Perhaps you're about to take the first leap in turning your exciting entrepreneurial ideas into a brand-new business. Or, maybe you're a well-established company looking to expand your business into the global marketplace. In either case, establishing a cohesive brand voice is arguably one of the most basic and important steps you can take to achieve success.

What is Your Brand Voice?

Your brand’s “voice” is your brand’s identity. Your voice helps potential customers recognize you, get a feel for your mission and core values, and communicate your story, standards, and central message. Having a voice that is distinctive helps people relate to your brand and connect with your company. You want your brand to be instantly recognizable.

The Importance of Trust

Research has shown that consumers are more likely to do business with a brand they have learned to trust. Trust can be established by means of shared values. For instance, if an individual is environmentally conscious, they’ll be more likely to shop at stores selling eco-friendly products. What’s more, consumers are becoming increasingly choosey about which brands they prefer to continually support and associate with. This is why establishing the right brand voice will help you win customers who will often stay with you for life.

Why is a Cohesive Brand Voice Important?

Developing strong brand loyalty is only one result of a good brand voice. In addition, having a brand voice that stays consistent across all of your media channels imparts a cohesive feel to your brand. In time, people will know what to expect from your business. You should aim for consumers to come to associate your brand with just a few words or feelings.

• Example: Coca-Cola is widely known worldwide for just a few simple things: the color red, being happy, and an “All-American” spirit. This is what is meant by a strong, consistent, and cohesive brand voice.

Click here for some more great brand voice examples.

With respect to social media, having an established identity will help you decide what kinds of content to post on various platforms. You will have a solid shared foundation that ties everything together in a cohesive fashion.

Establishing Your Brand’s Identity

When trying to come up with a brand voice for your business, ask yourself these questions:

• What does my company stand for?
• What are my company’s values?
• How does my company aim to make a difference in the community or the larger world?

Example: If you are a skincare company, think about the following ways you might want to connect with potential customers:

• Are your products all-natural?
• Do you aim to make your customers feel beautiful from the inside out?
• Do you market top-quality products that deliver fast results?

All of these factors should work together to determine your brand voice. Another idea is to imagine your company is a person to whom you are asking the following questions:

• What do you look like?
• What kind of language do you use?
• Are you energetic or more laid-back?
• What does your ideal day look like?

Figuring out what kind of “person” your company would be if it were a human being can help you gain useful insights into the people who are most likely to relate to your brand.

Set Your Brand Apart

Your brand voice should also set your company apart from your competition. In order to identify what makes your brand stand out in the marketplace, ask yourself the following questions:

• What are you doing that’s different from other companies in your industry?
• What extra steps are you taking to keep your customers satisfied and happy?
• What sustainable practices are you using that other companies aren’t?

Let your potential customers know your answers.

The Importance of Cohesive Language

The language you use to identify your brand is an extremely important way of establishing a consistent brand image. As most of your consumer interactions will take place online, the words you use will leave a big imprint on the minds of your target audience. Deciding upon the terminology that’s best to use and applying it across all platforms will help consumers figure out who you are.

Choosing Your Brand Aesthetic

The way your brand is depicted allows you to be creative with color schemes and fonts. Different colors and fonts evoke different feelings and moods. Your type of business should influence the feel and look of your brand.

• Example: If you sell outdoor products, an adventurous feel may be suitable.

Also, consider your logo and slogan as identifying factors for your brand. Invest some time in experimenting to figure out what works best for your company and your brand. Your brand aesthetic is important because it will help maintain a cohesive image, no matter where consumers encounter your products or services. Conversely, an inconsistent brand image will confuse consumers and turn them away from your brand. So whatever message you want to convey to the world, you must keep it consistent.

Click here for some excellent examples of famous brand aesthetics.

Identifying Your Target Audience

It’s important to consider exactly who you want to appeal to. Begin with the big picture by identifying your core demographic. Factors to consider are:

• Age range
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Income
• Education level
• Geography

Once you’ve nailed down the basics, you can get more specific by researching your target audience's characteristics and habits. For example:

• What are their interests?
• What kind of content do they usually engage in?
• Who are they following on social media?
• What are they buying?

A good starting point for establishing your own voice is to identify the brands that are already engaging your target audience. With this established, you can try to determine how your brand can uniquely fulfill the unmet needs of your potential customers.

Why Localize?

Localize's translation and localization services can help you maintain your brand’s unique voice across multiple platforms in multiple countries. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you keep a cohesive message across all of your international marketing campaigns.

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