How to Build a Brand Voice That Gets Noticed

Written By: Tosin Ajogbeje 

Wringing out a soaked sponge leaves you with a cleaning tool that is ready to use the next time you need it. The same goes for your brand messaging. By stripping away the unnecessary fluff, you preserve a crystal-clear identity that hardly goes stale.

Consider this example for a supply chain company:

"Moving essential goods across the country can be arduous, from production facilities to the consumer's doorstep. We stand out by offering transportation options by rail, ship and air."

Now, compare that with a package delivery company that communicates its value proposition more directly:

"Getting packages delivered across borders can be challenging. As a global delivery company serving more than 100 countries, we ease the burden with shipment tracking, around-the-clock customer support, and practical delivery options."

The second example does more than describe a service. It identifies a customer concern and communicates how the business can help.

This is where an authentic, reassuring brand voice takes shape. In an online space crowded with news, updates and competing messages, your core benefits need to be well articulated. From a consumer's perspective, people often turn to service-oriented businesses because they believe those businesses can solve a problem. Even when a solution cannot be delivered immediately, communicating a realistic process is a prudent starting point.

Everyone has a different communication style. It is a diverse world, and some people gravitate toward metaphors, idioms, or ambiguous slang. However, when a potential client encounters your elevator pitch or reads your service offerings, they should be able to quickly understand what you do. Otherwise, they may look elsewhere. Understanding market positioning helps shape how consumers perceive your product or service. More importantly, what does your brand represent? Are you a computer scientist positioning your cybersecurity firm as a resilient, AI-driven defender against security breaches, or a graphic designer presenting yourself as a steward of bold, cinematic visuals to attract millions of customers?

According to SurveyMonkey, brand voice reflects a company's personality and communication style, while tone describes the mood or expression of a particular message. Brand voice attributes might include spirited, professional, scholarly, approachable or quirky. A retail brand, for example, might have a voice rooted in prestige and cultural vibrancy, while adapting its tone to communicate inclusiveness, community belonging or shared celebration.

As Business.com notes, maintaining a recognizable brand voice across communication channels helps build familiarity and trust over time. Whether through speaking forums, media interviews, social media or newsletters, your key messages and brand guidelines should remain consistent. It is no wonder we recognize this in certain media appearances and celebrity-worthy interviews.

A distinguishing brand voice in today's zeitgeist reminds audiences of what they have been missing and helps them recognise what they have been seeking. Even when a copywriter or storyteller helps strengthen that voice, grasping the business context, target audience and differentiators is essential. Specificity replaces unnecessary filler with a well-structured message, supported by credible claims, examples, testimonials and statistics.

Getting noticed through confident, witty or persuasive messaging is not far-fetched. However, there is no universal formula for perfect marketing. As audience expectations and the digital landscape evolve, periodic reviews and testing of key messages are worthwhile. Whether through a Mailchimp newsletter or a social media campaign, examining impressions, reach and engagement can reveal which messages resonate and which need refining.

Staying relevant means remaining receptive to your audience. Your brand voice should be recognizable, purposeful and worth listening to.