The importance of personal branding today cannot be stressed. Its how you differentiate yourself from other people with the same talents and skills. Its how you let the world hear your unique voice. Its practically essential to any professional who hopes to survive in the current job and business market.
There comes a time, however, when you want to transition your personal brand into a business one. Youve finally outgrown your brand, and you now want to take it to the next level. And one of the important things you need to consider is how your brand voice will change.
What exactly defines a brand voice? Its up to you to create it, but here are some important points that you should consider:
Your brands voice should be one that your target audience will relate to
It should reflect the culture and values your brand upholds
It needs to be consistent across all channels
As a personal brand, your target audience is likely to be hiring managers, companies, job recruiters, clients, and so on. But as a business brand, your target may be a lot wider, encompassing different groups and demographics.
This is why you need to adjust your brand voice to this new target audience. You dont have to do a complete 360 degree turn but you have to start thinking about your new target audience and what voice resonates with them.
How do you adapt your brand voice to your audience?
1. Consider how they think.
2. What are their wants? Needs?
3. What do they value?
4. How do they speak?
One of the best ways to connect with your target audience is to use their language. As a business brand, you need to be able to adapt to your audiences needs and speak with them on the same level. Because if not, how can you convey your message to them?
Also, as a business brand, you may not be able to manage all of your communication channels anymore. You may have to delegate and let others do tasks for your business, such as customer support, managing your social media accounts, and even going to client meetings. These people will represent your brand to others, so their voice will also be part of your brand. So its essential that their culture and values mesh with yours, and that their voice can easily represent your business brand voice.
You also need to consider the tone of your brand voice. As a personal brand, its okay to be more personal, more casual, and use a less serious tone. As a business brand, you can still use a less formal tone in your brand voice, but it should align with your target audience. If your target audience is composed of mainly professionals and other business people, for example, then you should probably adapt a more formal tone in your brand voice.
Transitioning your brand and your brand voice takes time, though. It doesnt happen overnight. It takes careful planning, a good strategy, and the right timing. Dont be afraid to seek advice you can always ask people who have gone through the same route. And remember that once youve found your new brand voice, always ensure that its consistent across all channels, and make sure that it reflects your brands culture and values.
