The One Thing That Makes a Brand Voice Unforgettable

Your brand voice is either making you money or making you forgettable. There’s no in-between.

You know those brands that you can spot instantly—whether it’s a tweet, an email, or a random IG post? It’s not just about what they say. It’s how they say it.

So what’s the secret? What makes a brand voice unforgettable instead of bland, corporate, and painfully generic?

Let’s break it down.

What Most Brands Get Wrong About Brand Voice

Most people assume brand voice = tone of voice.

Nope. Tone shifts, but brand voice is constant.

Your brand voice is like your personality at its core – it’s who you ARE. Your tone? That’s how you express it in different situations. (Kind of like how I’m a coffee-obsessed designer who can be professional AF in client meetings but also geek out about fonts on Instagram.)

Think of it this way:

• Your brand voice is who you are at brunch with your bestie
• Your tone is how you adjust that personality when you’re:
  • Celebrating a client win (pop the virtual champagne! 🍾)
  • Handling a project hiccup (keep it cool and solution-focused)
  • Sharing expertise (knowledgeable but not know-it-all)

If you’re a witty brand, you might sound excited in a launch email, sassy in a social post, and empathetic in a customer service response.

But at the core? You’re still you.

The Three Brand Voice Fails I See Every. Single. Day.

Brands that struggle with brand voice usually fall into one of these categories:

🚩 The Corporate Robot: Overly formal, packed with jargon, and sounds like it was written by ChatGPT’s least fun cousin.

• “We leverage synergistic opportunities to optimize client satisfaction metrics.”
• (Translation: “We help you succeed.” See how much better that is?)

🚩 The Personality Crisis: The website sounds sleek, but Instagram captions sound like a totally different person wrote them. No consistency. No trust.

• Website sounds like Harvard Business Review, Instagram sounds like a teenager who just discovered emojis. Make it make sense!

🚩 The ‘Trying Too Hard’ Brand: You don’t have to be quirky and chaotic to stand out. You just need to sound like you.

• Using “bestie” and “fam” in every other sentence when that’s not remotely how you talk IRL. (If Chandler Bing was a brand voice, this would be it – trying too hard to be funny instead of just… being funny.)

The One Thing That Actually Makes a Brand Voice Unforgettable

🔑 A brand voice becomes unforgettable when it feels like a real person.

Not a corporate committee. Not a template. A person.

gasp.

I know, groundbreaking stuff here. But seriously, when was the last time you read a website and felt like you were having coffee with the person behind it? That’s what we’re aiming for.

When people read your content—whether it’s your website, your social posts, or your emails—they should feel like they know you.

That means:

✅ Writing how you actually talk (without making it a mess)
✅ Being consistent across platforms (so you don’t sound like a different business in every post)
✅ Infusing emotion & point of view into your messaging (aka: don’t be afraid to take a stance)
✅ Prioritizing clarity over cleverness (great brand voice doesn’t confuse—it connects)

How to Develop a Stronger Brand Voice in 3 Steps

If your brand voice feels off—or if you’re just not sure how to make it stand out—here’s where to start:

1. Audit How You Naturally Speak

Your brand voice should feel like you—but dialed in and intentional.
📌 Record yourself explaining your business to a friend (yes, actually do it).
📌 Notice when you light up and get excited.
📌 Pay attention to your weird sayings and quirks (they’re gold!).

Pro Tip: Check your text messages to your biz friends – that’s probably closer to your real voice than anything on your website right now.

2. Choose 3-5 Key Brand Voice Traits

A strong brand voice is intentional—so pick a few traits that describe yours.
📌 Are you bold, direct, and no-BS? Or warm, thoughtful, and encouraging?
📌 Define your brand dos and don’ts (Ex: Do say ‘real talk.’ Don’t say ‘leverage synergies.’ Ever.)

Instead of just “friendly and professional” (snooze), try:

• “That one friend who always has great advice but delivers it with a wink and a coffee in hand”
• “Your party-obsessed bestie who geeks out about the tiniest detail in the timeline but also knows how to pair the perfect cocktail with the best party appetizer”
• “The expert who explains things like you’re having wine together, not sitting in a lecture hall”

3. Create a Brand Voice Cheat Sheet

Once you nail your voice, write it down so you (or your team) stay consistent.
📌 Document phrases you always say vs. ones you’d never say.
📌 Create sample Instagram captions or email intros that reflect your voice.
📌 Make sure your voice translates across different formats (website, social, email, sales pages).

Final Thoughts: Your Brand Voice Should Work FOR You, Not Against You

Your brand voice isn’t just about sounding good – it’s about making your audience feel seen, heard, and understood. When someone reads your content and thinks “Is she in my head?!” that’s when you know you’ve nailed it. They trust you. And most importantly? They buy from you.

And remember: You don’t have to sound like anyone else. Your quirks? They’re your superpower. That weird analogy you use to explain photography concepts? Keep it. Your obsession with comparing everything to coffee? (Guilty as charged.) That’s what makes you memorable.

Want to make sure your brand voice actually reflects your business? Let’s chat. Book a call or DM me on Instagram—I love helping brands find their real, unforgettable voice.