Brand Messaging and Voice Guides for Purpose-Driven Startups
Go from
'What are we trying to say?'
to
'This is who we are'
Your roadmap to unshakeable brand confidence
I thought I knew what my audience wanted…
You’re pouring your heart and soul into your startup, but something’s not quite clicking.
Any of these sound familiar?
- You've pivoted, but your messaging is still about past you. It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, and it's exhausting.
- Team meetings about "our brand voice" end with everyone leaving more confused than when they arrived.
- Your social media manager is posting breakdancing penguins just to get any engagement. You’re ending up with traffic, sure - but no qualified leads.
- You're passionate about your mission, but it's getting lost in a sea of technical jargon. It takes you half an hour at networking meetings to explain what you do.
- Investor pitches are met with blank stares instead of excited nods. You know you're special, but you can't seem to articulate why.
- Your website bounce rate is so high you’ve stopped looking at it (like those heady student days when you avoided looking at your bank balance). Visitors are leaving before they even understand what you offer.
- Everyone is working their socks off, but revenue goals keep sliding further out of reach. It feels like you're speaking a different language than your customers.
Your brand is as confused as your audience. Your team is frustrated. Potential customers are slipping away.
You’re spending every day trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without knowing what the picture on the box is. And it shows.
Time to press pause
When you’re in a slump, it’s really tempting to jump straight into content creation and outreach.
“Tell more people!” “Place more ads!” “Book more sales calls!”
Can we just…maybe…take a breath?
Saying more stuff isn’t how you get heard.
Saying the right stuff, to the right people, in the right places. That’s how you get heard.
And that’s how you grow your startup.
But how do you know the right stuff, people, and places?
You need a guide. Or a Guide… to your brand’s communication.
A blueprint that tells you exactly what your audience needs to hear, lays out how they need to hear it, and shows you exactly how to say it consistently.
And I’m not talking about a surface-level tagline brainstorming session.
You need a fathoms-deep dive into the heart of your business and the mind of your audience. You need:
- 1. Your brand’s core: Digging into your mission, values, and unique selling propositions to unearth what truly makes you special.
- 2. Audience insights: No longer guessing what your audience wants – but asking them, analysing their behaviour, and translating their needs into messaging that actually resonates.
- 3. Key messages: Building those core ideas that will turn heads, open hearts, and loosen purse strings (although my purse has a zip, so…).
- 4. A brand voice and tone: Developing a consistent way of speaking that feels authentically ‘you’ across all platforms, no matter who’s creating the content.
- 5. A communication strategy: Knowing exactly how to adapt your message for different channels and stages of the customer journey, so you can nurture people in just the right way.
Sounds great; who else have you helped?
Fancy reclaiming 10 hours a week to actually grow your business? Or having a goldmine of integrity-filled messaging at your fingertips whenever you need to write something?
That’s exactly what happened for these clients after we worked together.
James Lee,
Founder of Evolution Engineers
- → Before: James was stuck in an endless loop of content corrections as he was the only one who really knew how he wanted Evolution Engineers to sound.
- → After: Now he’s freed up 10 hours a week, and every team member can confidently speak in the brand’s voice.
“Peta truly heard us, not just listened to us. Now, I can focus on growing the business instead of constantly correcting content.”
Debbie Danon,
Founder of Rebel Leadership
- → Before: Debbie was struggling to condense her complex ideas and maintain brand consistency across a growing team.
- → After: Now she has a daily-use guide that sharpens proposals, inspires content, and articulates her unique mission.
“I now use the Guide Peta produced for me every day in my work. It’s a goldmine of messaging that glows with integrity.”
Ready to join them?
Right, how does working with you work?
Brand Messaging Guide
What You Get:
- – A comprehensive 20-30 page guide to your brand
- – Clear articulation of your brand’s mission, vision, and values
- – Detailed audience personas and customer journey mapping
- – Unique Value Proposition and key differentiators
- – Core messaging pillars and key brand stories
- – Messaging matrix for different audience segments and channels
The Process:
- 1. Brand discovery questionnaire and strategy session
- 2. A thorough analysis of your existing content and market position
- 3. Customer and stakeholder interviews
- 4. Competitor analysis
- 5. Message refinement
- 6. Creation and presentation of your guide
- 7. Two rounds of revisions to ensure a perfect fit
What you really get
- Clarity on who you are and what you stand for
- Consistent messaging across all team members and channels
- Improved audience connection and engagement
- More effective marketing and sales materials
- Stronger pitch decks and investor presentations
- A foundation for all future content creation
Investment: Starting at $3,495
Brand Voice Guide
What You Get:
- – A detailed 20-30 page guide defining your brand’s unique voice
- – Brand voice characteristics and tone guidelines
- – Do’s and don’ts for writing in your brand voice
- – Channel-specific voice adaptations (e.g., social media, emails, website)
- – Writing templates and examples for common content types
- – Editing checklist for maintaining voice consistency
The Process:
- 1. In-depth brand discovery questionnaire and interview
- 2. Analysis of your current content across various channels
- 3. Voice exploration workshop with key team members
- 4. Development of voice guidelines and examples
- 5. Creation and presentation of your guide
- 6. Two rounds of revisions to refine the voice
What you really get
- A distinctive and recognisable brand voice
- Consistency across all written communications
- Easier onboarding for new team members and agencies
- More engaging and on-brand content
- Reduced time spent on content revisions and approvals
- Improved brand recall and customer trust
Investment: Starting at $2,995
Need both? I can create a custom, comprehensive Brand Messaging and Voice Guide tailored specifically to your startup’s needs. Just ask!
Whichever one you choose, you’ll always be seen and heard. Let’s start creating your messaging goldmine together (with zero ethical dilemmas!).
But isn’t a Brand Messaging Guide just a glorified mission statement?
(And some other questions)
Q: Isn’t a Brand Messaging Guide just a glorified mission statement? Do I really need one?
A: Umm…no. While a mission statement might tell you where you’re going, a Brand Messaging Guide is like having a GPS with real-time traffic updates and a built-in karaoke machine. It’s a comprehensive blueprint for your brand’s communication strategy, showing you how to get there, who to talk to along the way, and what to say when you arrive. You know, for those long journeys to market domination.
Q: My startup is still evolving. Won’t we outgrow the guide quickly?
A: Unless your startup plans on having a complete personality transplant, I think we’re safe. The guide is designed to be flexible and adaptable, focusing on your core values and audience needs. These tend to remain consistent even as your startup evolves from “working out of a garage” to “wait, we can afford an office now?”. Plus, it includes strategies for different stages of growth, so it’ll be relevant whether you’re pitching to your mum or to VCs.
Q: We’re a small team and we all know our brand. Can’t we just create this internally?
A: Sure, you could create it internally. You could also cut your own hair, but we’ve all seen how that turned out during lockdown, right? Sometimes, it pays to call in a professional. As an outsider, I can see your brand the way your audience does, spotting opportunities and challenges you might miss. Plus, my process involves in-depth research and customer interviews, providing insights you might not have access to internally. I promise I won’t give your brand a mullet.
Q: This seems like a big investment. How do I know it will pay off?
A: Yes, a guide like this is an investment. But, like all good investments, it will pay for itself faster than you can say “pivot to blockchain”. My clients have saved countless hours on content creation and revisions, more effective marketing leading to higher conversion rates, and stronger pitches resulting in successful funding rounds. The real question is: can you afford to keep struggling with inconsistent messaging and ineffective communication?
Q: We need to focus on product development/funding right now. Shouldn’t brand messaging wait?
A: Ah yes, the old “we’ll fix the messaging later” approach. That’s like saying you’ll explain the rules after starting the game. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work. Your brand messaging is the foundation of how you communicate about your product and pitch to investors. A clear, compelling message can accelerate your product-market fit and make your funding pitches significantly more effective. Many founders find that clarifying their messaging actually informs and improves their product development process. Unless confusing your customers and investors is part of your unique value proposition?
I’m in! What now?
Now, we talk. Press the lovely button below, and choose a time for a chat.
We’ll talk about your business, what you’re struggling with, and how I can help. And we’ll see if we’re a good fit – with absolutely no pressure.
See you there!