By Matt Forster, Strategic Communications Director, Gardiner Richardson
Content creation is now part of everyday business communication.
For many organisations, the challenge lies not in having ideas, but in expressing them in a way that reflects the right brand voice and tone.
Whether it is a thought leadership article, a LinkedIn post, or a customer letter – consistency in style, language, and messaging helps shape how an organisation is perceived.
Even though you might be clear on what you want to say – making it sound genuinely ‘on brand’ is a whole other ball game.
If you, or someone in your team, writes well, how your business sounds is probably down to you (or them).
This might not be a problem until the company expands or the person responsible for doing the bulk of your writing gets swamped or moves on.
Then what?
Whose voice does the business use, how do you know it’s the right voice for you and why does it even matter?
It matters because how you come across sets the foundation for the relationships you are going to develop.
In our day to day life, we’re attracted to people with personality traits we share or admire, ones we wished we had or ones that complete us.
It’s the same when it comes to brands. We’re more likely to engage with those that have a personality that aligns with our own.
Importantly – in ever more crowded marketplaces where differences between products and services are often too close to call – a strong personality can be a differentiator. It can help your brand or business to stand out, to be recognised, remembered and chosen.
So, how do you find your voice?
If you’re lucky, there might be a tone of voice guide down the back of the sofa.
These don’t always look the same but in many cases they comprise a list of words that you should use and a list of words that you shouldn’t use.
They may even offer some advice. It’s usually something about being friendly but professional and speaking plain English. What a personality to conjure with! The truth is they don’t always give you much of any meaning to go on.
Any of this sounding familiar?
If it does – then it sounds like your business is in need of a personality.
‘But where do I get a personality?’ I hear you say.
When it comes to defining your brand’s personality, the most important thing to do is understand the core motivation behind your brand’s behaviours – what drives your brand to do what it does for your customers.
Is it driven to care for people?
Does it use wisdom to solve their problems?
Does it seek to return them to a more natural state?
Understanding motivation is the key to unlocking your brand’s personality.
When you understand this, you will have a clear sense of who your brand is.
You’ll be able to step into its shoes to write and create in character.
When you’re consistently communicating with your authentic character – you’re consistently showing up in a way that is going to attract and engage customers and audiences that will be authentically interested in engaging with you.
This probably sounds easier said than done but with the correct inspiration, guided investigation, application of archetypal thinking and some creativity – every business is capable of discovering its own personality.
Interested in finding your personality?
Get in touch with us at Gardiner Richardson.
gardiner-richardson.com