writing

You’ll know by now that I’m a firm believer in consistency across your marketing, and this is especially important with your brand ‘voice’. Many think it’s just a case of deciding how you are going to talk about your business: • At Company X I believe… • At Company X we believe… • Company X believes… But it’s actually far more than that, and your business voice is such a great way of drawing in clients, and making them feel at home if you get it right. What your clients and potential customers need to hear is a clear voice that is in tune with them - when interviewed about his own writing style, the journalist and author Italo Calvino replied “It’s not the voice that commands the story, it is the ear” and this sums up my point beautifully. We’ve all watched the TV programmes where someone is chatting away in their natural voice and manner, the phone rings and they answer it doing their best Hyacinth Bouquet (Bucket!) impression and the caller is confused as they have no idea who it is. This is easily relatable back to your business – potential clients need to feel like you are talking to them personally and using a language style that meets them where they are. You have probably spent time analysing who your target client is (and if not, put that on the to-do list quick!) and thinking about how they speak is a good place to start when you are considering your own brand voice. What do they typically read and watch? What are their brands of choice, and what tone do those brands use? You will always have potential clients that are atypical, and your business may indeed appeal to a wide market, but if you can align your voice to your ideal client then you’ll never be too removed from the others. Things to consider: • Does your business have a strap line – if so, match the tone of this to the language you use in your copy. And if you’ve had your strap line for a while, it’s always worth checking that it’s still relevant to your business and it fits what you offer and who to. • Is your brand sharp and punchy, or traditional with an emphasis on finesse? Use word and sentence length to align with this. Is your brand somewhere in the middle? Then mix up your word and sentence length to reflect this – it’ll certainly make your calls to action stand out. • Are you offering expertise to the uninitiated? Steer clear of using industry jargon that will only add confusion, and add in plenty of reassuring language to help your potential clients feel comfortable and focus on the solution you are offering: help, guidance, advice, support Remember - It’s not the voice that commands the story, it is the ear.

It’s not the voice that commands the story, it is the ear.

Remember – It’s not the voice that commands the story, it is the ear. You’ll know by now that I’m a firm believer in consistency across your marketing, and this is especially important with your brand ‘voice’. Many think it’s just a case of deciding how you are going to talk about your business: At

It’s not the voice that commands the story, it is the ear. Read More »