Think of the brands you love, the people you follow, the businesses you frequent. I’m willing to bet you can immediately recognize these brands online. You see their posts and their images and you can tell it’s them. They have a distinctive style. A specific voice.

And it’s no different for your business.

You should also have a voice, something that helps differentiate your brand from the others in your industry. Your voice is an important part of who you are and how you show up in the world.

But exactly is your voice?

Your voice is how you communicate with your audience. It’s an extension of your personality. Your voice can be conversational, professional or fun, depending on the image you want to portray and is recognizable across all your content and networks. It’s something that helps people identify a piece of content as “you.”

How to Create a Brand Voice

Define your audience. The first thing you should do is take a look at your target audience. Understanding who you are trying to attract can help you understand what type of personality you want for your business, because you want to match your voice to your customers’. For example, if you’re trying to reach a professional group, you’re not going to want to incorporate slang in your content.

Define your personality. The second step in knowing your voice is to understand what type of personality you want to portray. How would you describe your business? How do you want to show up to your audience? Also, think of how you want to differentiate yourself from your competition. Do a little research on your direct competition; how do they portray they businesses? How can you be different from them?

Create content guidelines. Once you have an idea of what your brand voice will be, write it down! Get specific on the words you want to use, the words you want to avoid, the phrases you plan to use, etc. Note any grammatical styles or speaking nuances you want to include in your voice. Even if it is just written content, you can add your personality into your words and make it unique to your business.

Share your guidelines. If you have a team, make sure everyone has a copy of your guidelines and that they understand them. This ensures your brand voice is consistent all the way across your business, which includes blog content, email content, social media content, online and in-person interactions and customer service.

Your brand’s voice is something that will help define your business and help people identify you and relate to you. Use these tips to help you create a distinctive voice for your brand.