Why every brand is starting to sound the same (and how to fix it)
Same templates, same trends, same captions. Why so many brands sound alike on social media, and six ways to build a brand voice people remember.
With so many brands using the same templates, trending audio and caption styles, it can be hard for any one brand to stand out. The good news: a clear brand voice fixes most of it.
Why it’s happening
Tools have made it easy to look professional. That’s good. But when everyone uses the same templates and follows the same trends, brands can start to look and sound alike.
Why it matters
If people can’t remember that a post was yours, it didn’t really do its job. Recognition is what turns views into followers, and followers into customers.
Six ways to sound like yourself
- Pick three words for your brand voice, and three it should never be. For example: “warm, clear, playful”, and never “stiff, pushy or confusing”.
- Write a list of phrases you’d never use. It’s often easier to define a voice by what it avoids.
- Build signature formats. A recurring series, a specific way you open videos, a regular feature. These become the things people recognise.
- Own a look. Consistent colours, typography and framing do a lot of work before anyone reads a word.
- Use trends your way. Take the format, change the angle. If it doesn’t fit your brand, skip it.
- Have an opinion. Specific, honest takes are far more memorable than safe, general statements.
The cover-the-logo test
Take your last nine posts and cover your logo and name. Would your followers still know they’re yours? If not, that’s where to start.
Defining a brand voice and visual direction is a big part of what we do, and it makes every post after it easier to make.