Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Picture this: You work for an advisory firm serving socially conscious young professionals. Your approach combines values with an accessible team driven by a commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. Your clients appreciate your messaging’s blend of warmth and expertise.
Now, let’s introduce a new team member. Eager to make an impact, they share a well-intentioned social media post about your services. But to project professionalism and the importance of ESG investing, they opt for a more “formal” tone. The result? A flood of confused comments from clients accustomed to your friendly, sustainability focused content. As your team addresses the confusion, it becomes clear that every choice in communication shapes how your brand is perceived.
A strong brand voice is the foundation of a firm's identity, fostering trust, credibility, and familiarity with clients and the public. To stand out and build enduring client relationships, firms must recognize the critical role of a consistent brand voice and uphold it throughout all experiences and challenges – as well as understand the risks of straying from it. Let's explore the process of clearly defining and maintaining a brand-voice guide that serves as your North Star, directing all your communications and content creation.
What is a brand voice?
Think of a brand voice as your firm's personality, such as “friendly and approachable” or “authoritative and professional.” It refers to the unique and consistent style a brand uses to communicate with its target audience. Brands can establish their voice based on their ideal client, industry, core values, and overall marketing strategy and goals. A well-defined brand voice differentiates a firm from its competitors, allowing clients to recognize and relate to it across any touchpoint, such as social media, customer service, or direct mailers.
The risks of an inconsistent brand voice
I see brands deviate from a consistent voice for various reasons, such as reacting to an emotionally charged moment. For example, it can be tempting to adopt a bubbly tone that’s inconsistent with your brand personality during a significant milestone. Conversely, during crises, market downturns, or a website hack, a firm may feel pressured into a defensive or apologetic tone. In both those examples, an inconsistent voice can introduce confusion, causing clients to question a firm’s authenticity, ultimately affecting its reputation and overall success.
An inconsistent brand voice may also be evident in routine interactions or during firm growth, such as a merger or acquisition. Without a well-defined voice, team members may post seemingly harmless content that doesn’t represent the brand, avoid posting at all, or revert to rigid language that sounds more like legalese or an automated response. A brand-voice guide avoids knee-jerk reactions and misalignment so your firm can navigate any situation with a consistent voice.
How to develop a brand-voice guide
A brand-voice guide is your firm’s personality playbook that current and future employees can refer to for consensus on the tone and feel of your communications. It should include the following components:
-
A brand personality. Identify the traits that will dictate the overall tone of your communications. Try this exercise: If your brand was a person, how would you describe them? Consider attributes that align with your brand identity, such as academic, inspirational, or playful. For example, Amazon’s brand personality is “sincerity and competence” while Harley Davidson’s is “rugged and gritty.”
-
Brand guidelines and voice specifics. With a brand personality set, drill down into the key characteristics of your voice. Include examples of how you want to communicate. Your voice guide should also include nuanced content guidelines, reminders, and dos and don’ts specific to your firm to reduce conflicting or contradictory messaging. Consider preferences, such as style choices (e.g., “Always use the Oxford comma), terms to avoid, unique spellings (e.g., “advisor versus adviser”), and approved names (e.g., “Okay to use Jim in social media content; only use James in press releases”).
-
Approved key messaging and examples. Include specific examples, such as taglines, quotes, and social media posts that accurately convey your brand voice. Provide examples of how your tone sounds in different contexts, such as delivering informative content, sharing celebratory moments, and handling complaints. An in-depth crisis communication plan provides similar examples and protocols for specific situations but requires a few more steps, which I cover here.
-
Gold standard examples. Now, think back to previous content that historically performed well, and highlight the elements that made it successful. These are the gold standard examples your team should emulate and refer to when building new messaging. Learn more about identifying these exceptional moments in my article about social listening.
How to practice your brand voice
Communicating your expectations and practicing your voice are important steps in ensuring adherence among your team. Here are some steps to get your team aligned:
-
Role-play and training. When introducing your brand voice, host workshops and team training to discuss hypothetical situations and how to craft responses.
-
Brand-voice lead. As your team becomes acquainted with your voice, appoint a brand-voice lead who can offer support, reviews, and constructive feedback when developing messages. They may also provide protocols that guide team members in what is approved content, social media policies, or how to handle media inquiries, for example.
-
Templates and samples. Gather examples of successful responses and content that exemplify your brand’s voice to build templates and talking points with pre-approved language for common situations, such as social media or blog posts.
It’s relatively simple to stick to a brand voice day to day. But when unexpected situations arise, brands can find themselves in trouble by hastily communicating or neglecting important stakeholders.
How to tackle highly charged situations
Your brand-voice guide is your firm’s source of truth even during extraordinary circumstances, such as significant achievements or difficult events. These moments can either solidify or shatter a brand’s authority in the eyes of its clients and the public.
Consistency is paramount, and your brand voice guide should be your go-to resource to maintain alignment. When uncertainty arises, follow these steps:
- Refer to your voice guide and develop a tone-appropriate message.
- Seek input from an objective third party, such as a colleague in a different department or marketing agency, to review your message and provide timely feedback.
- Document the process, insights, and lessons learned, which you can include in your guide for future reference. View my recent interview with Sydney Squires, managing editor at Kitces.com, who highlighted the importance of processes in consistently and efficiently building first-rate communications.
Building a brand voice and guide is your firm’s opportunity to establish a unified and compelling communication strategy. By relying on your brand-voice guide, your team will be able to navigate situations confidently while preserving your brand’s integrity and client relationships. As in investing, staying the course with a disciplined approach is critical to long-term benefits. But the “returns” in this case build trust, recognition, and a memorable market presence.
Lauren Hong is president of Out & About, a full-service marketing firm that she founded in 2013.
A message from Advisor Perspectives and VettaFi: Equities are essential portfolio building blocks. Join VettaFi for the Equity symposium.
Read more articles by Lauren Hong
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
