SaaS Brand Voice: Guide to Tone & Strategy

Strategy

October 2024

Here’s a quick guide to developing a strong SaaS brand voice:

Define your core values and audience
Create a brand personality with specific voice traits
Make a brand voice chart for consistency
Apply your voice across all platforms (website, emails, social media, support)
Keep your voice consistent through guidelines and training
Measure results and adjust as needed

Key tips:

Be authentic and relatable
Balance professionalism with friendliness
Match your voice to your product
Use simple language, avoid jargon
Stay consistent across channels

Common challenges:

Explaining tech simply
Maintaining consistency globally
Adapting voice for different user groups

Element	Description	Example
Voice traits	Key personality traits	Friendly, smart, innovative
Tone	How you express emotions	Empathetic for support issues
Do’s	Rules to follow	Use "you", keep it simple
Don’ts	Things to avoid	Don’t use jargon or get too technical

Remember: Your brand voice is your company’s personality. Keep it authentic, consistent, and aligned with your values and audience needs. Review and refine regularly based on customer feedback and results.

Basics of SaaS Brand Voice

Parts of Brand Voice

SaaS brand voice has three main parts:

Language style: Your word choices
Tone: How your message feels
Personality: Your brand’s character

These work together to make your brand recognizable everywhere.

Voice vs. Tone

Voice and tone are different:

Aspect	Voice	Tone
What it is	Your brand’s personality	How you express emotions
How it changes	Stays the same	Adjusts to situations
What it does	Shows who you are	Shows how you feel
Example	Always friendly and helpful	Empathetic when fixing problems

Sarah Aylward from Storyworthy Studios says:

"Brand voice is the unique personality and style your team uses to consistently communicate to your audience across all channels and customer touchpoints."

Impact on SaaS Marketing

A good brand voice helps SaaS companies:

Stand out in a crowded market
Build trust with consistency
Connect better with users
Make marketing more effective

Take MailChimp, for example. They focus on helping small businesses win. You can see this in their friendly, helpful tone everywhere – from their website to their emails.

To nail your SaaS brand voice:

Know your audience (use surveys and support tickets)
Be consistent across all platforms
Adjust your tone when needed (excited for launches, empathetic for issues)

Creating Your SaaS Brand Voice

Find Your Core Values

Look at your company’s mission statement. It’ll help you match your brand voice to what your business is all about. Take MailChimp, for example. Their mission is all about helping small businesses win. That’s why their tone is warm and helpful.

To pin down your core values:

Check out your mission and vision statements
Write down what guides your business decisions
Ask your team what they think the company stands for

Know Your Audience

You’ve got to understand who you’re talking to if you want your brand voice to hit home. CoSchedule nailed this. They dug into their top customers and found out their audience loves trendy stuff and gets a kick out of snarky, sassy fiction.

Want to get to know your audience? Try this:

Survey and chat with your current customers
Look at support tickets to see how customers talk and what bugs them
Use analytics to get the lowdown on who your customers are and what makes them tick

Build Brand Personality

Think of your brand as a person. What would they be like? How would they chat with friends? This helps you create a brand that people can relate to.

Brand	Personality	What It Means
Microsoft	Smart Cookie	They know their stuff when it comes to software and cloud tech
TOMS	Do-Gooder	They’re all about making the world better through business
Red Bull	Adrenaline Junkie	They’re all about extreme sports and high-energy living

Set Voice Traits

Pick specific features that define how your brand talks. Sprout Social uses brand archetypes to guide their voice. They see themselves as the Visionary – creative, vibrant, and always looking ahead.

To set your voice traits:

Pick 3-5 key personality traits for your brand
Spell out how to use (and not use) these traits in your marketing
Make a quick reference chart for your brand voice

Making a Brand Voice Chart

A brand voice chart is like a cheat sheet for your SaaS company’s personality. It helps you sound the same everywhere.

Why Use a Chart

Brand voice charts are useful because they:

Keep your message the same across platforms and team members
Help new folks quickly get your brand’s vibe
Give clear rules for talking in different situations

Fun fact: 86% of customers say a real, authentic voice makes them choose one brand over another. A good chart helps you nail that authenticity.

What to Include

Your chart should have:

Element	What It Is	Example
Voice Traits	3-5 key brand personality traits	Friendly, Smart, Innovative
Description	Quick explanation of each trait	Friendly: We talk like a helpful buddy
Do’s and Don’ts	Rules for each trait	Do: Use "you". Don’t: Get too techy
Tone Changes	How you might sound in different situations	Support tickets: Understanding and fix-focused

How to Use It

To get the most out of your chart:

Give it to everyone who creates content
Show your team how to use it in real life
Update it as your brand grows (Slack checks theirs every 3 months)

Your chart isn’t set in stone. As Brittany Berger, a content pro, says:

"Your brand voice guidelines are their script and stage direction."

It’s your brand’s playbook. Use it, but don’t be afraid to tweak it as you go.

Using Brand Voice Everywhere

Your SaaS brand voice should be consistent across all platforms. Here’s how:

Website Writing

Your website is often the first touchpoint for potential customers. Make your brand voice shine:

Use your brand’s tone in headlines and CTAs
Keep language consistent with your brand voice chart
Adjust formality based on the page (casual for blogs, professional for pricing)

Email Content

Emails are your direct line to customers. Make them count:

Craft subject lines that show your brand personality
Keep your brand voice in email copy, from hello to goodbye
Use your brand’s style, even in transactional emails

"64% of customers want brands to connect with them on a personal level." – Richard Conn, Senior Director for Demand Generation at 8×8

Social media needs flexibility while staying on-brand:

Platform	Brand Voice Adaptation
Twitter	Short, punchy version of your voice
LinkedIn	More professional, industry insights
Instagram	Visual take on your voice
Facebook	Mix of casual and informative

Customer Support

Your support team is your brand’s voice in crucial moments:

1. Train your team:

Give clear guidelines on using brand voice in customer chats. Offer examples of on-brand responses to common questions.

2. Create templates:

Develop response templates that embody your brand voice. Allow room for personalization while staying consistent.

Product Text

Don’t forget about the language in your SaaS product:

Apply your brand voice to UI copy, error messages, and tooltips
Keep onboarding flows in line with your overall tone
Update release notes and in-app notifications to match your brand personality

Keeping Brand Voice Consistent

Keeping your SaaS brand voice steady isn’t easy, but it’s crucial. Here’s how:

Create Voice Guidelines

Make clear rules for your brand voice:

List your brand’s key traits
Give good and bad writing examples
Share these with all your writers

Uber does this well. They spell out their voice elements and show how to use them.

Train Your Team

Help your team nail the brand voice:

Run training sessions
Give writing feedback
Test understanding with quizzes

MailChimp offers both guidelines and training to keep their voice consistent.

Check Your Voice Regularly

Keep tabs on your brand voice:

What	When	Why
Website	Monthly	First impression
Social media	Weekly	Shows personality
Customer emails	Quarterly	Builds relationships
Product updates	Each release	Keeps users engaged

Adjust for Different Content

Tweak your voice for different content types:

Blogs: More casual
White papers: More formal
Social media: Short and snappy
Support emails: Clear and helpful

Monday.com uses a "Do and Don’t" list to help writers adjust their voice while staying on-brand.

Changing Your Brand Voice

Is your SaaS company’s brand voice feeling a bit stale? Here’s how to know when it’s time for a refresh and what to do about it:

Signs It’s Time to Change

Your brand voice might need an update if:

Your target audience has shifted
Your messaging falls flat with clients
Your company vision doesn’t match your goals
Growth has hit a wall
You’ve rolled out new products or services
You’re attracting the wrong buyers

Take Samsung, for example. They went from selling dried fish to becoming a tech powerhouse. Talk about a brand voice overhaul!

Keep Tabs on Your Voice

Set up a review schedule:

Review Type	Frequency	What to Check
Quick check	Monthly	Social media engagement, customer feedback
Deep dive	Quarterly	Website analytics, sales data, market trends
Full audit	Yearly	Brand perception, competitor analysis

Tap into Customer Feedback

Your customers can be a goldmine of insights:

1. Survey your users

Ask them point-blank how they perceive your brand’s communication.

2. Keep an eye on social media

Look for patterns in how people talk about you.

3. Dig into support tickets

Are customers struggling to understand your product messages?

4. Listen to sales calls

How do prospects react to your pitch?

Changing your brand voice is no small feat. It takes time and effort. But when you nail it, you’ll connect better with your audience and give your business a boost.

"The way we communicated our product changed everything. It wasn’t just about features anymore, but about how we spoke to our users’ needs." – Akshay Kothari, CPO of Notion, after their Product Hunt launch

Measuring Brand Voice Results

Want to know if your SaaS brand voice is hitting the mark? Let’s dive into the numbers that matter.

Key Metrics to Watch

Here’s what to track:

Metric	What It Shows
Direct Traffic	People finding you on their own
Branded Search Volume	Folks searching for your brand
Social Media Reach	Your message’s spread
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)	A customer’s long-term worth
Customer Churn Rate	Users jumping ship

Pro tip: Aim for a 3:1 CLV to CAC ratio. It’s a sign your marketing’s on point.

Tracking Tools

These tools help gauge your brand voice:

Google Analytics: Website traffic and user behavior
Mention or Sprout Social: Brand mentions and social reach
Grammarly or Hemingway: Content readability and tone
SurveyMonkey or Typeform: Customer feedback

The Customer’s Take

What your customers think is gold. Here’s how to get it:

1. Regular surveys

Ask customers straight up: Is your brand voice clear? Helpful? Meeting expectations?

2. Social media pulse check

Are people echoing your brand’s language online?

3. Support ticket review

Are customers getting your product messages, or are they scratching their heads?

4. Sales call insights

How do potential customers react to your brand’s chat?

"Brand awareness isn’t a guessing game, and performance marketing channels are crowded by nature. Your brand can be a multiplier, provided you know the right metrics to track and grow." – JK Sparks, Head of Marketing, AudiencePlus

Common SaaS Brand Voice Problems

SaaS companies often struggle with their brand voice. Here’s why:

Making Tech Talk Easy

Many SaaS brands can’t explain their products without jargon. This confuses potential customers.

How to fix it:

Keep it simple
Use stories to show how your product helps
Break down complex ideas

Adam Harrell, Co-founder of Nebo Agency, says:

"Don’t confuse those proof points with your core message. You shouldn’t have to use jargon to describe what it is you actually do."

Staying Consistent Globally

As SaaS companies grow internationally, keeping a consistent brand voice gets tough. Cultural differences can mess up your message.

To stay consistent:

Research how new markets might see your brand
Create a detailed brand guide
Work with local experts

Talking to Different Users

SaaS products often serve various user groups. Adjusting your voice for each audience without losing your brand identity is tricky.

Here’s what to do:

Create user personas
Tailor content for each persona
Use the right channels for different groups

Tips for SaaS Brand Voice

Want your SaaS to stand out? Here’s how to craft a brand voice that clicks with your audience:

Be Real

Ditch the fluff. Your audience craves honesty. Take a page from Slack’s playbook:

Slack keeps it real. They show how their product fixes everyday work chat headaches. No fancy talk, just straight-up solutions.

Mix Professional and Friendly

Aim for that sweet spot between expert and approachable. HubSpot nails this:

"We ask: Would a real person say this? Is it relatable?" – Emily Kearns, HubSpot’s Social Media guru

Result? HubSpot’s social engagement shot up 84% in just six months.

Match Voice to Product

Your voice should echo your product’s vibe. Check out Canva:

Brand	Voice	Product Match
Canva	Inclusive, user-friendly	Makes design a breeze for everyone

They use language that welcomes all users, just like their tool does.

Remember: Your brand voice is your handshake with users. Make it firm, friendly, and uniquely yours.

Real Examples

Let’s look at some SaaS brands that nailed their voice and what we can learn from them.

SaaS Voice Success Stories

1. Slack: Keeping It Real

Slack’s voice? It’s all about being real and solving problems. They:

Talk about everyday work issues
Use simple language
Skip the jargon

Result? 500,000 daily users. Plus, they’ve built a community where people share industry knowledge.

2. Mailchimp: Friendly Expert

Mailchimp knows how to be helpful without talking down to you. Their voice is:

Casual but smart
A bit funny
Clear when explaining tough stuff

It’s like getting help from a smart friend, not a big company.

3. Duolingo: Fun and Quirky

Duolingo makes learning languages feel like a game:

What They Do	How They Do It
Sound	Playful and upbeat
Style	Use jokes to keep you interested
Goal	Make learning less scary

Their green owl mascot? It’s part of the fun that keeps people coming back.

Learning from Mistakes

Not every brand gets it right. Here’s what we can learn from some slip-ups:

1. Making Things Too Complex

Some SaaS companies use too much tech talk. It can scare off people who aren’t tech experts.

Tip: Keep it simple, like Apple. They don’t use tech terms in their ads, so their products seem easy to use.

2. Sounding Different Everywhere

Some brands change their voice on different platforms. It can confuse people.

Tip: Make clear rules for your brand voice and teach everyone to use them. Coca-Cola does this well – they always talk about happiness, no matter where.

3. Not Changing with the Times

As your product changes, your voice might need to change too. If you don’t, you might seem old-fashioned.

Tip: Check and update your brand voice often. Spotify does this well. They stay funny and direct, but they also keep up with new features and what users want.

Wrap-up

Your SaaS brand voice isn’t just about words. It’s your company’s personality. Here’s what matters:

Know your audience inside out
Stay consistent everywhere
Keep it simple
Let your values shine

Your brand voice will evolve. That’s normal. Check it every 6 months. Listen to what customers say. Tweak it, but don’t lose your core identity.

Here’s a quick guide:

Do	Don’t
Use simple language	Go tech-heavy
Match voice to product	Sound different everywhere
Be friendly and pro	Get too formal or casual
Update voice guidelines	Ignore customer feedback

A strong brand voice helps you stand out. It’s not just WHAT you say, but HOW you say it.

"A powerful brand voice comes from knowing yourself, your audience, and being consistent." – Ken Moo

Keep working on it. You’ll connect better with customers.

FAQs

How to build a B2B SaaS brand?

Building a B2B SaaS brand isn’t rocket science. But it does take work. Here’s how to do it:

1. Know your market

Dig into your target audience. Who are they? What do they need? And don’t forget to check out your competition.

2. Define your purpose

What’s your brand all about? Why should anyone care? Nail this down.

3. Create your look

Design a logo that pops. Pick colors that fit your vibe. Make it memorable.

4. Craft your message

How will you talk about your product? Keep it clear and consistent.

5. Connect with your audience

Share stuff they care about. Talk to them. Be helpful.

6. Listen and improve

Ask for feedback. Then actually use it to make your brand better.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Step	Do This	Why
1	Know your audience	So you can give them what they want
2	Set brand values	Guides everything you do
3	Make a cool logo	People remember visuals
4	Stay on message	Builds trust
5	Give value	Makes people like you
6	Use feedback	Keeps you relevant

Building a brand takes time. Look at Notion. They didn’t blow up overnight. They focused on creating useful stuff and talking to their users. Now people see Notion as more than just another app – it’s a productivity powerhouse.

"The best brands are consistent. They have a personality that shows up everywhere."

Keep working on your brand. It’s never really "done." But it’s worth it. A strong brand will help you stand out in the crowded SaaS world.

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