Each day, consumers are
bombarded with a cacophony of brands. Taglines and slogans shout from TV, radio
and the Internet; they vie for attention on store shelves and billboards. It
can be difficult for consumers to make sense of the noise, and it can be even
more difficult for brands to be heard. Identify a common theme throughout your
audiences and ensure that the voice can speak about this theme to all audiences
equally. Ultimately, you want to understand exactly what each audience segments
thinks about your industry and what they want or expect from your company.
Your audience also differs in
regards to their familiarity with your company. A new customer may not
appreciate the same level of informality as someone who is a longtime
subscriber to your newsletter, so the tone of voice should adjust accordingly.
With social media allowing
brands to speak directly to consumers, it's helpful to think of your brand as
an actual person. Ask as many members of your team as possible to think of
three adjectives to describe your brand and culture. Compare these adjectives
to see if any specific ideas have been repeated, and use those as a jumping off
point for the voice.
Search online Twitter,
Facebook, and online forums to see where your target audiences spend time, and
examine how they talk to each other. While you can attempt to speak in the same
way, take care not to lean too heavily on mimicry or it will sound inauthentic.
Celebrity spokespeople are a popular way to quickly give a brand an
identifiable voice. Select the celebrity you think would best represent your
company, and examine why you chose them: if you choose an esteemed actor. When
you've written some content, read it out loud to yourself or to an audience. If
any part sounds awkward, the voice isn't right for your brand.
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