There are lots of articles out there that tell you to decide a brand voice based on your mission statement and audience feedback and survey and focus groups and, and, and… I think you get the point.
But unless you’re a large company with a whole department of marketing professionals managing your content strategies, you don’t need to mandate your brand voice so… let’s say formally.
When you speak to your customers, what do you say?
Think about a client you have a great relationship with and imagine a conversation you have with them. You’re a mechanic and a customer asks for your opinion on a car they’ve brought into the shop. They’ve been a long-time customer and you feel like you have a friendly relationship with them. Honestly, their car isn’t in amazing shape but there are only a few things that really need to be fixed. Would you give them a very formal rundown on vehicle maintenance and then spew off your rates?
Or, would you tell them they really need new tires and their lower control arm is what’s squeaking, giving them a quote just for the jobs that need to get done right now.
How would you say it?
As a small business owner, whatever voice you would choose in that situation is your brand voice. That’s because you are your brand.
People come to you with questions because they like you. They choose your business because they like working with you. So don’t develop a voice that isn’t you. No amount of formal information will be effective with your clients or customers if it’s not coming from your voice.
Questions?