Why Brand Tone and Voice Matter More Than Your Color Palette
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When was the last time you discovered a Netflix show just by scrolling?
Not because someone recommended it, not because it was trending, but because something about it caught your eye?
For me, it was “A Man on the Inside”.
(Spoiler: it’s a cozy little show. Loved it).
…Was it a compelling thumbnail that drew me in? Uh, that’s a no from me, dawg.
…The chefs’-kiss casting of Stephanie Beatriz, Ted Danson, and Sally Struthers? Hmm. I do like them.
But according to a New York Times piece, what likely sealed the deal were those tiny descriptive brand tone tags Netflix gave it: quirky, witty, heartfelt.
Ooooooh yeah. Exactly what I wanted!
→ "Bridgeton" is labeled swoonworthy, witty, and emotional.
→ "Emily in Paris" is campy and quirky.
→ “Love is Blind” is romantic (um, Netflix, u ok?), and the “Martha” doc is provocative and nostalgic.
^ These two or three simple words aren't just for funsies – they're carefully chosen brand messaging that instantly communicate what experience you'll get. And that’s what draws you in.
When you think about it, those little tags are doing a TON of heavy lifting.
Brand tone is the shortcut.
With just 2-3 words, Netflix can speak directly to exactly the right viewer who's craving that specific experience. And they're doing it 24/7, without posting endless content (other than the limitless catalogue they seem to keep increasing).
Mind blown? Yep, me too.
Want to make your brand voice work overtime – so you don't have to?
The Brand Roots Blueprint™ gives you the exact tools to craft written and visual messaging that connects instantly with your ideal clients – without endless posting.
Get the mini-course that solopreneur Keeley Blanchard calls “a roadmap to a brand strategy that serves as a cheat sheet for busy business owners!"
We can copy Netflix’s brand voice guide that does more by doing less.
Being a small business owner, coach, or solopreneur comes with overwhelming pressure to constantly pump out social media content … with diminishing returns.
I mean, how many times have you spent hours crafting the "perfect" post only to hear crickets? Or worse, gotten a bunch of likes but zero actual clients?
The pressure to "stay visible" has created a culture of burnout and overwhelm.
Being a content creator is legit some people's full-time job.
But not mine – I'm a service provider. So why on earth would I spend so much of my time creating content?
Here’s the thing: Strong brand voice and tone can actually be the key to breaking free of this cycle.
Netflix has figured out something crucial.
They don't need to post about "Grey's Anatomy" every day to get you to watch it. They just need those two perfect words that instantly communicate what you'll experience.
It’s a shortcut to connection.
What we so often miss about branding is that it’s not just a beautiful color palette or unique fonts.
Your visual and written messaging is actually a system.
It’s the consistent way you communicate who you are and what you do.
It's the words, images, and overall vibe that make your business instantly recognizable, whether someone sees you on Instagram, a landing page, your website, or in their inbox.
And we all might need some social media for business. So I'm not saying everyone should abandon social media completely, but rather make it more efficient and less time-consuming through strong brand voice and tone.
Let’s get into the three most powerful ways strong messaging helps you escape from the death grip of social, so you can reclaim your time and sanity.
1: Strong brand voice reduces task overwhelm
Unclear messaging leads to endless back-and-forth DMs with potential clients. Think about all those common questions that eat up your time: pricing questions, questions about what exactly an offer entails or how it's delivered, questions about what you do or don't do.
When your messaging answers these questions upfront, you experience less time explaining your services, fewer tire-kickers in your inbox, and more time outside of the DMs.
In my own business, I used to spend hours each week answering variations of the same questions.
"What's included in this website package?"
"How long does it take?"
"Do you do XYZ?"
Once I got clear on my ideal audience, and created some brand tone and voice guidelines to use on my website and in my email sequences, these questions practically disappeared overnight.
Now potential clients come to our first call already pre-qualified and ready to talk about how we can work together, not just the basics of what I do. This alone saved me hours each week – time I now can spend either serving clients, hanging out with my family, or just binging Netflix (see what I did there?).
As a bonus - any questions you answer in FAQs or elsewhere are searchable! That means they will attract your people who are on Google with these exact questions, and reduce your time on social media even more.
2: A strong brand voice eliminates the "Trust Gap"
Why do we have to create so much content in the first place?
One major reason is to gain trust and establish authority. In order to convert lookers into clickers, they need to trust you, right?
And the prevailing belief is that you need to show up on social media consistently in order to do that.
There's a smarter way to approach it.
A compelling brand tone and voice running through all of your content creates a shorter path to trust-building.
When you’re consistent and unique in your brand messaging, you can do less and have the same impact.
The key is to ensure a consistent throughline throughout all of your content and channels. It’s like creating your own version of Netflix tags that broadcast your vibe anywhere you show up.
I worked with a client – let's call her Sarah – who was posting on Instagram 5 times a week, going live once a week, and posting to Stories every day. Would you believe that after all that, she was still struggling to convert followers to clients?
When we started on her Northstar Site Solution website redesign, we discovered her messaging was all over the place. Different tones of voice, different value propositions, different visual styles.
And this is pretty common when your business has grown and you’re just trying to keep up.
But at this point, Sarah’s audience was left wondering who she really was.
(That doesn't instill much trust.)
Once we established clear, consistent messaging that actually represented her brand's true value, she was able to cut back. She started posting on IG twice a week while emailing every other week – and saw a 40% increase in qualified leads.
Why?
Because potential clients could finally recognize her and understand exactly how she could help them.
Skip the content overwhelm with a brand voice that speaks for you
The Brand Roots Blueprint™ provides everything you need to build visual and written messaging that resonates with your audience and reflects who you truly are.
This DIY mini-course helps you define the foundation so you can create a brand that works even when you're offline.
3: A clear brand tone and voice create ‘stickiness’
The 'constant visibility' myth has us all believing that if we're not posting daily, we'll be forgotten.
But here's the thing: strong, consistent brand voice creates memorability that outlasts the algorithm.
When your brand tone and visual identity are crystal clear and consistent, each interaction with your audience becomes exponentially more powerful. It's like having a voice so distinctive that people turn their heads in a crowded room even when you're just whispering.
This is what I mean:
People remember you even when you're not posting.
Your audience actively seeks you out on platforms they prefer. Instead of chasing people across every platform, they'll find you where they're engaging.
You attract clients who value expertise over entertainment. When your messaging clearly communicates your unique value, you naturally filter out people who are just scrolling by.
Think about the brands you love - they're not necessarily the ones posting every day.
They're the ones with such a distinct voice and vision that whenever they do show up, you instantly recognize them and pay attention. You want to hear what they have to say.
That's the power of strong messaging - it creates actual freedom to step away from your phone without sacrificing connection. Your brand keeps working for you, even when you're not actively feeding the content machine.
How to create a brand voice that fits you perfectly
Here are four actionable steps you can start implementing today, in any order:
1 / Conduct a messaging audit
Review a selection of your website, recent social posts, and recent emails side by side.
Do they sound like they're coming from the same person?
Do they look similar in terms of images, graphics, colors, and more?
Are you consistently communicating the same core values and benefits?
If not, you've found your first opportunity. Start defining the descriptors of what you like best, so you can apply it going forward.
2 / Identify your content gaps
Track which questions eat up your time in DMs. These are your evergreen content opportunities.
Create pinned posts, website FAQs, email templates, or detailed service guides that answer these questions before they're even asked. This gives you the chance to use your brand tone in content pieces that will be front-and-center.
3 / Draft your top 3-6 messaging pillars
People think of messaging pillars all wrong. It’s not just how you help people or subjects that are relevant to your business.
What should your content pillars be? The core messages that represent what you do and why it matters.
What do you want to be known for?
What do you absolutely hold to be true?
In what way do you think differently than your peers?
For example, one of mine is "your brand, design and tech should work for you – not the other way around." You'll find me talking about that alllll the time, plus using imagery that reflects the same vibe. What are yours?
4 / Create a brand foundation that sticks
When solopreneurs and small businesses start out, people usually take on branding backwards. They start with colors & fonts instead of starting with brand strategy. And I get it! Who has money or time to invest in a brand at the outset?
Buuut that eventually leads to written and visual messaging that doesn’t fit. The good news is that you don’t have to invest thousands in a full-service brand strategy package either. The Brand Roots Blueprint™ is a DIY roadmap to crafting a brand that actually feels like YOU. It is complete with:
an interactive quiz to reveal your brand archetype,
drag-and-drop tools to nail down your unique vibe,
a visual moodboarding masterclass to lock in the vision,
and a fill-in-the-blank template that makes writing your brand story feel like chatting with a friend (instead of staring at a blank page having an existential crisis).
What to do first?
If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed – and let's be real, who isn't these days - start with just one of these steps to defining your brand voice.
Here's how to choose:
→ If you feel like your brand is all over the place visually and verbally, begin with the messaging audit.
→ If you're constantly answering the same questions over and over, start with identifying your content black gaps.
→ If you're clear on what you do but struggle to express it consistently, focus on creating message pillars.
→ And if your current brand doesn’t fit like your fave pair of jeans (the ones that make your butt look sooo good), pick up the Brand Roots Blueprint™ to whip your messaging into shape.
The most important thing isn't doing everything at once – it's taking that first step toward more consistent messaging that works even when you're not online.
Consistency in messaging – not posting.
When your brand tone and voice are rock-solid, consistent, and truly yours, you can escape the content overwork.
You connect more deeply with fewer words, answer questions before they're asked, and create a presence that sticks in people's minds even when you're offline.
It's not about posting more – it's about making what you do post matter more.
Your business has evolved by making smart moves at every stage. Making your brand tone and voice work harder so you can work less?
That might be your smartest move yet.
Take your messaging from scattered to strategic
The Brand Roots Blueprint™ is your DIY roadmap to creating brand messaging foundations that feel authentically yours – and attracts your right-fit clients 24/7.
Stop trying to be everywhere all the time – and start being memorable anytime you show up.
