In an era where attention is the new currency, finding your brand voice isn’t just another marketing gimmick. It’s your competitive edge. And one of your most important investments.
I’m a strategic copywriter and in this brief guide, we’ll walk through:
✦ why developing a distinct brand voice matters, especially for startups and small businesses
✦ the elements that make up “brand voice”
✦ 7 essential steps to nail your brand voice—on the first try
Whether you’re new to finding your brand voice or correcting course to fix a problem, consider this your first step to building an unignorable communication strategy.
What is brand voice?
In the simplest terms, brand voice is your company’s personality.
✔️ It’s how your brand presents itself—the way you think, feel, speak, behave—across communication platforms. That includes your website, social media posts, brochures, ads, videos, emails, and in-store signage.
✔️ It’s what helps you cut through the noise, make people lean in, and create a recognizable identity that sticks in people’s minds—even in a crowded market.
✔️ It’s the secret sauce that makes you equal parts likeable, allowing you to form a genuine connection with your audience. For the record, that connection leads to greater engagement and more loyal customers.
What personality does for individuals, brand voice does for businesses: It builds relationships, trust, and recognition. Which is why finding your brand voice is actually really important, especially for startups and small businesses.
Elements that make up brand voice
Brand voice is made up of three core components:
✦ Traits: the fundamental essence of your personality that makes your brand authentically, unapologetically you.
For example:
- Red Bull is bold and fearless.
- Volvo is sincere and reliable.
- Tushy is fun and playful.
✦ Language: your choice of vocabulary (the words, terms, phrases, jargon you’ll use or NOT use) and writing style (sentence structure, punctuation preferences, and the use or non-use of emojis).
For example:
- Brand A: Conversational, quirky, strategic use of humor
- Uses phrases like “Boom!” and “Heck yeah!”
- Avoids corporate jargon
- Writes in short, punchy sentences
- Brand B: Professional, authoritative, expertise-driven
- Uses industry-specific terminology
- Formal sentence structures
- Minimal emojis, focus on data and insights
- Brand C: Sarcastic, direct, playful
- Uses meme language
- Engages in witty Twitter banter
- Calls out competitors directly
✦ Tone: the emotional element of your communication that changes depending on the context.
For example:
- Customer service → Friendly and supportive
- Product launches → Energetic and celebratory
- Educational content → Helpful and informative
Just like a chef masterfully combines ingredients to create a signature dish, you’ll bring these three elements together to create a communication style that’s distinctly yours. Speaking of bringing these things together, let’s get to…
Finding your brand voice: A step-by-step guide for small businesses
Knowing the components of brand voice is one thing. Actually developing a voice that resonates? That’s where most businesses get stuck. If that’s where you find yourself right now, let these seven steps to finding your brand voice be your roadmap.
Step 1: Start with some strategic introspection
This provides the foundational understanding of who you are as a brand, including your characteristics.
But where to begin this soul-searching task?
I like to start by reviewing the company’s mission, values, and goals. (These three are your North Star—and the starting point of everything you do as a brand, including finding your brand voice.)
Actionable step: Note down keywords or phrases from your business plan that describe the brand you’re trying to build.
↪ For example: Modern, forward-thinking, one-of-a-kind experience
Step 2: Identify your target audience
This step ensures your brand voice resonates with the right people, those you’re actively courting and trying to sell to.
Actionable step: Research your customer base; learn as much as you can about them then create customer profiles. (If you’re a large company with the resources, you can go further and build buyer personas.)
↪ For example: What are their preferences? How do they behave? What characteristics define them?
Step 3: Analyze the competition
This will help you find small and big ways to differentiate your brand, so you can carve out your unique space in the market.
Actionable step: Take a deep dive into what your peers are doing, saying, and presenting.
↪ For example: How have they positioned their brands? What’s their communication style? Where could you have an advantage?
Not gonna lie: This is a time-consuming step that’s heavy on analysis—most solo entrepreneurs and small businesses just don’t have the extra hours to pour into this activity. If you can relate, you may find it worthwhile to outsource developing brand voice to an experienced copywriter. You get all the insights without the hundreds of hours of personal research!
Step 4: Decide on the image you want to project going forward
Reflecting on this allows for strategic positioning—and finding your brand voice. This should align with steps #1 and #2.
Actionable step: Map out who you want to be to (and for) your customers as well as how you want to be viewed.
↪ For example: Innovative, fun, always going the extra mile
Step 5: Decide what your brand isn’t
This clarifies boundaries—there shouldn’t be any confusion about who you are and who you’re not.
Actionable step: List all the things (characteristics, features, behaviors) that don’t align with who you want to be.
↪ For example: We aren’t stuffy or uptight. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We aren’t condescending or rude.
Step 6: Create and share your brand voice and style guidelines with your team
By the time you get to this step, you should already have a solid idea about your brand voice. Now it’s time to formalize it. You want all your team members—whether they’re in customer service, managing your social media accounts, or in sales—to have a clear reference, so that they’re always “on brand.”
Actionable step: Create a PDF explaining how your brand will communicate and present itself in print and online.
↪ For example: What are the voice characteristics, language and tone, writing style your team members should follow? Are there specific dos and don’ts, brand-specific vocabulary, or humor to keep in mind? It’s always a good idea to include examples.
Step 7: Refine and evolve your brand voice as needed
While brand voice should be consistent, it can also change (although ideally not drastically) as you grow, as you gain real customer insights and feedback, or as times (and the market) change. This step ensures ongoing relevance and adaptability—because you have to be willing to course-correct (or risk failing) if what you initially envisioned isn’t working.
How brand voice can change perception
Truly, your brand’s voice is a crucial part of how you’ll be evaluated by the public. Here are some examples to show what that might look like for a dog grooming salon.
Friendly & welcoming
“Welcome to the pack! Our groomers can’t wait to pamper your pup with the TLC it deserves.”
Key takeaway: We’re approachable, caring, and treat your dog like family
Audience perception: Warm, trustworthy, compassionate
Modern & stylish
“Enhance your dog’s darned good looks with our expert grooming services. We’ll have your furry friend Insta-ready in no time.”
Key takeaway: We’re trendy, professional, and focused on appearance
Audience perception: Knowledgeable, cutting-edge, creative
Personalized & attentive
“Your dog is one-of-a-kind, and we treat him that way with a custom grooming experience that leaves your pup looking and feeling his absolute best!”
Key takeaway: We see your dog as unique and provide tailored services to suit your pet’s specific needs
Audience perception: Detailed, premium, individualized
You can already see how brand voice can dramatically shift perception and attract different market segments—even within the same service industry. So, if there’s one major takeaway for you: Don’t leave finding your brand voice to chance. It’s best to work with a strategic copywriter to develop a killer brand voice that’s unignorable—and unforgettable.