Though many might name Back to the Future as their favorite Michael J. Fox vehicle, we’d choose the underrated classic Doc Hollywood any day. If you’ve somehow forgotten about this early-90’s gem: Dr. Ben Stone (Fox) crashes his Porsche Speedster into a fence in Nowheresville, U.S.A. on his way to a gig in Beverly Hills and is sentenced to community service — ultimately falling in love with the small town life. We know what you’re thinking, and no, this is not the movie Cars.
At the start of the film, Dr. Stone’s ethos and attitude leans far more toward that of a city-slicker, though by the end it more closely resembles that of the small town Americans that welcomed him despite his recklessness — and had he opened up shop at the start of the film, the personality his practice took on would be far different than if he had launched his practice at the film’s end. The way these attitudes, values, ambitions, and flecks of personality refract through every element of Dr. Stone’s (deeply hypothetical) practice makes up what is known as a brand voice, and though this character may be fictional, the importance of brand voice is as real as can be.
What is Brand Voice?
A brand voice is not about the actual sound of the voice behind your brand — rather, it’s how your personality shines through every piece of content you produce; articles, social media captions, website copy, and even ads are all shaped by brand voice. When your brand voice is clearly defined, potential new clients can get a sense for who you are and what your firm is all about before ever stepping foot in your office. Therefore, a consistent brand voice across all channels can go a long way in terms of transforming your firm from a business into a successful brand, and leading with the right brand voice can attract your ideal clients.
Lead With Your “Why”
You went to law school, passed the bar, and started your own firm for a reason, and we have a good feeling that reason wasn’t a lack of better things to do. When finding your firm’s voice, take it back to the reason you opened your doors in the first place. By going back to your firm’s roots and infusing your “why” into your brand voice, you can shape content that fulfills your original intent: whether it’s to help people, educate people, make people smile, or some mix of the three (otherwise known as the LegalEase Trifecta.)
Define Your Client Avatar
If you take a look at some of the most well-defined brand voices from major brands, you’ll discover a common theme: they seem to have a very good idea of who their customers are. Take a brand like Tiffany & Co who caters to customers looking to live their idea of a luxury lifestyle. The brand’s elegant and witty (but not sarcastic) messaging creates an ecosystem for their products and a world where customers can feel a little bit more like Audrey Hepburn. A brand like Old Spice, on the other hand, leans in to the irreverence and overall zaniness that the brand has become known for while retaining a masculine and confident voice which customers respond to. By defining your client avatar and tailoring your firm’s brand voice to the people who will be interacting with it, you can maximize the impact of your content. If you don’t know where to begin when it comes to creating your client avatar, we’ve got you covered — define your ideal client with our free client avatar sheet.
Find What Works
The voice-finding process isn’t the same for every firm, and using proven content to find your brand voice rather than establishing your voice prior to crafting content can be the winning ticket for some firms. By identifying high-performing pieces of content and distilling their elements into your voice, firm owners have proof-of-concept that their voice may have an impact on both existing and prospective clients. Find what works for your firm, build your voice from there, and watch your brand thrive.
Find Your Voice With LegalEase
Your firm’s brand voice will serve as the foundation for your content across all platforms, and investing your time and energy into finding your brand voice is well worth it. By taking the above advice into consideration, you’re on the right path toward a compelling and authentic brand voice. With that said, if your brand voice is the Force and you’re feeling like Luke Skywalker, the team at LegalEase is happy to be your Yoda — and help you on your quest toward finding the right brand voice for your firm.
