I had never heard of the ‘brand voice’ concept when I was building my first handmade skin care business.
Having an understanding of this not-so-tiny-branding-detail would have saved me heaps of time and earned me so much more income.
Speaking your customers’ language (while staying true to your mission) is crucial to your branding across all channels including your skin care product names and descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, newsletters, and customer communication.
When done right, a deliberate brand voice can help you connect with customers and create engaging content and products they will want to come back to time after time.
Get ready to build an authentic connection with your audience by finding the perfect brand voice for your skin care business in three easy steps!
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links (at no cost to you). Please read the disclosure for more information.
What is a ‘Brand Voice’?
When we refer to a brand voice in marketing, what we’re specifically talking about is ‘copy’.
If you’re new to social media, web marketing, or similar ideas, COPY is the words…anything WRITTEN.
Right now, you are reading the copy of my blog post.
In the Instagram post below, there are two examples of copy: the text overlay on the video AND the accompanying caption.
Copy and voice are a huge aspect of branding, and for some reason beyond me, it’s not as heavily discussed as visual aspects of branding such as font pairings or choosing an eye-catching color palette.
The overall goal of branding, in general, is to be recognizable and leave your audience with a certain experience…and so much of this comes down to the words and tone you use.
Copy (text) turns into a BRAND VOICE when it is stylized so that it is specific to you…it has a personality (kind of like how your Granny has a different way of speaking than your teenage niece).
Think about all the different areas that copy shows up with an opportunity to be stylized into a distinct brand:
- Product names
- Product descriptions
- Business or maker bios on Instagram, Pinterest, and websites
- Direct communications with customers
- Social media posts (text graphics and captions)
- Newsletters, thank you notes, business cards, etc.
Check out the two Instagram posts below and how one company is focusing on using words to highlight self-care while the other is more about education (each would appeal to a viewer in different ways):
Why a Brand Voice Matters for Your Skin Care Business
Copy specifically has the power to grab the attention of your audience and have them say, “Whoa…this business totally aligns with everything I am…this was written for me…I 100% identify with this!”
This is complex. This is combining TWO personalities together – yours and your customers’ – for the perfect business-consumer relationship.
As an example, let’s say we have an essential oil linen spray recipe at a 1% dilution that is meant to be used on pillows and sheets right before bedtime to help relax and calm.
Skin Care Business #1 takes that recipe, bottles it up, and names it ‘Monster Spray’. It is described in a way that is perfect for kids that have trouble falling asleep at night.
Skin Care Business #2 takes that SAME EXACT recipe, bottles it up, and names it ‘Sweet Slumber’. It is described in a way that is ideal for work-from-home individuals that need to transition from a day full of Zoom calls to a rejuvenating evening.
Clearly, the work-from-home individual isn’t going to search online for a product called ‘Monster Spray’, and a parent would definitely be more apt to purchase a kid-specific item than one described for adults.
Brand voice goes much deeper than just the name of a product, but hopefully you can see that the words you use are crucial to being found and chosen by your future customers.
Below you will see two real-life examples of handmade pillow sprays being discussed on Instagram. Notice how both captions are about self-formulating natural recipes, but very different approaches to captions (as well as visual branding):
To have a well-performing, authentic, and easy-to-use voice in your branding and marketing, you need to do your homework.
A converting brand voice doesn’t happen by accident.
Keep scrolling to walk through three steps and save yourself TONS of time as you’re building (or rebranding) your skin care business!
Step 1: Interview Yourself
To get anywhere, you have to know where you want to go! Make sure your overall goals are clear to begin crafting a brand voice that sells.
Why did you start your skin care business?
What is your big ‘why’ behind jumping on the train of entrepreneurship?
What is the mission of your skin care business?
If you haven’t yet, take the time to turn your ‘why’ into a thought-out mission statement that you can refer to when faced with business decisions. Are you going to build a:
- Fresh and fun company with affordable products?
- A small batch concept with an intimate experience?
- A luxury business focused on sustainability?
What is your skin care brand NOT?
If you haven’t been able to hit upon a crystal clear concept, sometimes it helps to go backward and consider what you DON’T want your business to be.
Are you trying to avoid single-use plastics? Or vow to never use preservatives? Write these down to help guide you to the business you DO want to be.
Who are you talking to?
Knowing your specific customer (your target market) is a must for moving forward from here.
You won’t use the same copy with parents vs. young adults vs. mature adults.
Nail down *exactly* who it is that you’re trying to connect with before proceeding.
How do you want your audience to feel?
With your target market in mind, how do you want them to feel when they’re shopping your skin care line?
- Like they’re hip and on-trend for purchasing from you?
- Trusting that they’re purchasing from an expert who really understands the science behind skincare?
- That by shopping with you they are making a smart choice for the earth and sustainability?
All of these answers should shine through in the words that you choose to use to represent your skin care brand!
Have all of the answers to Step 1 written down before scrolling to Step 2!
Step 2: Identify Language Similarities
YOUR Language
You are most likely a ‘Business of One’. Most of us don’t have huge marketing teams designing our marketing and writing copy for us.
This means that even though you’re trying to develop a brand-specific voice, you also need to make sure it’s a voice that YOU can write with consistently (it’s too hard to pretend to be someone you’re not, don’t you think?).
A great place to start is by looking at examples of your own writing.
If you already have a business, look at your product descriptions, direct messages to customers, and social media posts.
If you haven’t started a business yet, look at work emails, text messages, and personal social media accounts.
- Does it come more naturally for you to write formally? Informally? Educationally? Playfully?
- Do you write short-form or long-form content?
- What are some words/phrases/ideas that you seem to repeat more often than others?
Your CUSTOMERS’ Language
What does your avatar like to read? Find real examples – if you don’t know, ask someone that you know in real life who is similar to your target market.
- What is the first impression of the blog/magazine/article when you open it?
- What kind of words do you see repeated over and over?
- What reading level do they use?
- What do they assume about their readers?
- Do they enjoy long-winded or to-the-point posts?
- Serious or witty?
- Lively or relaxed?
What other skin care companies does your avatar use? Find real ones – if you don’t know, ask someone that you know in real life who is similar to your target market.
- What is the first impression of the company when you land on the site?
- What kind of words do you see repeated over and over?
- What reading level do they use?
- What do they assume about their readers?
- Are their product descriptions long and educational or short and to the point?
- Serious or witty?
- Lively or relaxed?
Look at your customers’ own communications. In messages to you (if you’re already in business), examples of their social media posts, or product reviews.
- What words do they use in their own writing?
- Long explanations or short and to the point?
- Serious or informal?
- What do they value (or voice strong opinions about)?
Combining Your Language + Your Customers’ Language
How does your use of language align with that of your target market?
Look at similarities to see how you can use this to appeal to your customers.
- Do you both prefer short and to-the-point messages? Then allow yourself to stop grueling over writing novel-length social media captions!
- Do you both get a kick out of the scientific aspects of skin care formulation? Use this to guide your production descriptions, website copy, and online marketing strategies.
- Are you both a little more informal and relaxed? Then use this to portray a skincare line that doesn’t have to be hard to implement (with easy-going language to match!).
- Add a dash of your personality into the mix – you can do this with unique words that you personally repeat often, stylized writing (do you use punctuation or sentence structure in an attention-getting way?), or consider how you could use things like emoticons or gifs to complement your message (options will vary depending on the platform).
If you find that you have very little to work with here, this could be a sign that you need to revisit your mission statement or consider gearing yourself towards a different target market – you need to be able to communicate with your ideal customer effectively.
Let’s take a morning facial serum (same recipe for both!) and see how it can have two completely different vibes based solely on Brand Voice…
For a formal, science-backed, authority Brand Voice:
Product Name: Daytime Regenerating Serum
Social media post: Gently wake your skin with this nourishing blend of organic jojoba and grapeseed oils, featuring the perfect blend of grapefruit, eucalyptus, and geranium essential oils for a bright morning glow. 💧
Customer communications: “Thank you so much for reaching out about your mailing address. We’re happy to get that changed for you right away. We’ll be making this fresh for you, and you can expect a confirmation tracking receipt emailed to you within 48 hours. Thank you for supporting our small, sustainable business!”
For a playful, lively, short-form Brand Voice:
Product name: Morning Glory
Social media post: ☀️☀️☀️ If you didn’t start your day with this, you’re adulting wrong!!! Wake up that skin with some fruity, floral sunshiiiiiiinnnneeee!!! ☀️☀️☀️ ⏫ Now swipe up to do it right!!!⏫
Customer communications: “Hey hey, thanks for reaching out! Yes, we can absolutely change the address on your order, not a prob! So glad you caught that fast! We’ll get this whipped up for you right away, enjoy that sunshine today!”
- Which of the two examples above appeals to you (and your most comfortable writing style)?
- Which of the examples would appeal to your target market?
- What would you add/take away to make it perfect for your brand?
Step 3: Conduct a Brand Voice Audit on Your Entire Skin Care Business
Auditing your skin care products, website, and marketing materials can provide a valuable snapshot of where you stand to help you create consistency everywhere in your business.
Here’s a sample brand audit checklist you can use after you have developed the voice that you want for your business:
Products
- Product names
- Copy on labels
Promotional Materials
- Business cards
- Pamphlets/flyers
- Thank you cards
Website
- About page
- Home page
- Product descriptions
- Menu bar
Social Media and Email Marketing
- Is each piece of content on point with the overall message?
- Do the captions accompanying your images or videos speak directly to your target?
- Are call-to-actions clear and consistent throughout all channels?
Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Remember that consistency matters so be diligent about following these steps with every label, every product description, and every social media post.
The more you write, the more you’ll develop your voice and even understand the voice that your audience gravitates towards.
You’re not going to nail it the first time. Luckily, website copy is editable and social media posts are outdated pretty darn quickly (ha!…ha?).
Put yourself out there.
Be bold. And don’t forget to save your first (and third, and seventieth) attempts so you can continually look back to see how the branding for your skin care business evolves and improves over time!!!
Grow Your Skin Care Business!
Browse through the resources below to boost your handmade business visibility and profitability!
