Developing a brand voice helps to distinguish home builders from competitors and build upon the relationships between the brand and its followers. A Sprout Social study showed that when asked reasons why brands stand out, 33% of consumers said distinct personality. By cultivating a defined home builder brand voice that followers enjoy engaging with, homebuyers are more likely to think positively of the brand and share it with others.
Creating a home builder brand voice is all about differentiating the brand and ensuring it provides a lasting impression for homebuyers. To build a brand voice and implement it well, it’s important to understand what it is, how it takes form within a brand’s social media, and why it matters.
Brand voice is the way a brand communicates to portray a defined and distinct personality. This voice shapes and guides all brand communication – social media content, blogs, website, advertising, newsletters– to provide homebuyers with a strong understanding of the brand’s values, character and mission. By establishing a brand voice, home builders can personify the brand for their target audience and create a recognizable personality that acts as a tool to develop a stronger connection with homebuyers.
As with any company, home builders have competitors, and developing a brand voice is the best way to distinguish the brand from other businesses competing for the attention of the intended homebuyers. Although visual branding plays an important role in capturing homebuyers’ attention, it’s also vital to build a brand voice via words to demonstrate the brand’s understanding of its audience through a personality that truly resonates with them.
Rather than being a faceless corporation, home builders can utilize a characterized voice to create opportunities for open, natural communication with homebuyers. With a clear brand voice, home builders can improve and further their overall marketing strategy with the guidance of the brand’s defined and consistent approach to communication.
For home builders, the brand voice should be largely centered around the brand’s overarching values and goals. At its core, the brand voice should be utilized as a method to further the business’ goals, as well as its relationship with the target audience.
The brand’s voice should be purposeful and thoughtfully created to ensure that brand communication aligns with the company’s mission and enhances the overall marketing strategy. While it’s important to understand what best resonates with the target audience, it’s crucial to combine the homebuyer expectations for the brand with the home builder’s objectives and aims.
The brand’s chosen voice and tone are defined by the target audience the home builder intends to reach. The home builder’s target audience, whether it be first-time homebuyers or move-up buyers, should be well-known and understood to communicate effectively and determine the language that best resonates with the audience.
After acquiring an in-depth understanding of the brand’s target audience, write from the homebuyer’s perspective to create content that truly resonates with the homebuyer demographic. Ensure the brand’s voice and personality are catered to potential homebuyers to portray that the brand is sharing content and communication that is meant for them to consume.
Forming the brand’s voice largely begins by selecting defining adjectives and characteristics that align with the brand. Choosing adjectives helps to create a clearer, distinctive understanding of the brand and the intention for its perception among followers.
Everything about how the home building brand communicates with its audience and shares content should be based on the key adjectives chosen to guide the brand’s character. Whether the home builder’s brand voice is playful, informative, sophisticated, inviting, inspirational or witty, among other traits, it’s vital to establish a voice with unique qualities to ensure the brand distinctly stands out to homebuyers.
Developing Tone – Not only should home building brands have a defined personality, but they also need to possess an understood tone. While brand voice determines what the brand says, the tone guides how things are said. The tone used by the brand should be used differently depending on the intended audience to match the content of the communication and provide language that connects to the target audience. Though brand voice remains constant, the tone of brand communication can always adapt to fit changing circumstances or audiences.
Speak Authentically – Being transparent within home builder brand messaging is an advantageous way to connect and relate to homebuyers. Sharing informal details or communication from the home builder helps to endear the brand to homebuyers. By communicating openly, the brand can allow its followers to easily initiate and engage in active communication on social media.
Avoid Jargon – It’s crucial to avoid home building and real estate jargon when speaking as the brand to social media followers. This can alienate homebuyers if they feel that they have trouble understanding the language used by the brand. Creating a brand voice is all about forming a stronger connection with followers and becoming an entity that they can easily relate to. When determining the language used by the brand, home builders should take into consideration the communication habits of its homebuyers to determine the most effective ways to establish a two-way relationship.
A creative method to develop the personality of a home building brand is to imagine the brand as a person. If the home building brand were a person, what would they be like and how would they communicate with others? What would be their overarching motivations and goals?
Providing the brand with a distinctive personality helps to humanize it and make it more tangible to followers. When a home building brand seems more like a relatable, unique character, homebuyers are more likely to show interest in forming a connection with the brand.
Every platform used by home builders needs to be consistent with the overall brand voice and personality. Each time the company posts on each platform is an extension of the brand, and this means every post is an opportunity to further establish the brand’s voice. Speaking consistently on all of the brand’s channels is an important step toward ensuring the homebuyers maintain a clear idea of the brand’s persona.
Connecting to the home builder brand’s target audience through social media requires a defined brand personality that meets expectations, engages followers and possesses distinct characteristics. The brand needs to be perceived as fresh and appealing to effectively inspire and enable homebuyers to form a relationship with the brand.
At Milesbrand, every new client is an opportunity to discover the brand’s compelling differentiation that sets it apart from competitors. Partner with Milesbrand to find your brand’s unique advantage and create a brand voice that connects to your target audience. Contact us today to learn how we can help distinguish your brand.