Creating a voice for your brand involves more than just consistency. You ultimately want to create an emotional connection between your customer’s and your business by giving your brand a personality. By keeping in mind who you’re talking to, your audience will get a sense that you not only understand them, but that they are part of a bigger family.
So how do you keep your brand language inclusive? Stay away from industry jargon and beaten catchphrases!
I can’t say I’m completely guilt-free of this. I, too, tend to use industry jargon and buzzwords here and there. There’s a reason why some things became buzzwords and catchphrases in the first place. They made sense! “Content is King!” “Does it Scale?!” “Growth Hacking!” “BIG DATA!” At some point these have become overused and void of meaning.
That’s not to say that there aren’t times when some of these can be used to perfectly describe your idea, skills, or service. It’s simply important to ask yourself why you’re using them and if it is indeed the easiest way to make your customer feel what you wish them to feel. Remember that the most important thing is to be understood. Are you speaking in the most effective way possible to convey meaning? Make sure your attention is spent on meaning and not delivery.
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
– Albert Einstein
This can be observed anywhere really. Take a look at the emails from top execs; Simple and to the point. No fluffy run-on sentences packed with convoluted, inside lingo. Just straight forward, easy to understand messages. Keep it short, sweet, and easy to understand.
On that note, I’m cutting this post here! Happy copywriting!
