3 Benefits of Honing an Authentic Voice for your Non-Profit
- Bryson Editorial
- Oct 16, 2017
- 2 min read
Nonprofits and other values-driven enterprises often struggle to use a consistent voice across multiple platforms. Limited funding can push it down the list of priorities, but skepticism about branding is also common. The idea of a “brand voice” is so entrenched in the language of commercialism that it can seem like it serves no genuine purpose in this sector.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. While many balk at the idea of using marketing strategies to bring in donors or inspire the public to action, a brand voice is as important as a visual identity in spreading your message. These are three reasons not to neglect it:
1. It humanizes your organization.
People want to have authentic interactions with the organizations they engage with on social media, in emails, and through websites. They want to connect with human beings. An idiosyncratic brand voice is the best way to introduce your audience to the people behind the posts. Based on your written communications, will they view the people in your organization as friendly, laidback, and inspiring? How about authoritative, serious, and dependable?
You are in control of what your brand voice communicates to readers. If the persona of your nonprofit is silly and relaxed one day but no-nonsense the next, readers won’t think the humans writing the updates are a cohesive unit dedicated to an important cause. It will seem like there are multiple, disjointed writers who are only there to push out content quickly and rack up clicks.
2. It fosters trust and goodwill.
The decision to donate is so often emotional, and potential donors need to feel good about your organization before they accept the logic of your message. Fostering a unique voice in every piece of text will ensure that you project competence, dedication to your cause, and a genuine concern for the community you serve.
It’s difficult to trust an organization that doesn’t seem to have it together enough to consistently write in an authentic voice. Readers will start to wonder how disorganized you are behind the scenes, and the messages you are trying to communicate won’t make any impact.
3. It helps you communicate complex information.
Nonprofits usually set out to solve difficult, complicated problems. This is one reason many are skeptical of branding. If the goal of marketing is to chop up complex ideas into simple, digestible bits for mass consumption, won’t it obscure the messy reality of these issues?
In fact, the opposite is true. When readers can expect a certain style, tone, and literacy level in your text, they’ll find it easier to absorb the intricacies of the issues at hand. You’ll have already humanized your writing in a way that resonates with your audience, which will make them more receptive to what you have to say. This is the best way to communicate complex ideas and drive home how much work is still needed to solve these problems.
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