How to ensure the personality of your brand shines through
Every brand has something to say but not every brand knows how to say it. You could have the best product, the most helpful service, or a genuinely innovative and exciting idea, but if your voice doesn’t resonate with your audience, it’ll get lost.
So, how do you find your voice and how can you make sure it's heard consistently across everything you do? From your SEO strategy to your website design, let’s break it down.
What exactly is a brand voice?
Your brand voice is the consistent expression of your brand’s personality through words, visuals and tone. It’s about how you make people feel when they interact with your brand.
Think of it as your company’s own unique way of communicating. For example, Apple’s voice is confident and sleek, reflecting the precise design of each of their products. Innocent Drinks? Warm, playful, conversational and full of cheeky humour. A clear brand voice makes your business instantly recognisable, even without a logo.
Voice = What you say and how you say it.
Tone = The emotion you use in a particular message.
Your tone can shift depending on context (a crisis announcement vs. a product launch), but your underlying voice should remain steady.
Why personality matters in marketing
Your brand personality is what transforms your business from a faceless entity into something people can connect with. It’s your human side and includes the characteristics and emotions that your audience can relate to.
When customers understand your personality, they know what to expect. That familiarity builds trust and trust is everything in marketing.
If your tone shifts wildly between platforms - serious on your website but jokey on Instagram - it can create confusion and weaken your message.
A defined personality helps you:
- Stand out
- Create connections
- Encourage loyalty
- Build recognition
Know your audience
Before you decide how to speak, you need to know who you’re speaking to. Research your audience’s interests, pain points and communication style. Are they professionals looking for insight and authority? Or younger consumers who value authenticity and humour?
If your audience doesn’t connect with your tone, even the best content will fall flat.
Define your values
Your voice should reflect what your brand stands for. If your mission is sustainability, your language should sound caring and forward-thinking. If you pride yourself on innovation, your voice might be bold and future-focused.
Make a list of 3-5 adjectives that describe your brand personality, for example:
- Confident, helpful, approachable
- Playful, curious, creative
- Bold, expert, no-nonsense
Audit your existing content
Review your website, blogs, and social posts. Does your current voice feel consistent? Are there gaps between how you want to sound and how you actually sound?
This audit helps you spot where your communication feels off-brand.
Create voice guidelines
Once you’ve defined your brand voice, document it. A voice guide ensures everyone, from copywriters to designers, stays on the same page. Include examples of what’s on-brand and what’s not.
For example:
“We sound confident, not arrogant.”
“We prefer conversational phrasing over corporate language.”
“Avoid these words and phrases that make us sound impersonal.”
SEO and your brand voice
Search engines increasingly reward content that genuinely helps users and keeps them engaged. And what keeps people reading? A voice that feels human.
When your content speaks directly to your audience’s needs (in a relatable, authentic tone), they’ll stay longer and come back again - all signals that improve your search ranking.
For example:
Blog posts written in a friendly, authoritative tone can position your brand as both knowledgeable and approachable.
On-page SEO elements like meta descriptions and headings benefit from your voice too. Instead of robotic keyword stuffing, craft descriptions that make users want to click.
The heart of your voice: content
Your blog, social media, videos and newsletters are all opportunities to showcase your personality. A well-defined voice helps your audience feel like they know you and that emotional connection leads to higher engagement and loyalty.
Here’s how to weave your voice through your content:
Blogs - Write like you’re speaking to one person, not a crowd. Keep sentences conversational and clear.
Social media - Let your personality shine. Use emojis, puns or cultural references if they fit your brand.
Videos - Tone and pacing matter - make sure they match your written style.
Case studies - Tell the story behind the data. Who did you help? What problem did you solve?
The more consistently you apply your voice, the stronger your identity becomes.
The visual side of your voice: design
Your voice isn’t limited to words - your design language speaks volumes too.
Think of your typography, colours and layout as the tone of your visual conversation. A minimalist design with clean lines might suggest sophistication and calm, while bold colours and dynamic shapes convey energy and playfulness.
When your visual design and written voice align, your brand feels seamless and trustworthy. Your design voice reinforces your written one and together, they create a cohesive experience.
Advertising and paid ads
In advertising, your brand voice is what cuts through the clutter.
Think about the ads you remember - they probably had a distinctive tone. Humour, empathy, or bold confidence, a strong voice makes your messaging stand out across Google Ads and social campaigns.
Even short ad copy (like headlines or CTAs) should reflect your voice. These subtle shifts humanise your brand and make your messaging sound more intentional.
Customer experience and brand voice
Your brand voice doesn’t end once someone converts. From confirmation emails to customer support replies, your tone shapes how people feel about interacting with you.
If your marketing feels warm and approachable but your support emails sound robotic, it creates a disconnect. Every interaction, automated or not, should sound like it’s coming from the same brand personality. Consistency builds familiarity and long-term loyalty. The goal is to make every message feel like it comes from a real person who understands the customer.
Need help defining your voice?
At Vooba, we help businesses uncover and refine their brand voice and then bring it to life across strategy, content, design and SEO.
Our goal is to make your brand sound and look unmistakably you. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help your brand’s personality shine through in every message you send. Call us on 01798 667167 now.
