You’re producing content on all the right channels. You’re consistent. And you’re professional. But if you’re being honest? Something about the voice still feels… off. It’s probably because you need to define your brand voice a little more.
Maybe it’s a little too stiff. Or too casual in some places and overly formal in others. Or maybe your blog sounds like one person, your emails like another, and your social captions like a third altogether.
You’re not alone. Especially in industries like law, finance, tech, or healthcare, the temptation to play it safe — to sound “professional. ” But this just waters down your brand’s voice until it’s barely recognizable.
Truth Bomb: “professional” doesn’t have to mean boring.
Even the most serious brands can have tone, warmth, and personality, and they should. Because in a crowded market, your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have to build trust and stand out.
So if your content is technically correct but emotionally disconnected… let’s fix that.
Below are writing prompts you can use with your team to clarify and define your brand voice. No jargon, no fluff. Just real insights that lead to more consistent, human-centered communication.
Let’s Define Your Brand Voice (and why it matters, even if you’re not a lifestyle brand)
Your brand voice is the personality behind your message. It’s the consistent, recognizable tone that tells your audience:
- “This is who we are.”
- “You can trust us.“
- “We’re not just another faceless company.“
Think of some of the most trusted brands you interact with. Whether they’re quirky and bold or warm and dependable, what sets them apart isn’t just their logo or product. It’s how they speak to you. The rhythm, tone, and language create a sense of familiarity, like that one friend who texts you memes and remembers your cat’s birthday.
For marketing teams, a strong voice streamlines content creation, aligns departments, and ensures that what you publish, whether it’s a product description or a policy update, feels like it comes from the same brand.
And for industries that skew more formal or risk-averse, voice becomes an opportunity. You can be:
- Serious, but not robotic
- Warm, but not casual
- Clear, but not cold
Professional brands with personality are easier to remember, and easier to connect with.
Think of your brand as cake. You need the raw ingredients (your content), then you bake it (values), and then you frost it (personality). When you do all these things well, you end up with a delicious treat to serve.
The cherry on top? Your customer’s trust.
How to Use These Prompts
These prompts are built for team collaboration. They work to define your brand voice beautifully as:
- A voice discovery workshop exercise
- A kickoff activity for rebranding or refining messaging
- A quarterly check-in to keep content aligned
Pro tip: Don’t overthink it. Capture first impressions and gut responses. Your most honest human reactions are often the most useful. Bonus points for strong opinions and offbeat metaphors.
Use whatever format works: Google Docs, sticky notes, breakout rooms, whiteboards, even a Slack thread. You don’t need fancy tools, you just need some space to explore.
And if you’re leading this exercise as a marketing manager, remind your team: this isn’t about sounding like a trendy brand. It’s about identifying your own tone of voice, grounded in your values, your audience, and your culture.
Prompts for Marketing Teams
Use these in any order and add some of your own. The goal is to generate insight, not get everything perfect.
1. Core Values + Personality
- What do we believe about how clients or customers should be treated?
- What tone do we naturally use in 1:1 client conversations or meetings?
- How do we want our audience to feel after reading our content?
Why it matters: Your tone should align with your values. If you prioritize clarity and compassion, but your content sounds robotic or detached, there’s a disconnect. The words you choose should support, not undercut, your customer experience. Together, it all works to define your brand voice.
2. Boundaries + Believability
- What are we absolutely not as a brand?
- What common industry phrases or approaches make us cringe?
- What are three adjectives we’d never want associated with our content?
Why it matters: Sometimes defining what you don’t want is the fastest route to what you do. It also helps create consistency across different writers or departments.
3. Internal Identity Check
- How do we sound in emails vs. social posts vs. our website? Are we consistent? (Don’t miss these tips on writing social posts even when you’re tired.)
- What kinds of language or phrases do we use internally that could carry over to our content?
- If our brand voice was a team member, how would it show up in a meeting?
Why it matters: Your tone shouldn’t change dramatically between platforms. A slightly more casual tone on social is fine, but if it sounds like three different companies across touchpoints, it confuses your audience (and weakens your credibility).
4. Voice Stretch Prompts (For Reserved Brands)
- What’s one example of a brand voice we admire, even if it’s different from ours? What works about it?
- What’s a riskier tone or phrase we’ve been hesitant to try?
- What’s one way we could sound more human or conversational without losing professionalism?
Why it matters: These prompts help teams push past comfort zones, because often, voice gaps aren’t caused by lack of ideas, but fear of getting it wrong. Let yourself play a little. You can always refine later.
5. Brand Voice Icebreakers (For Fun + Insight)
- If our brand voice were a beverage, what would it be? (e.g., a black coffee, a chai latte, a craft cocktail?)
- What emoji would our brand never use? What emoji perfectly fits us?
- What fictional character is not our brand voice—and why?
Why it matters: These questions seem silly—but they reveal emotional tone, relatability, and energy. And sometimes the best voice work happens when we’re not trying so hard.
What to Do with Your Answers
Once your team has worked through the prompts, look for patterns:
- What adjectives or phrases came up repeatedly?
- What tones or values feel most true across departments?
- What contradictions did you notice (and what might they reveal)?
You don’t need to analyze everything immediately. Just start collecting the pieces. You can always shape them into a formal tone guide later, or use them as input for a writer or brand strategist.
Bonus tip: Pull the strongest lines, phrases, or descriptions into a shared doc labeled “Voice Notes.” These can become the seeds of future content, website copy, or internal guidelines. (And someday, your future copywriter’s favorite folder.)
Also consider reviewing existing content (website copy, recent emails, internal comms) with your new insights in mind. You can use these to write across all your channels. Where is your current voice hitting the mark and where could it evolve?
Final Thought: Your Voice Doesn’t Have to Be Loud to Be Memorable
There’s no one-size-fits-all brand voice. You don’t have to be quirky, edgy, or wildly expressive to be effective. But you do need to be consistent, intentional, and clear.
Your audience should be able to recognize your content before they see your logo. Your tone should reflect your values, not just your industry. And your brand should sound like the people behind it, not like a template.
Voice is what makes your business feel less like a company and more like a connection. And in a world where buyers crave realness, that matters.
Also: If your brand voice were a playlist, would it be more lo-fi chill beats or dramatic classical soundscapes? (Just something to ponder during your next team huddle.)
Need Help To Put This All Together?
If your team is ready to define your brand voice and make sure your content speaks with one cohesive tone, I can help.
At Amy Pearson Copywriting, I help mid-sized companies like yours develop custom brand voice and messaging guides that bring clarity to your content across every touchpoint.
Let’s define your brand voice and turn it into a tool your entire team can use with confidence.
✨ Reach out to chat about how we can bring your voice to life.
Or start with the prompts above and see where they take you. Either way, your brand deserves to be heard. And remembered.
