Your brand is unique, and your branding should reflect that. You want your customers to recognize your brand across all your channels and platforms, whether that’s in an email, a social media post, or on your website. It’s why you have a logo, use a standard set of fonts, and have a color palette.

But have you applied that same amount of attention and cohesion to your copy?

What is brand copy?

Brand copy is the way you communicate your brand’s tone, personality, and unique core messaging to your audience. It’s a part of your branding in the same way that your visual design is.

Brand copy is what makes it sound like you’re talking to a human when you read something! It creates a feeling of continuity and cohesion across all your communications, from your social media to your blog.

Brand copy influences all the other forms of writing your brand does: including copywriting and content writing.

Copywriting vs. content writing

Let’s break down the difference between copywriting and content writing. Both are a part of your brand’s copy and should match the tone and voice of your brand. However, each has a different goal for its audience.

The goal of copywriting is to get the audience to take action, usually to make a purchase. It directly promotes a product or service. Copywriting will include descriptions of the product or service, a call to action, promotional offers, and more.

The goal of content, on the other hand, is to build rapport and trust with your customers and create a positive brand association. It isn’t directly promoting a product or service. Instead, it aims to provide valuable information in some way. Content marketing provides value without expecting the customer to act right away.

What type of copy is right for my marketing strategy?

Both copywriting and content writing are important in your brand’s overall marketing strategy. But brand copy is arguably the most important: it is the foundation for all other forms of writing. Your brand copy is the compass that keeps your other forms of marketing on track. 

For example, a direct call to action is usually concise. But how concise should it be? What specific words should be used? What should the tone be? The answers to these questions depend on your brand.

No matter what types of marketing your brand uses, brand copy ensures that every type of communication your brand uses is cohesive and consistent.

The biggest mistake brands make with their copy

When brands don’t take the time to get clear about their voice, messaging, and copy, they lose out on the opportunity to build a relationship with their customers.

People want to buy from brands they like. And people like brands that feel less like a brand and more like a friend.

Brand copy humanizes your brand, giving it a recognizable personality. Marketing without this element is transactional — its only purpose is to get a customer to buy something. Brand copy, on the other hand, starts a conversation. 

As a result, customers feel drawn to your brand because they feel valued. They align with the values your brand copy communicates, and they want to be a part of the story your brand is telling. 

The difference brand copy makes for your business

Good copy builds your brand

Whether you have intentionally crafted a brand or not, your customers have filled in the blanks for themselves. Every piece of text, from the way it is formatted to the vocabulary you use, reinforces your brand personality, whether you want it to or not. 

Good brand copy accurately reflects your company’s values and unique attributes. It creates a brand personality that aligns with your target audience and builds a natural relationship with them.

Target your audience

How does brand copy build a relationship with your target audience? By creating content that is interesting or relevant, you build a reputation for expertise. This allows your audience to develop trust in your brand, and as a result, feel more understood, seen, and valued by the work you do.

Your business is much more likely to gain clients and make sales in the future when you’ve spent time developing a relationship with your target audience. 

Organic traffic

Content marketing can help your website to rank more highly in search engines and drive organic traffic to your website. This is because you can create content on keywords that are tangentially related to your product or service — not just the keywords that are directly relevant. This expands the number of keywords your site can rank for in search results.

The more relevant traffic you drive to your website, the better your overall brand visibility will be. 

Increasing inbound clients

Most companies want to see more inbound clients — cold calls and emails can be draining and ineffective. 

Good copy brings your target audience to you. When they land on your website, they’re doing so because they’re searching for the information you’re demonstrating expertise in. 

How brand copy works with brand design

When your brand voice and design don’t match 

Your brand copy should align with your overall brand design — that means the colors, fonts, layouts, and formats you use should match the personality and tone of your brand copy. 

For example, a company that sells upscale handbags might choose to design a website with a sleek, modern feel. But if their copy took on a playful, informal tone, it would conflict with the other elements of their brand, leaving customers unclear.

Copy and design should inform one another — your design should be created with your copy in mind, and vice versa. 

Copywriting for startups and small businesses

Why brand copy is important to establish early

Copy and design work in tandem to build your overall brand. That’s why it’s important to establish both in the early stages of your marketing process. 

The first chapter of your marketing establishes your brand’s personality and values. Getting clear on your brand copy is just as important to this process as setting up a beautiful, functional website. Both of these elements form the first impression that your audience will have of your brand — so make it a good one!  

How a copywriter can help

If you’re a business owner, you’re probably overwhelmed with enough to-dos as it is. Hiring a copywriter can save you time while still allowing you to publish content regularly. A professional copywriter can also help to define your brand voice so it is cohesive and aligned with your target audience. 

Want to learn more about working with a professional copywriter to grow your business? Let’s chat!