You may have heard the phrase “brand voice” tossed around. Perhaps you smiled and nodded in meetings and pretended to get it.

Or perhaps you considered it marketing jargon. But listen to me because your brand voice can make a difference. A lot.

Your brand voice: the way you talk to [and with] your audience. It is the tone, style and personality behind each word you write or speak.

But if your brand voice isn’t helping you, it’s harming you.

So, is your brand voice helping or hurting? Let’s figure that out together and fix it if needed.

How to Know If Your Brand Voice Isn’t Working

So how do you know when your brand voice has gone rogue? Here are some signs:

People don’t understand you.

If your message seems too complex or ambiguous, you’re losing people quickly.

Engagement is low.

Likes, comments, shares — none of this occurs by accident. Your voice may be off if no one engages with your content.

Communication issues as BT customers vent frustration.

Have you ever had someone say, “I didn’t understand what you meant”? That’s a red flag.

You are indistinguishable from your competitors.

If your voice is like everybody else’s, why should anyone pick you?

You are uncertain about your messaging.

If you aren’t confident in your own voice, how can your audience trust it?

Sound familiar? Don’t panic. These problems are fixable. Let’s dive into how.

Step 1: Know Your Audience (I Mean REALLY Know Them)

Building your brand voice is impossible if you only ever focus on what you have to say. Sounds obvious, right? But so many brands don’t do this at all.

Think about the person you are speaking to. What do they care about? What keeps them up at night? Understanding your audience means getting to know their pain points, their desires, their values.

For example:

• Are they busy professionals looking for quick fixes?
• Are they parents and seeking advice?
• Are they young creatives looking for inspiration?

Each different group speaks a different “language.” Your job is to match theirs.

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How to Get Inside Their Heads

1. Survey your customers. Get and Ask them directly what they love ( or hate ) about your brand.
2. Check social media comments. Identify what people are saying about your product or service.
3. Create personas. Create in-depth profiles of your perfect customers. Add age, interests, goals, and challenges.

Once you know who you’re talking to, your voice comes more easily. Speak to them—not at them.

Step 2: Define Your Core Brand Values

The tone of your brand voice represents what you’re about. Wondering what those values are? Take a moment to think.

What are your company values? Is it honesty? Innovation? Fun? Sustainability? What ever that is let that be your guiding tone.

For instance:

• A tech startup working in the space of innovation may use language that is bold and forward-thinking.
• A health brand focusing on mindfulness might use calm, nurturing tones.
• A luxury fashion house, may opt more toward elegance and sophistication.

Your values provide a bedrock for consistency. By being consistent, we build familiarity. Recognition leads to trust.

Quick Exercise

List out three adjectives that describe your brand. Then ask: Are my current messages consistent with these words? If not, it’s time for a bit of a makeover.

Step 3: Audit Current Content And Remove The Irrelevant Areas: Brand Messaging

Now comes the harder part: examining your past work. Don’t worry—it’s worth it.

Review your site, social posts, emails, ads, everything you’ve put out. Ask yourself:

• Does it seem like the same person wrote it all?
• How does that fit with the values we identified above?
• Would this be the voice our target audience would relate to?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” take notes. Point out the places where your voice creaks. The audit will provide clarity on what needs fixing.

Not sure where content fits in the bigger picture? Check out Emerging Content Marketing Trends in 2025.

Step 4: Refine Your Tone

Armed with Steps 1–3 insights, time to hone your tone. Here’s how to do it well.

Be Clear, Not Clever

Clever copy is nice—but clarity always comes first. Your goal is to connect, not confuse, so remember that. Stay away from jargon, buzzwords, or long sentences. Keep it simple.

Instead of saying:

“We apply state-of-the-art technology to amplify your results.”

Try:

“Smart tools to help you succeed.”

Which one seems more familiar to you?

Match Emotion to Context

In different situations you need different kind of tones. For example:

• A sales page might be upbeat and persuasive.
• A support email should be empathetic and reassuring.
• Social media captions can be playful and engaging.

Know when to dial it up or tone it down based on context.

Stay Authentic

Authenticity wins hearts. Being fake will come back to bite you in the ass. If your brand is quirky, embrace it. If it’s serious, embrace it. Just don’t try to fake it.

Pro tip: Think of your brand as a person. How would they speak? Pretend like they’re having a genuine dialogue with your audience.

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Step 5: Create a Brand Voice Style Guide

Having a style guide keeps everyone on your team consistent. Alternatively, your brand voice runs the risk of becoming disjointed without one.

Here are some things to include in your guide:

• Tone descriptors. Descriptive words like “friendly,” “professional” or “playful” to shepherd authors.
• Do’s and don’ts. Examples of phrases that apply (and ones that don’t).
• Grammar rules. Agree on things like whether to use oxford commas, when things should be capitalized, etc.
• Voice samples. Demonstrate good and bad examples of writing.

A clear framework allows you to keep consistency across platforms. This is a key deliverable in any content marketing in Dubai campaign aiming for consistency across platforms.

Consistency = trust. This is why it’s central to successful Dubai brand campaigns

Step 6: Test, Refine and Iterate

Even after putting in the work to write out your brand voice guidelines, however, it’s not time to rest. Testing is key. Share your new tone and see what happens.

A/B Test Ads Or Emails Monitor engagement metrics. Pay attention to feedback. Adjust as needed.

Note: Your brand voice is not for life. As your audience changes, so should the tone of your writing. Stay flexible.

Final Thoughts: Your Brand Voice Is Your Identity

Your brand voice is how you connect with people. It’s how you stand out. And so most importantly, it’s how you convert casual visitors into loyal fans.

Assess your existing voice. Identify gaps. Make improvements. Trust me – it’s worth it.

Visit The Project F, we’re here to help you stand out and sound like no one else.