By Heike Young

A few years ago, I was in charge of presenting a big marketing strategy deck to a senior executive. My team and I prepared a script that went something like this:

“In Q3, we’ll deliver a unified editorial calendar. Subject matter will reinforce key audience pain points. We will increase paid media investments to leverage this series in integrated campaigns.”

It sounded so impressive in my head, but the executive just wanted clarity. She asked, “So, what is it exactly? A blog series we promote in paid?”

Oops.

In that moment, I realized the words I was using were all wrong. I wasn’t just doing this in meetings. I was adopting this voice in all the brand’s content I was creating, too.

I call that jargon-filled approach “content voice.” And since that meeting, I’ve been on a mission to stop its spread — both in my work and at other brands. Let’s break down exactly what content voice means and how to avoid it, along with some real examples of brands that get it right.

Table of Contents

• What is content voice?
• Your voice should feel like a distinct logo.
• 5 Tips for Developing a Strong & Cohesive Brand Voice
• Examples of a Strong Brand Voice

What is content voice?

Content voice is when brands use fancy-sounding jargon in the content they create for their audience instead of communicating simply. Here’s what it looks like IRL.

When I posted about content voice on LinkedIn, my comments section exploded with people who knew exactly what I meant. Content voice is saying “utilize” or “leverage” instead of “use.” It’s customers reading multiple paragraphs about what your product does but still not understanding it. When you read something written in content voice, you can tell it’s marketing content, making it feel less personal and valuable.

In my experience, speaking in your regular, non-content voice is a much better bet. Sticking to a clear, accessible voice for your brand is critical to make sure your internal and external stakeholders actually understand what you’re talking about.

Instead of complicated, inaccessible language, just use the same words you’d use to explain your idea to a friend over coffee. I know this might seem tough, especially in B2B. But your customers will thank you for explaining things clearly.

At the end of the day, we’re all human, so there’s no need to talk like a robot. Instead, just use regular, jargon-free words, and do your best to communicate as clearly (and as humanly) as possible.

Your voice should feel like a distinct logo.

So, you’ve cut all the jargon out of your style guide. That’s just the first step. Goodbye, content voice. From there, you have to build a brand voice that feels distinct in a sea of sameness.

Your brand voice should feel like a logo, memorable and distinct. Any time I interact with your brand, I should automatically recognize it …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron