A Step-by-Step Guide to Brand Voice and Messaging

A Step-by-Step Guide to Brand Voice and Messaging

Imagine someone walks into a networking event. Instead of striding up confidently and introducing themselves with clarity, they awkwardly mumble something forgettable — or worse, say something different every time. Confusing, right? That’s essentially what happens when a brand doesn’t have a clear, consistent voice and message.

The truth is, your brand is always communicating, whether through your website, emails, ads, or even your LinkedIn posts. And if that “voice” feels scattered, clients are left guessing about who you are and why they should care. That’s not just bad for first impressions; it’s bad for business.

This blog is your practical guide to defining a brand voice and messaging strategy that helps your business communicate its value clearly. Because when your brand knows exactly what to say (and how to say it), your clients listen

Why Brand Voice and Messaging Matter

Think of your voice as the personality people connect with, and your messaging as the story you keep telling. Together, they shape how your business is recognized, remembered, and trusted.

Consider some big-name examples:

• Apple consistently communicates sleek, innovative simplicity across every channel.
• Nike is bold and confident, launching campaigns that motivate and empower athletes.
• Patagonia weaves environmental advocacy into everything it does, attracting customers who share its values.

This isn’t just a bunch of marketing fluff — it’s strategy. Harvard Business Review found that among consumers who say they have a relationship with a brand, 64% cited shared values as the primary reason, far outpacing other factors like frequent interactions (13%). In other words, customers respond the most to who you are and what you’re saying.

How to Define Your Brand’s Voice and Messaging

1. Know Your Audience

Before you can define a brand’s voice or craft messaging that resonates, you need to know exactly who you’re talking to. Without this insight, even the most creative messaging can fall flat or miss the mark entirely.

Start by creating client personas: Who are they? What challenges do they face? What motivates their decisions? Consider demographics, values, and communication preferences. Understanding these details helps you tailor both tone and content so your brand speaks in a way that actually connects.

For example, we worked with Jokerbox, whose audience is highly specific: professionals in the production industry known for being incredibly particular about how they organize their gear. These are tech-savvy, no-nonsense individuals who pride themselves on being problem-solvers, unafraid to figure it out and improvise on set.

Knowing this, we shaped Jokerbox’s brand language around that mindset and way of operating. It also didn’t hurt that the owner had firsthand experience in the industry and gave us the in-depth knowledge needed to develop a voice that felt natural, confident, and true to the culture of the industry.

2. Define Your Brand Personality

Every business has a personality. This step is all about deciding what yours is and making it intentional.

Think of your brand as a person. How would they sound in a conversation? Are they warm and approachable, sharp and witty, or steady and professional? The answers to these questions shape everything from your marketing emails to your social media posts.

A well-defined personality also makes decision-making easier. Instead of guessing what tone to use for each piece of content, you have a reference point that guides your messaging. Your brand personality becomes the voice that carries your values, builds connection, and ensures clients know exactly who they’re working with.

3. Clarify Core Messaging Pillars

With your audience defined and your brand personality clarified, the next step is to pinpoint your core messaging pillars, or the key ideas that will consistently communicate your value. These pillars act as the backbone of all your messaging, ensuring each piece of content reinforces what makes your business unique and relevant to your clients.

Following our proven marketing processes developed over 20 years, our work with Victoria’s Voice Foundation is a great example of how all of these steps come together in practice. For instance, to unify their brand messaging, we honed in on better connecting with their diverse audience and rallying partners and donors around their mission.

The result was a reframed mission and positioning that amplified their commitment to eradicating the youth drug epidemic. Using a confident, supportive voice, we highlighted the foundation’s promise to save lives and drive policy change, creating messaging that resonates with supporters and energizes them around the transformative mission.

4. Make It Official

Once you’ve established your voice and messaging, put it all in one place in an official brand guide. This is essentially your brand’s instruction manual — a quick reference for anyone creating content, from marketing teams to client-facing staff.

Your guide doesn’t have to be complicated. Define your voice and messaging in simple terms, include examples of language that fits your brand, and note words or phrases to avoid. You can even provide scenarios showing how your brand should respond in different situations.

When you work with us at PH3, we tackle this step seriously. For example, in our brand development work with Northwest Church, we created a fresh brand guide that defined the new visual Northwest standard for both internal and external communications. A solid playbook ensures your voice is just as clear and recognizable as your look.

5. Apply It Everywhere

Having a defined brand voice and messaging is only half the battle. The next step is putting it to work where your audience interacts with you. From your website and email campaigns to social media and proposals, being consistent is key. In fact, brand consistency has contributed to anywhere between 10% and over 20% revenue growth, according to a survey of over 450 professionals.

That doesn’t mean every piece of content has to sound identical. While your voice stays consistent, you can — and should — adapt your tone to fit the context or platform, making it feel natural while still staying true to your brand. For example, an in-depth email may allow for more detailed messaging, whereas a social post can be punchier and more concise.

Applying your voice across all channels ensures that your brand feels cohesive, professional, and reliable. When done well, it builds trust, strengthens relationships, and makes every interaction an opportunity to reinforce your value

6. Revisit and Evolve

Brand voice and messaging aren’t set-it-and-forget-it elements. They should grow and evolve along with your business. As your audience changes, your offerings expand, or your market shifts, revisiting your voice and messaging ensures you stay relevant and resonant.

Take our long-term partnership with Northwest Church. Over more than a decade, we’ve partnered closely with them, helping their brand evolve as their community grew. At one point, we developed distinct sub-brands to give different ministries their own identities and create additional entry points for engagement. This evolution increased awareness and participation, proving that updating and refining your brand messaging can have a tangible impact.

Next Steps: Let Your Brand Be Heard

Defining your brand’s voice and messaging isn’t just a marketing exercise — it’s the foundation for every conversation your business has with clients, partners, and prospects. And the payoff of a strong, unified brand? Clients understand who you are, trust what you stand for, and are far more likely to engage, partner, or buy.

Your brand already has a voice. It’s just a matter of turning the volume up and making sure it’s singing the right tune. Ready to make your brand one people actually want to listen to? Drop us a line here.