Every business has its own personality. Some are warm and friendly, others are calm and professional, and some are bold and playful. The way you write and speak to customers, known as your brand voice, is a big part of how people see your business.
But keeping that voice consistent isn’t always easy, especially when several people are writing on your behalf.
Why Consistency Is Hard
A business with two people and a business with twenty have the same challenge: everyone has their own way of doing things. That includes how they write emails, social media posts, blog posts and website content.
So if three people work on your website pages and another four share your social media posting, your customers could be hearing seven slightly different versions of your business.
Imagine you’re promoting an offer, and you plan two blog posts to remind customers before it ends. If two different members of staff write them, they’ll likely say the same thing in very different ways. For example:
Staff Member 1:
“This is your last week to avail of 10% off! Just use promo code SUN10 at the checkout on any order placed before midnight on Sunday. Happy shopping!”
Staff Member 2:
“Please use promo code SUN10 when placing orders before the end of this week to receive a 10% discount.”
Both posts give customers the information they need. But they’re noticeably different in tone. The first feels warm, upbeat and engaging. The second feels more formal and businesslike. Neither is wrong on its own, but seen side by side, they make your business feel inconsistent, as if it doesn’t quite know who it is.
Why It Matters on Your Website
The same problem applies to your website. If a visitor browses several pages and each one is written in a different style, it can feel disjointed. In some cases, it might even make them wonder if they’re still on the same website.
Worse still, if different writers aren’t working together, one page might say one thing and another page might say something completely different, such as conflicting prices, delivery times or service details. That can quickly undermine the trust your clean, professional website design has worked hard to build.
That’s why many website projects have a dedicated copywriter, to keep the text clear, concise and consistent throughout.
How to Keep Your Brand Message Consistent
1. Define Your Brand Voice
Start by deciding how you want your business to sound. Pick three or four words that describe it, such as “friendly, helpful and down-to-earth” or “expert, reassuring and professional”. Then write a few examples of what that sounds like in practice, and what it doesn’t.
2. Create a Simple Style Guide
A style guide is a short document that everyone writing for your business can follow. It might include:
- Your brand voice and tone, with examples
- How to refer to your business, products and services
- Words and phrases to use, and ones to avoid
- Spelling and formatting rules, such as how you write dates, prices and headings
- How formal or informal to be on each channel, such as your website, social media and emails
3. Use Templates for Common Messages
For things you post regularly, such as offers, event announcements or product launches, create templates. They give staff a starting point that already sounds like your brand, while still leaving room to personalise each message.
4. Have One Person Review Everything
Even with a style guide, it helps to have one person check content before it goes live. They can make sure everything sounds consistent, and that the details, such as prices, dates and offers, match across your website and social media.
5. Review Your Existing Content
Take some time to read through your website as if you were a customer. Look for pages that don’t sound like the rest, and information that’s out of date or contradicts other pages. Updating these makes your whole website feel more polished and professional.
A Consistent Voice Builds Trust
When your business sounds the same everywhere, on your website, in your emails and across your social media, customers find it easier to recognise you, trust you and remember you. A little planning goes a long way.
If you’d like help creating clear, consistent content for your website, get in touch with Whelan Web Design. We’re a Waterford-based web design agency helping businesses across Ireland, and we can help make sure your website speaks to your customers with one clear voice.
