You know that feeling when you’re writing website copy or crafting a social media post and it sounds…fine. Professional. Polished. But also completely generic and like it could belong to literally anyone in your industry?

Yeah, that’s a problem.

If you want to know how to create brand voice that actually stands out, you need to go beyond “professional and friendly” — otherwise you’re just blending into the noise. And when potential clients can’t tell the difference between you and your competitors based on how you communicate, they default to choosing based on price.

Your brand voice is one of your most powerful differentiators — but most businesses don’t use it effectively. They either sound too stiff and corporate or they’re trying so hard to be quirky that it feels forced.

Here’s how to build a brand that sounds authentically like you, not a watered-down version of your industry’s greatest hits.

What Brand Voice Actually Means

How to Create Brand Voice: The Foundation

Learning how to create brand voice starts with understanding that it’s not about copying what sounds “professional” in your industry. It’s about amplifying what’s already authentic to you and your business. The best brand voices aren’t manufactured — they’re strategic extensions of who you already are.

Let’s get clear on what we’re talking about. Your brand voice is the personality and emotion infused into your communication. It’s how you say things, not just what you say.

Think of it like this:

• What you say = “We offer web design services”
• How you say it = Your brand voice

The same message can be delivered in countless ways:

• “We create custom websites for growing business.”
• “We design websites that actually convert visitors into clients.”
• “Need a website that doesn’t look like every other template? That’s our thing.”
• “Let’s build you a website that makes your competitors jealous.”

All communicate the same service, but each has a distinct personality. That’s brand voice.

Why “Professional” Often Means “Boring”

Here’s a trap we see businesses fall into constantly: they think professional means formal so they strip out anything interesting human from their communication. They use corporate jargon and buzzwords. Writing in passive voice and saying things like “solutions” and “leverage” and “best-in-class.”

The result? Copy that sounds like it was written by a committee and approved by a lawyer (which is fine if that’s your thing!).

But real talk? Your clients aren’t looking for the most formal option — they’re looking for someone they trust and connect with. And you can’t build human connection without personality.

Being professional doesn’t have mean being boring. It means being reliable, competent, and respectful. You can be all those things while still sounding like an actual human.

How to Create Brand Voice Step 1: Start With Who You Actually Are

The best brand voices aren’t manufactured — they’re amplified versions of who you already are.

Ask yourself:

• How do I naturally talk to clients in person or on calls?
• What words or phrases do I use repeatedly?
• What do friends or clients say about my personality?
• What kind of energy do I bring to my work?
• What do I want people to feel when they interact with my brand?

Are you naturally funny, your brand can be funny and still be professional. More straightforward and no-nonsense, lean into that! If you’re warm and encouraging, let that come through.

The key: Don’t try to be something you’re not. If you’re an introvert who hates small talk, don’t build a brand voice of being super chatty and over-the-top enthusiastic. It’ll feel fake and be exhausting to maintain.

Your brand voice should feel natural, not like you’re putting on a costume every time you write or design something.

How to Create Brand Voice Step 2: Define Your Voice with Specific Descriptors

Saying your brand is “friendly and professional” is too vague. So is “authentic and approachable.” Those could mean literally anything.

Get specific. Choose 3-4 adjectives that really capture your brand’s personality and then define what those actually mean for your communication.

EXAMPLE
Our brand voice is:

• Conversational – We write like we talk. We use contractions, start sentences with “and” or “but,” and sound like a real person, not a textbook.
• Confident – We know our stuff and we’re not afraid to have opinions. We avoid hedging language like “maybe” or “we think perhaps.”
• Direct – We get to the point quickly and don’t waste people’s time with fluff. We value clarity over cleverness.
• Warm – We’re approachable and supportive, not cold or intimidating. We want people to feel comfortable reaching out.

Notice how each descriptor comes with an explanation of what it means in practice? That’s how you make it actionable.

How to Create a Brand Voice Step 3: Study Your Competitors

Go look at 5-10 competitors and read their homepages, about pages, and social media bios.

Notice patterns:

• Do they all use the same industry buzzwords?
• Is everyone being super formal or too casual?
• Are they all making the same claims? (“We’re passionate about…” or “We pride ourselves on…”)
• Does anything feel genuine or does it all blend together?

Now, intentionally go a different direction.

If everyone in your industry is stuffy and corporate, be conversational and real. If everyone’s trying to be edgy and cool, maybe being straightforward and clear is your differentiator.

Example: When we started Up After Studios, we noticed every agency said some version of “We create stunning websites that drive results.” Okay, but that’s what everyone says.

So instead we focus on: “We design to sound and look like YOU, not us.” It’s specific, it’s different, and it immediately communicates our approach.

How to Create a Brand Voice Step 4: Test with Real Examples

Theory is great, but let’s get practical. Take a sentence you might need to write for your business and rewrite it in different voices.

Generic version: “Our team is committed to delivering exceptional results that exceed expectations.”

More specific versions:

• Casual/Friendly: “We’re pretty obsessed with doing great work for our clients. Like, we actually care about this stuff.”
• Direct/No-Nonsense: “We do what we say we’re going to do and we do it well. That’s it.”
• Warm/Supportive: “We know you’re trusting us with something important to you. We take that seriously and word hard to make you proud of the result.”
• Confident/Bold: “We’re really good at what we do. Our work speaks for itself and our clients come back because they know we deliver.”

See how different those feel? None are wrong or right — they’re just different personalities. Pick the one that feels most like you.

How to Create a Brand Voice Step 5: Apply It Everywhere Consistently

Your brand voice isn’t just for your website. It should show up in:

• Social media captions and comments
• Email newsletters
• Client proposals and contracts (yes, even contracts can have personality)
• Email signatures
• DMs and text messages with clients
• Presentations
• Blog posts (like this one!)

Consistency is what makes your voice recognizable. If your Instagram sounds fun and casual but your website sounds like a legal document, that’s confusing!

You don’t have to sound identical everywhere (you can adjust slightly for context) but the core personality should remain consistent.

How to Create a Brand Voice Step 6: Give Yourself Permission to Evolve

Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: your brand voice can evolve as you and your business grow.

Maybe you started out super casual and over time you’ve become more polished. Or maybe you started formal and realized you’re way more effective when you’re just being yourself.

That’s okay. Your brand isn’t set in stone.

Check in with your voice every year or so. Does it still feel right? Is it still reflecting who you are now? If not, adjust it.

The only rule is to be intentional about the changes rather than accidentally drifting away from what made you unique in the first place.

How to Build a Brand Voice Step 7: Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else

Now that you know how to create brand voice that’s authentically yours, it’s time to put it into practice. Your brand voice is one of the few things your competitors can’t copy. They can copy your services, your pricing structure, your website layout — but they can’t copy the way you communicate if it’s truly rooted in who you are.

So stop trying to sound like what you think a “professional business” should sound like. Stop using words you’d never say out loud. Stop hiding your personality behind corporate speak.

Your people (your actual ideal clients) want to work with someone real. Someone they can connect with and go grab coffee with. That’s you. So let your brand sound like it.

Need help finding and defining your brand voice? We work with founds to uncover what makes their brand unique and how to communicate it effectively. Let’s figure out what makes you different.