Your brand’s voice should be unified across all your content to accurately reflect your brand persona.

I was reading a statement of work for a project I was joining and could tell immediately who had written it. At the time, our desks were across from each other, “Brad, you wrote this SOW didn’t you?” I asked. His initial response was “You make me so self-conscious about my writing.”

My past life as a high school English teacher occasionally makes my colleagues uneasy; he was prepared to hear me criticize his punctuation. To his relief, it wasn’t because of anything “bad” in his writing that allowed me to identify him as the author. I knew it was him because it sounded like him; I heard his voice as I read. There were words and phrases he uses frequently, and the sentences reflected the way he speaks conversationally. His personality, or voice, was present in the writing.

Hearing an author’s voice while reading isn’t limited to people you know. Voice reflects the personality of the person or organization speaking to you. An individual’s personality is often easily conveyed in face-to-face conversation, and the same is true online through their voice.

A clear voice is part of creating a unified brand identity across all content.

Organizations and individual brands need to have a clear, singular voice in their content in order to engage with their audiences. However, many organizations have either an inconsistent voice or one that is empty.

When a brand’s content is generated by a variety of people, the organization’s voice may be inconsistent. There may be too many people “talking.” When it comes to branding, your customers don’t get a clear sense of who you are if your voice is inconsistent.

When a brand lacks a voice, it lacks personality. The brand appears impersonal, and customers take notice. This may not directly hurt the bottom line, but it certainly won’t help. Have you experienced an automated phone system when calling customer service? No matter how human-like the voice, I have yet to encounter one that has a personality or makes me feel like the organization values my business. Your content shouldn’t feel automated either.

So what causes an organization to come off as unfeeling or devoid of personality? Think back to your experiences writing research papers in high school and college. You were probably taught to write in third person in order to appear unbiased, to avoid second person because it was too informal, and to avoid first person because it was immature and self-involved. (Yes, I’m about to blame your English teachers for this one.) Academia calls for being impersonal and detached.

In business, detachment turns off clients and prospects alike. Your organization’s content should read as a conversation with your audiences– a conversation where only one voice is heard and represents your brand’s personality and values.

Your brand’s voice should be included as part of your brand standards and should include key attributes that need to come across in your content and key phrases that are significant to your identity. Create a persona for your brand and write through the perspective of that persona. Before publishing content in the name of the brand, check it against the brand attributes your team has established. If it doesn’t sound like your brand’s persona, tweak it until it does.

Creating your unified voice comes through knowing your organization and your brand. It requires you to “become one” with your brand. When your audience connects with your brand’s persona, you know you have established your unified voice.

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Have you ever watched a hummingbird? They move rapidly from tree, to flower, to bush in search of nectar or small bugs to consume. They do not linger in their search. If what they visit lacks what they are looking for, they move on quickly. Are your visitors consuming what you offer on your website?

Are your visitors consuming what you offer on your website?

In that respect, visitors to websites are much like hummingbirds. Visitors come to the web in search of knowledge, entertainment, and goods to consume. They click into a website. If it isn’t what a visitor expected, they leave as quickly as they came and are on to another site until they find what they want to consume.

For businesses, visitors who fly off websites take with them opportunities for conversion.  Whether you think about conversion as time on site, ecommerce purchases, sign-ups, or completing a contact request form, if your visitors aren’t staying, it’s a problem.

This is where content strategy comes in. Evaluate your offerings by reexamining your content. You have to offer what your audience members are looking for before you can convert them. Think back to when you set up your site. How did you decide what information to include?  Were you focused on what you wanted to say or on what your audience would want to find?

It seems like content should begin with the essential messages you want to communicate about your business, but that isn’t the best place to start. Businesses that begin focused primarily on what they want to say often miss the mark. It is essential to analyze and strategize your content according to your target audiences if you want to see conversion.

Begin this analysis by identifying various audiences, their respective needs, interests, values, and priorities. It also entails anticipating what your audience knows and the language they speak. Developing this detailed knowledge of your audiences will help you greatly in developing content to convert them. If you have multiple audiences, you will need to cultivate content for each of them. If you can’t convince your audiences you know what their needs are, you cannot expect conversion.

I had an experience with this as an audience member a few months ago.  I was exploring the idea of buying my first home and decided to get pre-approved for a mortgage. I had contacted a lender referred to me by my realtor. The lender had sent me the application and all the paperwork,. When I reached the section of the forms where I was asked which loan I was applying for, I was at a loss. So I went to the bank website expecting to see a description of each loan, the benefits of each, and a comparison to differentiate the products from one another.

But that wasn’t what I found. There were descriptions with interest rates listed, so I could see differences. Each loan listed its term length, but the rest of the description was technical. Filled with acronyms I was unfamiliar with, it didn’t give any information that indicated which loan was right for me. So I abandoned the site and instead emailed the lender for an explanation of their loan products. He then directed me back to the bank website, but I already knew it had nothing to offer me.

Neither the bank nor the lender I spoke with took into account that a member of their audience would be unfamiliar with home loans and the lending process. Despite a word-of-mouth referral from a reliable source, this bank lost my attention and an opportunity for conversion because it failed to think about what I needed. Its content wasn’t relevant to me nor was it easy to understand. Had they used a chart to detail the differences and included explanations for technical, the result might have been very different for them.

Content extends beyond just the information you are trying to communicate. Content consists of:

• what you say (your message),
• what you say it with (its medium– a picture, video, music, a website),
• how you say it (style and tone),
• where you say it (in print, at a conference, a social media platform, a website, a billboard),
• when you say it.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to tailoring content to one audience, let alone to multiple audiences. If you want to convert them, you have to offer relevant content in forms that resonate with each group.

The bottom line is that if your content isn’t relevant and readily available, audiences may fly away from your site. On the other hand, if you create relevant content, you’ll be in a good position to retain audience attention, garner their interest, and increase your conversions.

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How does a company that desires to break the mold of an ‘agency’ or ‘web design company’ or ‘creative shop’ figure out what to call itself?

A few weeks ago I told the story behind the inspiration that prompted MediaSauce. I promised at that time to also give some insight into how our name came into being.

Looking up the definition of ‘sauce’ in the dictionary gives a wide variety of results, but I’d summarize the overall points to:

1. adding flavor, moisture and visual appeal to dishes – often a unique element to cuisines around the world
2. to give piquance or zest- to spice up the experience
3. to add value and change the ordinary into something unique

The term ‘sauce’ really stuck with us as we looked at all the amazing things our creative team was capable of putting together – and the dreams and ambitions we had for the company in our early days.

Add sauce to the term ‘media’ (derived from the creative team’s artistic background working with ‘media’ of various sorts) and we had an option.

Turns out, the deciding factor was that mediasauce.com was an available domain for us to buy.

Name? Check!

Logo? Oy! A whole other set of issues.

Our original tagline was “tastefully blended digital bits of information” with the steam being a cute assimilation of 1’s and 0’s. A bit too literal perhaps (Hey, I admit we’ve grown our branding experience and team skills exponentially since those early days.), but the concept was on point. In the early days our commitment and belief focused on the fundamental shift in brands, conversion, and commerce migrating to a 24/7 online world.

A good cook once told me that a great sauce must shift to the meals it is being prepared for.

It couldn’t be more true. Today, we’ve morphed MediaSauce into a firm that deals in all forms of media, from traditional to events to experiences, all centered around online integration that leverages digital and social media to create a whole new result.

In a world where commoditization of products and communication has created a high degree of confusion, boredom, and disengagement, having the right sauce is critical. Understanding that every meal (and business situation is different) requires the acumen and experience to adapt those past experiences for the current challenge at hand.

We didn’t know how our business would evolve, yet seven years later the name MediaSauce couldn’t be any more relevant.

What’s in your sauce?

The challenge for your business is to decide what’s in your secret sauce as you transform your company for the digital world ahead. What are you going to blend or create that provides a more flavorful experience for your audiences? A lot of companies are experimenting with new ingredients, but many are failing to lead the way hoping that the same-old ingredients will be enough to get through.

We’re seeing sauces being created all around us: creating new, fresh and inspiring work. The same won’t do. We can’t afford it; it doesn’t resonate, and it’s not what consumers in this Interconnected Age are expecting. I dare you to add a little spice to your business – or risk missing out on the opportunities ahead.

Bryan Gray is co-founder and CEO of MediaSauce. He’d like to hear about the moment of inspiration that sparked your business. Contact Bryan at 317-218-0500, on Twitter @bryansgray or email him at bryan.gray@mediasauce.com.

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Baby Boomers Kill TV for Internet

Baby Boomers are looking to kill TV subscriptions.  Now this is big news.  Granted it’s only a survey but to see people (Baby Boomers at that) start to shift their viewing habits away from TV and to computers should give advertisers a pause when it comes to the high rates of TV advertising.

“Among traditional TV viewers, an astonishing one-in-five (20%) say they’re likely to downgrade or cancel their current TV service package in the next 6 months. The likelihood of canceling is highest among Cable (22%) and Satellite subscribers (22%), and lowest among fiber-optic TV subscribers (7%).” – ChangeWave

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The anonymous Twitter account @amandachapel takes great joy in critiquing social media luminaries and serving as a contrarian voice in the echo chamber of social media. While this person can be caustic and take personal shots at people, I find the industry commentary and most of her questions to be of value.

Just this morning she posed four questions on Twitter that I think are worth exploring in greater detail.  Since @amandachapel doesn’t maintain an active blog, I’ll take the initiative to host the discussion here. I just ask that everyone maintains a civil discourse here. If you violate that tenet, I’ll remove your comments.

Here goes:

QUESTION: 1. What is the basis of the belief that indiscriminate empowerment is a good thing?

QUESTION: 2. What is the basis of the belief that indiscriminate communications is a good thing?

QUESTION: 3. What’s the basis for the belief that the unleashed unfettered unencumbered social groupings that form online are a good thing?

QUESTION: 4. What are the economic consequences of a society devoid of the ability to produce scale?

Feel free to answer any or all of these.

Find me on Twitter: @scottyhendo

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#1 You Need to Learn from This Post:
Like many human gatherings, Twitter has moved past the novelty stage and into a new, uncertain period.

A More Detailed Exploration:
Twitter has changed dramatically in the past six months. Not only has the number of registered users skyrocketed, but the nature of interactions have changed, too.  I’ve been around Twitter for a year now (it’s my paper anniversary, so please send paper my way – preferably something from the US Treasury) and have had a few conversations with others of similar, if not longer, tenures.

The unanimous consensus is that Twitter is a different creature now.  In the “early days” of Twitter, it felt like we had all just arrived for the start of a great party or conference. We were eager to find out as much as we could about each other, freely sharing, and eager for new connections. Now, we’ve found our circles of people we like hanging out with and eagerly seek them out from the crowd.  

To me, Twitter has become like the party or conference that’s gone on too long.  The excitement of meeting new people has given way to a growing weariness of seeing the same bunch of people everywhere. The panels and speakers are beginning to say pretty much the same thing as the previous ones. I’m getting tired of my hotel room, going out on the town, and eating out at restaurants all the time.

Yes, I’m aware it’s mostly my perception, but I know I’m not alone. This doesn’t mean I’m leaving Twitter. It means my frequency of using Twitter will go down and I’ll maintain the relationships with those I find to have enduring value to me.

What do you think? Has Twitter become like the party or conference that’s lost its novelty? How will this impact Twitter? Will Twitter become as irrelevant as the telegraph? Or as critical as the telephone?

 
Find me on Twitter (just less often):
@scottyhendo

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I don’t want to be negative about this.  I’m trying to change my ways when it comes to posting negative comments and blogs.  It’s not that I’m going to take away “FAIL” but I’m going to try and offer constructive criticism and maybe an idea or two on how they can change.

So the beef today is with DIRECTV and Sprint.  I’ve been a customer of both for a long time.  DIRECTV for the past five years and Sprint since I’ve had a cell phone (back in 1999).  That’s a long time, right?

I’ve defended both to naysayers and I’ve also pushed a lot of customers their way but I’m done.  I have to be and let me tell you why.

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Earlier this week, I was in Dallas, Texas, for the delivery of the fourth Tyson Truck for www.pledgetoendhunger.com.  I was glad that my friend, George Dearing, joined me for the delivery to represent his company, Telligent.  

Telligent was one of the campaign’s Corporate Champions and played an important role in making sure Texas was one of the top three states in terms of number of people signing the Pledge.  As active bloggers and Twitter users, George and Lawrence Liu brought great energy and enthusiasm to the team

While George and I were together, George broke out his Kodak video camera and shot this interview of me.  It’s probably the most detailed back story to date of how everything came together.  Hope you enjoy it and learn something useful from it.

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MediaSauce Cheese Club
Friday, June 5
12:00 noon
MediaSauce Suite 120
Theme: Cheese & Chocolate
Membership Day Pass: $5

Menu

• Danablu Blue Cheese with Ghiradelli 70% Extra Bittersweet Chocolate
• Capriole Bourbon Chocolate Torta Goat Milk on Graham Crackers
• Seasid English Cheddar & Red Leicester Cheddar with Equal Exchange Organic Milk Chocolate
• Parrano Uniekaas Dutch Gouda with a Bark of Chocolate Callebrut White

Gouda and White Chocolate

Bleu and Dark Chocolate

Goat Cheese with Chocolate

Two Cheddars with Milk Chocolate

The History of the MediaSauce Cheese Club
as recounted by Aaron Scamihorn on his blog (www.ronlewhorn.com)

At MediaSauce, we have a fine tradition of celebrating quality cheese. It all started with a random “get-to-know-you” meeting of a few new Saucers. The question “What is your favorite cheese?” was posed to each person.

While the typical answer was cheddar or Velveeta, we found a couple connoisseurs in our midst. Scotty Hendo couldn’t pick a single cheese and gave us the description of what his board would include. We later found out that Époisses truly is INTENSE! In my wife’s family gatherings, we had started a tradition of bringing random cheeses to meals. During this same MediaSauce meeting, I mentioned that my favorite was a French Morbier.

Noticing the shared passion, Scotty Hendo and I took it upon ourselves to create a club where we might share great cheese with our co-workers and learn a little in the process. It has been an ever-growing group of fromaggiers.

Editor’s Note: While the MediaSauce Cheese Club is a proud customer of Whole Foods Market, we receive no compensation or preferential treatment for the recognition of that fact. It’s not out of ethical reasons.  Rather, it’s because they haven’t offered any yet.

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Listen, these technologies are just tools.  Just like your fax machine (if you still have one of those) or your email.

It’s a tool for communication with other people.  When email came out (does anyone remember life without email?), some people embraced it.  But others, you know, struggled, they fought it, but then they finally had to give in.  And, of course, there were those that got confused and accidentally spammed the entire company.  That still happens.  But it doesn’t happen so much anymore.  And what companies do actual training on how to use email?  It’s just a part of life in the office environment and you should know how to use email.

Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter can all be the same thing – even if it isn’t called by these specific brand names in a few years.  Think companies won’t have an internal Facebook for communicating.  Think a Linkedin type tool won’t hold all your business and personal information.  What we are seeing is just the first shots at these tools.  Email has come a long way in a short time.  Don’t think that these tools won’t evolve as well. more

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