Can your brand voice be silly *and* serious?
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Have you ever dropped a dirty joke in front of people who had only ever seen your quiet side? 🙋‍♀️
Or gotten all existential with a crew who knew you as the “goofy” one? 🙋‍♀️
It can't be just me, right?
Sometimes you get a blank stare, but I find it usually turns into a connection point. They see another side of you, which brings you closer.
Context matters, of course. Reading the room matters. What happens before and after that interaction matters.
Maybe don’t use a funeral to practice your R-rated stand-up routine. Unless that’s what the deceased wished for! (Context.)
The point is we all have different sides to us.
Chances are, so does your brand, or at least you think you want it to. But maybe you’re trying to figure out if—and how—you should channel those sides in your brand’s voice.
Can I use a cheesy pun...? Can I swear? Is it weird for me to bring up climate change?
Can I be serious and silly?
Angry and bubbly?
Opinionated and humble?
The easy answer is: Yeah, girl.✌️You can be anything you want. Boxes were made to be broken.
What we don’t want is for people to think, “Who TF wrote this?” or “Did ChatGPT kidnap them?”
We want to build in some consistency and reliability. And let's be real, you probably don't want to flaunt every single side of your personality in your brand.
But you also don’t have to be a one-dimensional caricature. You’ve got layers like an onion-y ogre.
You get to define your brand’s terms. You get to decide what combination of serious and silly you embrace. You get to make a name for your nuance.
Not only does it allow you to be more genuine and multi-faceted in your copy and content when you want to. Changing your tone and language at the right moment can also be a pattern interrupt. It's a cue to your readers to PAY ATTENTION, FOLKS.
For instance 👇👇
📢 If you’re usually silly but you hit your audience with something serious, that can signal to them to sit up straighter.
You mean business. You’re feeling some type of way about something. (Picture Chandler from Friends when he dropped the sarcasm and showed Monica how much he cared about her.)
📢 On the flipside, if you’re usually serious and professional, humour is your equalizer and attention-grabber.
Think about when and how you like to get playful or poke fun. Is it to break tension around tough topics? Is it when you switch over to a certain topic? To demonstrate your intelligence? When you’re being self-deprecating to show your audience you’re not always high and mighty? (Kinda like Queen Elizabeth liked to lean into humour.)
If calling those shots doesn’t come naturally, start by setting parameters to guide you. Here are a few things to consider:
➡️ How do you want others to describe your brand’s personality?
It’s easier to nail your nuance once you’re clear on your brand’s overall vibe. So are you the no BS rebel with a cause? The philosophical, romantic thinker? The sweet, thoughtful friend who’s got your back? A Monica or a Phoebe? Consider which “personality traits” you want to be the most prominent in your brand. What’s authentic to you? What are others in your industry not doing? What does your audience need from you?
➡️ Topics you do and don’t touch
What you choose to talk about makes a huge difference too. It would be impossible for your brand to talk about every single societal issue, personal adventure, and pop culture reference—especially if you want to spend any time talking about what you actually sell! Make a list of topics you focus on and topics you don’t. This could be anything from specific political issues to whether or not you bother chatting about your latest Netflix binge.
➡️ What’s your brand of humour?
There are so many flavours in this ice cream stand. Just look at Chandler and the Queen. They had very different versions of funny. Are you dry and sarcastic? Silly and light? Dirty? Full of subtle zingers? Intellectually witty? Maybe you use a combo. Set parameters for the types of humour you do and don’t use, if any.
➡️ WHEN do you sway?
It’s not a question of IF you can sway between different traits. It’s WHEN and and HOW? Consider context and even platform (e.g. maybe only your Instagram followers get your outrageous side). If it helps, you can set percentages to aim for. For example, silly 80% of the time and serious 20% of the time.
Know your parameters. Be intentional enough with your brand voice that your audience doesn't issue a search party each time you post a new piece of copy.
But also know you don’t have to be a cardboard cutout version of your personality.
The goal is to find your brand's signature blend and get confident with it. If you’re feeling confused or unsure about your voice, ask me about a Brand Guide.