#558: What I Include In My Brand Voice Guide (& How It’s Served Me Really Well)

Grab the freebie for this episode here! >>> The Brand Voice Guide Outline You Wish You Had Sooner

If you want to develop your brand voice, here’s where you should start 

When people think of a brand, they often think of what they look like visually – from its logo to its color palette. 

But one often overlooked (and equally important) aspect to a business’s brand is its voice. Your brand voice is your brand’s unique personality -- what you sound like to the rest of the world -- and it’s oh-so important when it comes to standing out from the crowd.

One way to figure out if you have a well-established brand voice is by asking yourself, “If my logo or visual branding didn’t appear alongside my content, would people even know it's me or my company?”

Be honest! If the answer is no, then you might need to spend some time developing your brand voice.

Once you’ve really honed in on how you want to sound to your audience, you can create a brand voice guide – which will serve as your guiding star when it comes to all things content creation. 

In fact, my brand voice guide has been a crucial part of how I’ve been able to have my team, and various contractors, write content that sounds like I could have written it myself.

In this episode, I’m diving into what I include in my own brand voice guide, along with exercises you can do to hone in and perfect your own. You’ll learn: 

• Why your voice is such an important piece of your brand
• What I include in my brand voice guide, plus a few examples
• Exercises to help you develop your own brand voice
• Examples of companies that have a well-developed brand voice

Plus much, much more! I promise this episode is a great listen for any business owner looking to polish their branding, whether you’re just getting started or have been in the game for a while. 

Here’s a glance at this episode...

• [01:39] Your brand voice should be consistent throughout all of your communication. 
• [08:35] Get an NDA signed before sharing your brand voice guide with employees or contractors. 
• [09:46] The first section should be an introduction to your business and the value you offer. This is also known as a mission or brand statement. 
• [11:37] The next section is an overview of your audience, or ideal customer Avatar. Include 5 to 10 bullet points from demographics to desires and fears.
• [13:16] The next section is your brand values. Brand values help you frame your brand story in a way that resonates with your target audience.
• [15:53] The next section is your biography. It's important that you determine how you want people to talk about you.
• [18:09] The next section is your brand personality. This is how you want to sound to your audience. 
• [25:52] You can also include a section on your tone, or the overall attitude and mood that you create in your communication. 
• [30:07] You can use the “this but never that” formula to describe your tone.
• [33:14] The final section is essential content. Grab some A+ examples of your own content that can be used as a reference.

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