So, brand voice and tone of voice are the same thing, right?
You’ve had your business for a wee while now, and you’re being told to create brand voice guidelines, establish a verbal identity, or make your tone of voice sound like you… Sooo what’s the difference?
It’s been *cough* years now of crafting brand voice guidelines for both big brands and small business owners. And now I’m seeing a trend of ‘how to sound like you’, ‘be authentic’, and other hooks for those trying to stand out in this rather noisy world.
My beady eyes have also seen tone of voice, brand voice, and verbal identity being used interchangeably. So, here’s my really simple rundown of what each of these is and why you need them in your business if you want a voice that no one can copy (including AI), earn instant trust as soon as your dream client lands on your pages, and no longer have to justify your pricing because your words do that for you.
Writing brand voice guidelines for big businesses
Why should I listen to you, Hols? Well, that’s fair enough. There’s a lot of advice out there, so why listen to me?
I’ve been the copy & features editor for NEXT and an award-winning head of content. I’m not saying this to brag. Only to share my insights into working with these big businesses with you.
In the corporate world, you tend to see brand voice and tone of voice used interchangeably. But that’s not quite right. And something as a business owner yourself needs to get to grips with if you want to make your words work harder.
Sure, I learnt a lot about what to include, but also what this branch of brand identity isn’t. Leading me to craft…
The Just Custard Copy approach to voice
I’m not one for many-a-page doc that you’ll read once and never again.
Think of your voice as something to grow and nurture as it evolves with you.
It’s something that needs to be planted… It grows only if you nurture it, and it’s usually after time that you see the true fruits of your labour. Get distracted and neglect it, and it wilts and doesn’t offer you the rewards that come with nourishment.
Where rebrands get it wrong is this idea of starting from scratch or trying to revolutionise their personal brand identity because someone else seems to be doing it better, or a new tool has come out and the bandwagon needs to be jumped on.
But voice is so personal. It’s yours and yours alone. And if used properly, it can really change things for your business.
Let’s get into it...
Your verbal identity
Think of this as your roots.
Your verbal identity is the groundwork that feeds into everything else, like your words and how you position yourself, the messages that you repeat over and over to connect with your dream client. It also paves the way for the fun stuff, like how you name your packages or services and even your brand name.
This is what makes it seem like there is no choice between you and your competitors. You’re the one that has a point of view. Regardless of price, you share the same values as your client. Never justify your prices again. This is the experience, authority, research, and social proof.
This is your strategy. Grounded, unmoving, and consistent.
Your brand voice
The branches of your personality.
Your brand voice is a steady, unchanging thread in everything you write and say. Made up of your personality, the quirks that make you impossible to copy (sorry not sorry, ChatGPT). This is where you get to have fun with your words.
This is what connects you to the people that make total sense for your business. It might be microcopy on your packaging, or a particular greeting for your community. In my brand voice blend package, we craft practical examples of how your brand is expressed through words, a resource you can reach for when inspiration goes for a wander.
This is your personality. The quirks and the everyday stories.
Your tone of voice
Changing of seasons.
This is where a lot of people are getting mixed up, and it’s costing small business owners big time. Your tone of voice is the final piece of your verbal identity. It’s changeable depending on the scenario, but keeps the overarching verbal identity intact.
So, say for instance you have quite an outspoken brand voice that’s playful and often crosses the line; when it comes to, let’s say, opting out of Mother’s Day communications, you would want to tone that down a little to ensure you come across as sincere.
This is your emotional intelligence. Knowing what is appropriate in context.
Do you really need Brand Voice Guidelines as a small business owner?
Simply, yes.
But I don’t mean just paying for a pretty doc and checking off a tick box. Oh, no, no. We don’t do that around here.
The fact of the matter is, consumers are inundated with information. And a lot of it is false, copied, or AI-generated. So, you’re competing for the attention of very tired and sceptical people. Alongside a strong visual identity, you need a concrete verbal identity.
Can’t AI just write it for me?
Again, yes.
But you’re not going to get the outcome you need to make a difference. That I can guarantee you.
If we get past ‘I don’t like writing’ and ‘well it can write in 60 seconds’. How often have you read back what it’s written for you and, after a couple of reads, thought, ‘wow, Claude really gets me’?
It won’t. It’s trained not to take a stance, so whatever it creates for you is going to be watered down at best.
The thing is, before you write, you need to dig. Dig into the nitty-gritty, ask the questions that unearth everything that makes you, YOU.
Still not sure? Check out what my lovely business owners have achieved by investing in their brand voice.
I don’t really care what we call it
I think there’s a real trend of arguing about naming conventions for reach or to stir up new conversations.
But truth be told, I don’t mind what we call it, because I cover everything you see here in my Perfectly Brewed Brand Voice Blend.
If you’re tired of having AI forced down your neck, struggling to stand out in your industry, and want a verbal identity no one else can copy, you’re in the right place.
