So, What is a Brand Voice?

In preparing for Sawdust Talk recently with Dave from Deadknot Woodworks, I was reviewing his captions, which I think we can all agree are distinctive in their style. The creativity, poetry, and thought-provoking messages he includes in almost every post is what we would call his brand voice.

For instance, recently Dave posted: 

"Down the rabbit hole I go, for I do knot know what the future has in tow. I’m just glad that this Goon took the time to start this grind, for if he only knew where he would be now, it would have blew his mind."

Dave commented on Sawdust Talk that if he was asking someone to read his caption he wanted to make sure it was worth reading.

What is Brand Voice?

Brand voice is the way you talk to your customers and is defined by your brand's style of communication. Your brand voice is directed to your target audience, and it can have any style as long as it feels true to your brand. It could be authoritative, funny, motivating, or even a tone of premium quality and craftsmanship.

Of course, there are a variety of makers with a distinctive brand voice. Shane’s Hardwood has an irreverent tone. His captions are filled with double entendres and not so gentle reminders that he is the best at what he does. It's edgy, but his voice fits both his personality, his humor, and his sometimes cartoon theme work.

For example, in regards to the $50 deposit Shane requires to get in line for a project from him, he says:

In contrast, Matt Outlaw from 731 Woodworks conveys messages of tool reviews, tips and tricks, and motivation. His audience tunes in for his no-nonsense tool reviews. When he's trying to reach other makers to use his affiliate links, his trusted voice is an exact fit.

Recently Matt posted this motivational message

"If you’re chasing a dream, you’ll have to climb the mountain to catch your dreams. Along the way you will face opposition from many different places. Sometimes it’s 'friends' and family. Sometimes it’s complete strangers and sometimes it’s physical or financial set backs. Keep chasing the dream. The obstacles in your way are making you stronger. And sometimes can even indicate you’re on the right path"

Of course, you know what kind of content and brand voice you’ll get from me. I try to stay business professional, supportive of the community, and maybe drop a dad joke in. It’s all just what I like to talk about. Occasionally I’ll drop in a woodworking post, just to remind everyone I’m also a maker. Other than that,  I’ve made a decision to not post too much maker content. It makes the brand message confusing.

Something that works for another maker may not fit your brand voice and thereby not be appropriate for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t share their content. It simply means if the caption is clearly from you, it should match your desired brand voice.

What is Your Brand Voice?

Write down a description of the voice, maybe a few examples, and post them where you do many of your social media posts. And when you make your next post, ask yourself: Is this consistent with the brand voice I want to convey to the world?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Scott Chervitz is owner of George Supply Company, dedicated to helping woodshops build their brand. See more at GeorgeSupplyCo.com. You can reach him at Scott@GeorgeSupplyCo.com, on Instagram at @GeorgeSupplyCompany or Twitter @ScottChervitz

Brian Chervitz M.S. is Associate Instructional Designer at the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus.  He can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianchervitz/