How to Refresh Your Brand Tone Without Losing Yourself
Maybe you wrote your "About" page three years ago when you thought you needed to sound super professional, and now it feels like you're wearing a suit that doesn't quite fit anymore.
Or perhaps you've been copying what everyone else in your industry is doing, and your voice has gotten lost somewhere along the way. You're not alone in this – refreshing your brand tone is one of the most common challenges small business owners face as they grow and evolve.
The good news? You don't need to throw everything out and start from scratch. Refreshing your brand tone is about evolution, not revolution.
Why Refresh Instead of Rebuild?
Think of refreshing your brand tone like updating your wardrobe rather than buying entirely new clothes. You keep the pieces that make you feel like you, but you add some fresh elements that reflect who you're becoming.
A complete brand overhaul can confuse your existing customers and make you lose the authentic voice that brought people to you in the first place. But a refresh? That keeps your core personality intact while making sure your communication feels current and genuine.
Your customers already have a relationship with your brand. They've chosen you for specific reasons, and part of that choice was based on how you communicate. When you refresh rather than rebuild, you're respecting that relationship whilst making sure your voice stays relevant and engaging.
Step 1: Audit What's Actually Working
Before you change anything, you need to understand what's already connecting with your audience. This isn't about being overly critical – it's about recognising your strengths.
Look at your customer feedback and reviews. What language do people use when they talk about working with you? Do they mention that you're "easy to talk to" or "really understand their business"? These are clues about your authentic brand personality.
Check your most popular content. Which social media posts get the most engagement? What blog posts do people share? The tone in your best-performing content is probably closer to your authentic voice than anything that feels forced or overly polished.
Ask yourself these questions:
What do I want people to feel when they interact with my brand?
What makes my approach different from my competitors?
When am I most comfortable talking about my business?
What values are non-negotiable for me?
Write down these insights. They'll become your anchor points – the elements you definitely want to keep as you refresh everything else.
Step 2: Identify What Needs to Change
Now for the honest bit. What parts of your current brand tone make you cringe a little? Maybe you've been trying to sound more corporate than you actually are, or perhaps you've been so casual that people aren't taking your expertise seriously.
Common signs your tone needs refreshing:
You feel like you're putting on a character when you write marketing content
Your voice varies wildly across different platforms
You avoid writing certain types of content because it doesn't feel "you"
Your messaging hasn't been updated in over two years
You find yourself explaining what you "really meant" after publishing something
Watch out for: Don't change things just because you're bored with them. Your customers might love consistency that you find repetitive. Focus on changes that will serve your audience better, not just entertain you more.
Step 3: Define Your Refreshed Voice
This is where the magic happens. You're going to create a simple framework that captures both your existing strengths and your evolved personality.
Choose 3-4 core voice traits. These should be specific enough to guide your writing but flexible enough to work across different situations. For example:
Knowledgeable but not intimidating
Friendly without being overly familiar
Honest about challenges and limitations
Encouraging rather than pushy
Create contrast statements to make your traits clearer:
We're professional but not stuffy
We're casual but not unprofessional
We're confident but not arrogant
Write like a real person. The biggest shift in recent years is towards more human, conversational brand voices. This doesn't mean using text speak in your marketing emails, but it does mean using contractions, asking questions, and acknowledging that business relationships are actually human relationships.
Step 4: Test and Refine Your New Tone
Start small. Don't refresh everything at once – that's overwhelming for both you and your audience. Pick one area to focus on first.
Good places to start:
Your email newsletter (small, regular touchpoint)
Social media captions (easy to adjust quickly)
Your website's "About" page (high impact, limited scope)
Write new content using your refreshed tone, then let it sit for a day before publishing. Does it still feel like you when you read it back? Would you be comfortable saying these words out loud to a client?
Get feedback from people who know your business well. This might be team members, long-term clients, or business friends. Ask them: "Does this sound like me, but maybe a better version of me?"
Step 5: Roll Out Your Refreshed Tone Consistently
Once you've tested your new approach and feel confident about it, create a simple guide for yourself (and any team members who help with your content).
Include examples of:
How you'll greet people in emails vs social media vs your website
Words or phrases you definitely want to use more often
Language you want to avoid going forward
How your tone might shift slightly for different situations (client calls vs marketing content)
Update your key touchpoints gradually:
Website copy (start with your homepage and about page)
Email templates and signatures
Social media bios and regular post templates
Client communication templates
Remember, this doesn't have to happen overnight. Give yourself permission to evolve your voice over a few months rather than trying to perfect everything immediately.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't swing too far in the opposite direction. If you've been overly formal, don't suddenly become completely casual. Small shifts feel more authentic than dramatic changes.
Don't ignore your industry context. Yes, you want to sound more human, but a funeral director probably shouldn't adopt the same tone as a party planner. Your voice should feel appropriate for your field whilst still feeling genuine.
Don't forget about your existing customers. They're already invested in your brand. Make sure your refreshed tone still speaks to them, not just to the new audience you're hoping to attract.
Making It Stick
The biggest challenge with refreshing your brand tone isn't the initial work – it's maintaining consistency as you move forward. Set yourself up for success by:
Creating templates for your most common communications. Having a starting point makes it easier to maintain your new tone when you're busy or stressed.
Reviewing your content regularly. Schedule a monthly check-in to make sure you're staying on track with your refreshed voice.
Being patient with yourself. Like any new habit, your refreshed brand tone will take time to feel completely natural. That's okay – authenticity is more important than perfection.
Ready to Sound Like Yourself Again?
Refreshing your brand tone isn't about finding a completely new voice – it's about clearing away the stuff that isn't really you and amplifying what is. Your authentic voice is already there; sometimes it just needs a bit of polishing to shine through clearly.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the idea of refreshing your brand tone on your own, that's completely normal. Sometimes having someone outside your business help you identify your strengths and blind spots can make the whole process much clearer and more effective.
Want to explore how your brand tone could better reflect who you really are? Get in touch – we'd love to help you find your voice.