What Your Brand Says Is Just as Important as What It Looks Like
Your colors are on point. Your logo’s perfected. Your fonts are consistent across every platform. But if your messaging feels off – or worse, alienating – people won’t engage, no matter how good your visuals are.
Your brand voice isn’t just about being witty or warm. It’s about connection. And if you’re not intentional about how you speak to your audience, you could be unintentionally turning them away.
Let’s talk about how to know if your voice is actually working.
What Is Brand Voice, Really?
Your brand voice is the consistent personality and tone you use across all communication. Think of it as how your brand would speak if it were a person.
It helps you:
- Build trust
- Create recognition
- Speak clearly to your ideal audience
But it’s not “one size fits all.” A voice that feels fun to you might feel flippant to your audience. A corporate tone may sound cold if your audience expects warmth.
So how do you know if your voice is a hit or a miss?
Ask Yourself These 4 Questions
1. Are you writing for you or for them?
A lot of brands fall into the trap of writing what they think sounds clever or cool. But your audience may not care or may not get it.
Check yourself:
Are you using jargon your users don’t understand? Inside jokes only your team gets? Tone that feels trendy but lacks meaning?
Fix it:
Revisit your customer profiles. Listen to how your audience actually talks – in reviews, on forums, in real conversations. Mirror their tone and vocabulary.
2. Are you consistent across platforms?
If your website sounds professional, your Instagram sounds snarky, and your emails are weirdly robotic… that’s a problem.
Check yourself:
Do your tone and word choices shift depending on who’s managing the channel? Is your social media casual while your emails are overly formal?
Fix it:
Create a brand voice guide that defines your tone, personality traits, do’s and don’ts, and writing examples. Train your whole team to follow it.
3. Does your voice feel inclusive?
Your voice has the power to welcome people or unintentionally exclude them. Using outdated slang, cultural references, or gendered language can quietly signal that some people aren’t your audience.
Check yourself:
Are you using language that assumes too much (e.g., everyone celebrates certain holidays, or uses the same tech tools)? Do your messages reflect diverse experiences?
Fix it:
Write with empathy. If needed, run content through a DEI lens. Use tools like Hemingway or LanguageTool to check tone and accessibility.
4. Are you writing with a real person in mind or a made-up “customer”?
A vague idea of a “target market” often leads to vague messaging. That’s when brands start saying things like “empowering solutions for modern leaders” which sounds like something, but means nothing.
Check yourself:
Are you writing to a real human you’ve worked with before? Can you imagine what they’d say back?
Fix it:
Use one of your actual favorite clients or donors as a stand-in. Speak directly to them.
Final Thought: Your Brand Voice Should Feel Like a Conversation
The best brand voices feel natural, confident, and clear, not forced or performative. When your audience feels seen and spoken to, that’s when trust builds. And trust? That’s what turns browsers into believers.