You (or your team) sit down to post on social… and suddenly it’s like the ideas packed up and left the chat. We’ve all been there. Crafting a brand voice that actually connects (and doesn’t sound like it was written by a robot) while also asking what is brand voice? —and how to make your brand voice sound like a real human (not a robot with Wi-Fi)— it can all feel like a tall order. But it doesn’t have to be!
If your posts seem to be disappearing into the social media void, it might be time to tune up your brand voice.
What is Brand Voice?
You might be wondering, what is brand voice? Don’t worry—everyone starts there. Your brand voice is your business’s personality — the tone, style, and attitude you use to communicate with your audience across every platform. It’s not just for social media. It carries through your website, email newsletters, podcast interviews, and even old-school TV commercials. The voice you define for Instagram captions should be the same one that shows up in your About page copy or a press release.
So, how do you create a brand voice that’s consistent and compelling? Start with this simple exercise:
Choose 3–5 adjectives that describe your brand as if it were a person — think bold, warm, clever, curious, or no-nonsense. These voice keywords act as your filter for everything you write, from captions to DMs. Before you hit publish, ask yourself: “Would a [your keyword] person say it like this?”
When you’ve finished with the exercise, stay consistent by building a swipe file of posts or brands you admire and label them with your voice words. It’s a quick, effective way to train your tone and keep your message on-brand, especially when you’re asking “what is brand voice?” or struggling to stay consistent with your brand’s voice.
Make Your Brand Voice a Conversation, Not a Monologue
Social media isn’t the place for a monologue. This is where your brand gets to chat. Think friendly and approachable — like you’re having a conversation with your audience, not talking at them. Use a casual tone, contractions (they’re your friend!), maybe an emoji or two — even a meme if it fits.
Keep it concise and scroll-stopping: short sentences, broken-up text, and punchy delivery. The best posts are short, sharp, and real. Say what you mean, leave out what you don’t!
Instead of posting something generic like “Had a great day” or “This coffee shop is such a vibe,” try something more specific and relatable: “I just spent 3 hours trying to resize a graphic for Instagram….Turns out I was locking the wrong layer the entire time.”
Give your readers something to picture and relate to, not just something to scroll past.
Brand Voice First: Content, not always conversion
Does it feel like every marketing tip out there tells you to add a call to action to every post? Unpopular opinion: you don’t have to.
Sometimes your audience just wants to feel seen, vibe, or have a laugh while learning something new — and that’s valuable too. Every piece of content should have a goal, and sometimes that goal is simply to say “Hey, I’m here if you need me.” (read: brand awareness)
The key is to use CTAs when they make sense — and skip them when they don’t.
Make the Visuals Work For You
Visuals do the heavy lifting — so your captions don’t need to repeat the obvious. We see the quote, thanks. If you’re posting an inspirational graphic, skip the echo and either keep it short or give us a personal spin that actually adds something. Consistency matters, but that doesn’t mean sounding like a broken record. Let the visuals do the talking, and use your words to add context, punch, or a little personality (preferably yours, not ChatGPT’s).
And while we’re at it, let’s stop treating every platform like a clone.
- Instagram? Keep it relaxed, visual, and aesthetic.
- LinkedIn? Time to button up — professional, insightful, and typo-free (PLEASE).
- Facebook? That’s your space for longer-form stories and casual connections.
Repurpose with intention — not just copy and paste. Tailor the tone, tweak the format, and meet your audience where they are hanging out.
Use your voice and spread it across content types. Try mixing it up:
- Entertainment (memes, behind-the-scenes chaos)
- Education (quick tips, how-to’s)
- Heartfelt (quotes, client stories, founder thoughts)
- Trends (GIFs, reels, current audio)
- Community building (shoutouts, User-Generated Content)
And please, don’t post every day just to prove you’re alive. Quality > quantity wins every time.
Putting it all together
Your brand voice isn’t a one-and-done kind of deal, it should evolve as you do. Regularly revisit the question “what is brand voice?” and assess whether your brand’s voice still aligns with your vision. Take time each month to audit your captions: do they still sound like you, or like a robot that’s read one too many social media rants? Save the posts that perform well and use them as voice templates going forward. And if your audience starts to shift? Your voice might need to shift too. Just don’t trade in your personality for whatever’s trending — your brand soul is the secret sauce.
Quick recap before you silence your notifications:
- Define your voice with 3–5 keywords
- Write like you talk (but maybe spellcheck it first)
- Don’t default to CTAs — mix it up
- Diversify your content types and formats
- Tailor your tone to the platform
- Consistency > constant noise
Sound like a plan? Cool. Let’s go!
Want some help? We’d love to grab a virtual coffee with you. Start here.
