Sure, I’m a little biased, but I’d argue that every business – big, small, online, offline, product, service, old, new – should have a voice. I’d also argue that most businesses have the beginnings of a voice, even if you don’t realise it yet.
And no, I’m not arguing that every business needs a full-on, six-month tone of voice strategy work-up. Sometimes it’s as simple as codifying what’s already there, making it intentional.
Here are my three big reasons why your brand needs a voice:
Consistency builds trust:
Let’s say you’re a personal trainer. You find most of your clients on Instagram. But you also run sessions for local women in a nearby gym and you seem to attract a lot of brides getting ready for their big day. If you sound like a bootcamp mistress in your IG captions, then when that potential client runs into you at a wedding show, and you’re all warm and fluffy, what happens? It feels confusing, it breaks the spell and most importantly, it erodes trust. What if the person they meet at the gym sounds and feels exactly like the person they stalked on Insta? You’re becoming more memorable, more distinctive and a million times more trustworthy.
Standing out in the big beige:
Just like it’s easy to paint your whole house magnolia and call it a day, it’s easy to write beige. And writing beige is only getting easier thanks to our friends the robots.
Think of your brand’s voice as writing in technicolour. Because having a voice is basically another way of saying having a personality. If you have a chat with your client in real life, are you going to aim to sound like the talking clock? Or are you going to tell a little anecdote about your journey, make a little joke or at the very least crack a smile? Thought so. ‘Voice’ is just doing that in writing. It’s a quick, cheap and easy way to cut through the big beige internet and become more memorable, build those relationships and ultimately sell more of whatever you’ve got to offer.
Efficiency (aka doing more of what you love):
Okay, those two were about sales. This one’s about how you run your business. Your workflows and processes. Look, you didn’t become a jewellery designer because you love writing Instagram posts. You didn’t get into management consultancy because you delight at writing blog posts. At best, writing for your business is a chore, at worst, it’s something you actively dread.
Having a voice makes it easier. Knowing who you are and how you sound sends the fear of the blank page packing. And when it comes to editing your own stuff, you have a clear set of criteria and guidelines so you: a) know what you’re aiming for and b) hit that target every single time.
It’s about getting intentional with the words you use. You wouldn’t just slap any old colour on to your business van or chuck a random, blurry photo up on the grid. Your words deserve the same respect.
If you’d like to chat more about a voice for your business, I’d love to hear from you.