What is brand voice (and why does it matter?)

Certain foundational aspects of brand building cannot go unnoticed. Brand voice is one of them.

And while this might sound like a drastic way of looking at things, we believe your brand voice is just as impactful as the mark you want your organization to make.

Brand voice is the language used to communicate with your audience. When created intentionally, an authentic voice achieves a few key ideas:

• Communicates your brand's personality, authentically making space for the unique characteristics and traits that make your brand what it is
• Helps the right people recognize your organization, understand what you stand for, and have confidence in the work you do
• Amplifies your mission and increases your ability to make an impact

This will serve as your anchor for every communication you create.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You never really know something until you teach it to someone else”? Brand voice functions similarly. You're building trust.

Audiences are more likely to believe in your mission and your ability to deliver impact when your organization communicates clearly, in a way that is recognizable and intentional.

Values help your brand stand out. They guide how your organization works, who you reach, and what they can expect from you. Commitments are the promises your organization chooses to keep. These promises turn your beliefs into real actions and set clear expectations. When people see your values and commitments, they can decide if they share your outlook and want to connect with you. The more genuine your beliefs are, the more consistent your brand will feel.

Brand voice is designed to remain consistent. Readers interacting with your copy shouldn't feel like they're dealing with various personalities when they connect with you. This can cause them to feel unsure about exactly what your impact methods are and how you can serve them.

This doesn't mean organizations have to stay within a box. We want you to have a personality. And a strong brand voice isn't about sounding the same in every situation — it's about sounding like the same organization.

This is where tone of voice comes into play. And while we won't completely switch gears from talking about the importance of brand voice (we have blogs you can reference to learn about tone), it's important to remember that the feelings behind your words should shift depending on what you're talking about.

As you're considering your brand identity, we encourage you to explore how both voice and tone are being used to communicate your values and create meaningful connections. Every aspect of your messaging is an opportunity to build trust and reinforce your values and purpose.

We understand that developing your brand voice can feel like starting from square one. To help, we've created a free resource for measuring your progress titled, “The Good Start: A Brand Voice Checklist for Mission-Driven Impact.” Use any of our resources, including our blogs and additional digital content, to support you in crafting your brand voice. We're always here to help build your foundation.