Hello! Welcome to another edition of Week by Week. There’s a lot of emphasis on learning and listening right now and that sentiment works across marketing as well. The more you listen to your audience, the more you’ll be able to navigate their needs. Insights will arise and drive better messaging for your brand. Your voice will resonate and relate.
Here’s a few ways to strengthen your brand voice.
Listen to Your Audience
No matter what the topic, listening leads to learning. By stepping back from your brand and listening to the audiences around it, you can get a better understanding of how you’re perceived. In the marketing world, this can range from a simple survey to a large-scale branding discovery session. Checking what the online world is saying is also an asset to utilize. Think Reddit boards and platforms your audience loves to use.
Stay In-tune to Data
One way to strengthen your voice is to consume data on your audience. VaynerMedia presented their findings on Gen Z during their Marketing for the Now video series last week. They interviewed over a thousand people ages 13-22. Here were a few of their findings that stood out about the generation that makes up 25% of the population.
- Social media natives – it’s where they live
- They “parent their parents” – What does this mean? They influence parents’ buying decisions, informing them on brands and introducing them to new tech and platforms
- Prefer brands that help them play a role in their ambitions and champion the things they’re passionate about
- Believe in the value of education, but often learn through alternative means and looking for practical skills
- See the good in big brands. They appreciate the convenience of Amazon and Google. Understand that their problems can be solved by them demanding change.
- Heroes are their parents vs. celebrities. Why? Witnessed them overcome hardships such as recession and pandemic.
- Despite a worldwide pandemic, their #1 concern is the environment
Know Your Why
Simon Sinek famously said, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
If you haven’t seen his Ted Talk or it’s been a while, it’s worth a watch.
- Listening helps you figure out this “why.”
- Creative teams figure out how to properly tell the story of your “why.”
- Marketing gets that story out there.
Your why should be the driving force behind your brand. So if you look at your company and can’t place the “why,” it might be time to refocus your brand.
Test Your Voice
The beauty of today’s online world is you can test things without investing entire budgets. If you want to see how different versions of your voice work with your intended audience, use sponsored ads first. This will not only give you insights into tone and voice, but also help you optimize higher cost marketing efforts. A/B testing is a great way to do this.
Utilize Sound
Don’t underestimate the power of sound. It can change moods instantly. A scary movie would be nothing without the stirring soundtrack. The right sound bite can make or break a TikTok video. The perfect voiceover can elevate a brand. An anthem can build long-term brand loyalty. Think we’re joking? Just check out this example from the Premier League.
That’s all for this week. If you’re wanting more WxW, here you go. If you’re looking for more insights or have further questions, feel free to reach out.
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