Have you ever read an entire nonprofit or social enterprise website, only to find yourself still wondering what they actually do?
Have you ever had a fantastic conversation with someone about their mission, only to find that their website lacked the same passion?
Have you ever seen an organization use different styles and tones across their social media, website, blog, and even when they speak in person?

If you’ve seen any of these issues in action, you’re witnessing a lack of clarity and consistency in the nonprofit or social enterprise’s brand message or brand voice.

They probably know internally what they do, but it may not be translating well outside of their walls. And, as you can imagine, that’s a big problem, especially when trying to find new customers, donors, and partners.

For your mission to not only engage the right people, but compel them to act, you need a clearly defined brand message and brand voice. You may think of your “brand” as only part of your marketing, but your brand informs what you say, how you say it, and what your mission looks like visually. It’s essential to every aspect of your organization.

With a strong brand message and brand voice, people will know what you do, why it matters, and how they can be a part of it. Without it, people could be left confused or even apathetic to the incredible work that you’re trying to do.

Let’s talk about how you can make your effort more effective.

Why Your Social Impact Mission Isn't Enough

Why Is knowing your brand message Important to Your Nonprofit or Social Enterprise?

I’ve already mentioned how having a strong brand message and brand voice contributes to your bottom line, but before we move on, I want give you a couple of other reasons why this subject should be on your radar.

Do you ever write about your nonprofit or social enterprise? Do you have employees, board members, volunteers, or other key stakeholders that talk about your mission? Have you ever hired a third-party contractor, freelancer, or intern that communicates on your behalf in person or online? If any of these situations apply to you, so does this topic.

Having a clear and consistent brand message and brand voice ensures that everyone (including you) is talking about your organization in the same way.

It helps everyone communicate the right message in the right way. To put it simply, it gives every person a common language to use, and a template to work from. One of my clients even called it her compass because it guides her in the right direction, and steers her back when she gets off track.

Wouldn’t it be great if everybody used the same playbook?

Even if your nonprofit or social impact company is just you right now (hi, fellow solopreneur!), a solid brand voice allows you to talk about your work in a way that resonates with the people you want to reach. Meaning, people get excited when you talk about your mission! No more difficulty trying to explain what you do, watching someone’s eyes glaze over as you struggle to reach your point, or your message falling flat when you simply recite your mission statement.

Let Me Help You Clarify Your Brand Message

What Do People Say About You?

Jeff Bezos is often quoted as saying, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” And while I think there is a lot of truth to that, I also like how my friend, Jaci Lund of Treebird Branding, states it, “A brand is an expectation.”

No matter how you look at it, though, a brand isn’t just a logo, an elevator pitch, a mission statement, a color palette, or even a website. Your brand is the culmination of all of these things and more.

If your organization were a person, your brand would be all the little characteristics that make that person who they are.

It’s a lot, I know.

For now, we’re going to talk about your brand message and brand voice, which are two of my favorite characteristics. And, without clearly defining these two pieces, your brand’s puzzle is incomplete. Without them, it could mean that donors and customers don’t connect with your mission, resulting in stagnant sales or donations. It’s that important.

Brand Message and Brand Voice Defined

Think about the companies or nonprofits that you love most. One of the reasons you probably love them is because you know some of their background, what they stand for, what problems they solve for you, and where they’re headed in the future. You know their story, and you know how you fit into it. In that way, they’re a little like a friend you’ve gotten to know over time.

You’ve had these ongoing conversations with them internally and externally via their brand voice. Whatever they said, and however they said it, made you a fan out of you. And we want that same thing for your audience.

Your brand message is what you want people to understand about your organization.

Your brand voice is how you communicate your organization’s message to others.

Essentially, your brand message is your mission, and your brand voice is your mission in motion. You can’t have a clear and compelling brand voice without first defining a strong brand message.

Your brand voice is the specific mix of words and tone that you use—not just what you say and do, but how you say it. A great brand voice is easy-to-understand, consistent, repetitive, and uniform no matter where it shows up. And it always reflects your organization’s core message.

That means the words on your website, your social media posts, the conversations you have with people, anything you say from a stage, emails, printed materials, packaging, advertising, and more should all be using the same language and emotion to describe your work, mission, and vision. Think of it like your unique vocabulary and personality rolled into one.

You want people to hear your “voice” and know it’s you, with or without your logo or photo present. Like your own distinct personality, your brand message and voice is what will help authentically attract others to you.

Having a firm grasp of how to communicate your story, mission, and vision in all your marketing and communications will help you attract the right (and more) donors, customers, sponsors, and partners.

Your Mission Deserves a Clear Brand Voice

A Brand Message in Action

Not long ago, I was out with my friend, Katrell, who owns Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party here in Atlanta, and also founded the charity project, The Learning Tea. While I was waiting for her at the tea shop, a guy sat near me at the community table. He was looking around wide-eyed like it was his first time there. In fact, when he caught my eye, he gushed, “This place is awesome! I’ve never been here before.”

We chatted for a minute, and I told him that the proceeds from the tea shop put girls through college in India. Turns out, he was at the tea shop waiting for an event to start just a few blocks away. It was a social impact arts show, so he was thrilled to know of the store’s greater purpose.

After Katrell and I left the tea shop, we went to a nearby restaurant and sat at the bar. While chatting with the bartender, we found out even though he’d been in the Atlanta area for a while, he was only recently taking the time to discover the local haunts. And he actually mentioned going to Dr. Bombay’s recently. As the unofficial brand ambassador, I mentioned that Katrell was the owner. He got so excited, threw his head back and his arms up, and said, “That place is like a warm hug!” He loved the unique, but cozy vibe.

A couple of hours later, Katrell and I were about a block away from Dr. Bombay’s, peeking in the glass windows of a store that was yet to open, trying to figure out who her new neighbor would be. A man rode by on his bike and struck up a conversation with us. We all noted that the architecture of this building looked very out of place on that street, so we were curious about it. The guy said, “I wonder what Dr. Bombay will think about this building?” To which I replied, “This is Dr. Bombay!” while pointing at Katrell. He laughed, smiled, and said, “I love your shop! It’s one of the only places I let my kids ride their bikes to in the neighborhood.” (And then proceeded to tell her which ice cream flavors she should swap out, ha!)

True story—all three of those conversations happened in a matter of hours. It was a marketer’s dream come true!

So, out of these three men, which one nailed the brand message?

The answer: All of them. Each of them found something about Katrell’s tea shop that resonated with them. And, for that reason, each of them was going to come back.

Clarify Your Brand Message and Brand Voice

How to Define Your Brand Message and Brand Voice

Okay, so now that we’ve talked about how utterly important it is to have a clear and consistent brand message and voice, as well as who it benefits, let’s talk about how to get you there.

Here are a few questions to think about regarding your brand message:

What are the two or three top things someone should know about your work?
Why does your work matter?
What makes you different from your competitors?
What problem do people have that you solve?
What is the transformation you provide?

Here are a few questions to think about regarding your brand voice:

How do you want people to feel when they think about your organization?
How does your audience describe themselves?
What words and phrases do you find yourself repeating over and over again?
What words or phrases would you never use to describe your organization or work?
What tone should your organization communicate in? (ex: serious, playful, authoritative, compassionate, etc?)

Hopefully, these questions will get you started, but if you get stuck or need help, I’m here.

I can guide you through my own five-part framework for defining your brand message and brand voice.

I’d love to help you communicate more effectively, so that your work gets the attention it deserves.

Here’s what one of my clients said:

Kristi’s Brand Message Consultation serves as a "compass" for everything from communications to fundraising to partnerships and more. It really lays out the language you can use in your website, newsletters, presentations, and social media to stay true to the organization’s mission and values. You can reflect on anything that you are working on, and quickly see if it aligns with the current narrative.
During the consult, we really dug deep into who we are, why we do what we do, what makes us different, and more. Afterward, it's spelled out in a document right in front of you that you can always refer back to! It’s so helpful.
The Brand Message and narrative that we worked on really boosted my confidence in being able to explain what we do and what makes us different. And I think having that solid foundation really helped me to secure early grants.
- Jaycina Almond, The Tender Foundation

Contact Me To Clarify Your Brand Message and Voice