How can you balance formality and approachability in your brand voice?

You do need to understand your users deeply. I've worked with brands that were positioned as 'experts'. From functional and task-oriented messaging to a formal ToV, they were authorities in their segments. But, they were seen as cold and distant. This can make brands very niche. In one case, consumers fed back that what the brand offered as 'a perfect solution' was unattainable and alienating. For the other, it was perceived as complicated and for expert users only. Changing brand imagery (people+product), more show and tell (demystifying the process and how you achieve exceptional outcomes), shifting tonality to 'knowledgeable assistant or enabler' and making the results more personal (more relatable), created more balanced brands.

Balancing formality and approachability in your brand voice is an art that fosters relatability and professionalism. Start by defining your brand's personality – consider the industry, audience, and values. For formal contexts, use polished language and maintain a professional tone. In more casual settings, inject a conversational tone, employing relatable language. Consistency is key; establish guidelines to ensure a unified voice across channels. Regularly review and adjust based on audience feedback, refining the balance to resonate authentically with your target audience.

Balancing formality and approachability in your brand voice is a bit like a well-executed dance routine. You want to don the brand tuxedo for the formal steps—impress with clarity, authority, and professionalism. Then, throw on the brand sneakers for the approachable moves—engage, connect, and maybe even throw in a little humor. Think of it as a business casual conversation at a black-tie event—keep it polished, but not too stuffy. Remember, the goal is to make your audience feel like they're chatting with a sophisticated friend who just happens to know a lot about your industry. It's the 'business in the front, party in the back' philosophy, but for your brand voice.

You need to understand your key audiences, and also their relationship to your category. There will be a greater expectation of formality and "expert" tone of voice in categories where trust is particularly important, such as health care or banking. Other, more lifestyle-focused categories (beauty, fashion, etc) will likely have higher expectations of approachability in the tone of voice. Use the research you have available, and a consumer segmentation if possible, to determine how to speak to the consumers in a way that will resonate with them and bolster brand perceptions as "a brand for them" within that category.

Knowing your audience and their pain points is so important in my view. Only if you know the problems faced, can you successfully try to overcome them. Working in an engineering environment, I try to be as non-techie as possible. Again, knowing your audience. You can be knowledgeable, but convey that knowledge in a simple, concise way using no ‘in-house’ jargon.

Purpose setting should be long term and there must be any unique selling preposition of the brand as well. Many other brands may be serving the same purpose but your thoughtful differentiation will establish its own place in the market.

Balancing formality and approachability in your brand voice requires a clear understanding of your purpose. Define your communication goal, the message you wish to convey, and the desired audience action. Tailor the level of formality and approachability to align with your purpose. For educational content, a formal and authoritative tone may be appropriate, while entertaining content could benefit from a more casual and humorous approach. This purpose-driven approach ensures that your brand voice resonates effectively, fostering engagement and connection with your audience.

It might sound archaic, but adding "Ma or Sir" when communicating with clients is a form of respect that is common in African societies. When a prospect or client raises an objection, this is time to educate. Being defensive or argumentative will make such organisations lose sales. That being said, we should never get too casual with our customers. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt!

"We're experts, and we're here for you." This duality in tone can turn your brand into a trusted authority that customers feel comfortable engaging with Your brand's communications should carry the gravitas of expertise but with the conversational grace that invites interaction.

Here's where it's great to have a formal brand "tone of voice" chart and guidelines established - guided by the brand's persona and personality. The "ToV" guidelines should provide direction for team members and help them identify the right words to align with the brand tone of voice. For example, "friendly yet informative" could be a guiding principle for tone of voice, but would ideally be further broken down into "Is" / "Is Not" guidelines (such as "Is Informative, Is Not Serious")

In a pivotal project, we aimed to revamp our brand's voice, navigating the balance between professionalism and relatability. Incorporating diverse sentence structures was instrumental. We experimented with various sentence types and lengths, injecting dynamism and rhythm into our messaging. Embracing this approach, we witnessed heightened engagement, reflecting a more resonant connection with our audience. One tactic I found helpful was studying diverse communication styles. Exploring renowned writers' works and observing compelling advertisements revealed the power of varied sentence structures in captivating audiences.

In my experience, it is less about punctuation; good punctuation is core to good copywriting and more about an engaging, effective style (and, to a lesser extent, formatting) that can bring your brand voice alive. A couple of thoughts: - Sentence length and number of sentences per paragraph. Short and punchy can be more engaging and appealing but may not necessarily convey the breadth and depth of the subject. Link off to more details on the subject. - Headers and subheadings. Well-written headings can effectively introduce and structure topics while assisting subject flow. Not to mention improving SEO— a subject for another day.

Proper punctuation and formatting are the unsung heroes of effective communication. They orchestrate the flow, emphasis, and readability of content. Utilizing commas, dashes, and colons strategically aids in clarity, coherence, and highlighting key points. Similarly, employing formatting tools like headings, bullets, and italics organizes information, guiding the reader through complex concepts while maintaining engagement. For instance, while drafting a client proposal, structuring content with clear subheadings and concise bullet points. This formatting not only enhanced readability but also showcased professionalism and clarity to secure the project.

To solidify the equilibrium between formality and approachability in your brand voice, rigorous testing and refinement are key. Utilize methods like reading aloud, peer review, and analytics to assess consistency, coherence, and resonance across various channels. Align adjustments with audience preferences and overarching brand goals for an impactful voice.

Testing and refining your brand voice is akin to fine-tuning a musical instrument; it ensures harmony and resonance with your audience. Employing methods like reading aloud and seeking peer reviews provides valuable insights into the rhythm and tone of your brand voice. Incorporating feedback, both qualitative and quantitative, helps gauge audience reception and adjust your brand voice accordingly. In my experience, during a major rebranding initiative, regular A/B testing of different brand voice elements, from social media posts to email campaigns, proved instrumental. Analyzing engagement metrics allowed us to refine the brand voice iteratively, ensuring it resonated effectively with our diverse audience.