporate your brand voice are via:
Social media responses (i.e., Twitter, Yelp) and direct messages to customers and other brands
For example, Wendy's has built its brand voice on responding to customers and engaging with other brands with quirky, fun responses like this one:
Credit: Agora Pulse
Calls-to-action on social media and blog posts
Retailers like Levis use call to actions like "Click the link in bio" on their Instagram posts to drive traffic back to their website:
Credit: Instagram (@levis)
Social media picture captions
Brands like TGI Friday's use social media to share pictures for promotions, holidays, National celebration days, and more - the most important part? The captions to go with it:
Credit: Facebook (TGI Friday's)
As we have continued to emphasize, consistency is key when it comes to your brand voice.
4. Focus on Tone
While establishing your voice, it’s equally as important to determine your brand’s tone. While your brand’s voice should not change, the tone should. Often times, the most memorable brands are those that have a witty and unique tone, which is sure to separate you from your competition. As you saw in the example above, fast food chains like Wendy’s have created a fun and punchy brand voice. Wendy’s accomplishes this by integrating modern slang, lingo, memes and sarcasm into their messaging when interacting with both competitors and consumers. Your tone really depends on your target audience and the message or messages you are trying to send. For example, if you’re promoting a new lash special then your tone should be welcoming, fun, and attention-grabbing. If you’re announcing a major business change like relocating or updating the pricing, however, then your tone is likely to be more serious and less playful.
5. Implement Your Brand Voice And Document It
Now that you have your brand voice perfected, it’s time to put it into action. This means ensuring your blog writers, content creators, and employees know exactly how to utilize your brand voice throughout every aspect of their role. As your lash business continues to grow, be sure to reassess your brand voice goals. Research your audience, competitors, and the industry for ways to continue to improve your personal branding.
These five techniques and best practice will help you find and implement your own lash brand voice. For more information on building your brand, check out our article on "Why Personal Branding Is Important" and "Advanced Personal Branding Tips."
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