How to curate a brand voice for your e-commerce business

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When you’re running an ecommerce business you may not think your brand has a voice, but this is one of the key elements that can attract customers who love your products. YOU don’t have to be your brand, but curating a voice behind your brand can make your customers feel like they know it (and you) so well, that they’ll be your fans for life.

How to curate a brand voice for your e-commerce business

You may have a business where you think your voice doesn’t matter. Perhaps you think that writing (and speaking) from the heart and being authentic is enough but if you stop and consider certain aspects of how you speak, the tone you use and the message that you convey, it’s a good idea to craft your voice strategically so that you are able to grow your business by outsourcing.

Crafting your “brand voice” allows for you to hire others to write for you, freeing you up for more creative work and do what you’re meant to do, as well as set a tone for your brand that speaks to your customers like you’re their bff.

How do you curate a voice?

The secret is in the word.  Much like a curator of a museum collects, sorts and documents items in their catalogue of artefacts, you too can curate a tone and voice for your brand. One that is authentic and reflects your personality but doesn’t rely on you alone to do all the work in creating content and copy for your business.

You do this by taking a look at the lexicon (range and types of words) you use and document them, you notice your tone and rhythm and you make note, you dig deep into how you want your audience to respond to your brand in terms of their feelings and emotions.

I like to use my experience as an actress to help explain this. I trained in the Meisner technique which is based in truth and authenticity - but it’s not like ‘method’ acting. Method acting is where you are meant to become the character but in reality it’s impossible to ‘become’ someone else (unless you’ve discovered some quantum physics converter), you can only embody a character to the best of your ability

I like to look at it as taking on a role that is an alternative version of me in a different set of circumstances. The circumstances can be in contrary to everything that I know as who I am but I can still portray that character ‘as though’ the circumstances are real and I can play the truth of a situation ‘as though’ it were real too. You may feel that you’d be stepping away from authenticity, but I’d like to offer this perspective.

Being you is really important - however, I bet you have different versions of yourself depending on whatever situation you are in right?

You may be a cursing sailor around your partner, but when are in the presence of your 92 year old grandma, you hold back the swearing so you don’t offend her sensitive ears.  You’re not being inauthentic when you’re in her company, you are choosing to be a version of yourself that suits the situation.

Curating a voice is just like this. It’s about knowing who you are but tailoring your language, your words and tone to fit your audience.  It’s a balance of your creative self expression and your audience’s needs. Most of the time our audience is made up of people who are a reflection of who we are because of who we attract by being ourselves, but that doesn’t stop you carefully selecting how you portray yourself through the voice you use with your subscribers. Take some time to reflect on how you want your audience to perceive you as well as your language and tone. Write this down so you can be clear on your voice to allow you to communicate that to anyone who writes for you.

Here’s a short step by step guide of how to curate your voice:

STEP 1

Make a list of fictional characters who embody the kind of character you are or what you want to be for your audience.

STEP 2

List out the personality attributes that make up those characters.

STEP 3

Ask your friends and family closest to you to describe you ‘in a nutshell’.

STEP 4

Write out the slang or type of words you use day in day out - these can even be the things you often say or ‘slogans’ that people know you for saying.

STEP 5

Now take some time to write out how you want your audience to feel in the interactions they have with you and your brand.

STEP 6

Keep all these details close at hand and refine over time as your business evolves.  This will allow you to stay authentic, be yourself and allow others to support you in your copy and content creation for your business.