Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else: Your Brand Voice Deserves Better
Here’s the ugly truth wrapped in glitter and sprinkled with jargon: brand communication is in crisis. Not in a cute, let’s-try-this-new-font kind of way—but in a grab-your-favorite-mug-and-scream-into-it kind of way.
Because right now? Everyone sounds like a TED Talk married a LinkedIn humblebrag and birthed a lovechild named “Delightful Disruption.” It’s all very inspirational™ and deeply forgettable.
Let’s call this what it is: a full-blown brand voice identity meltdown.
Why Everyone Sounds the Same
You’ve seen it. Hell, maybe you’ve written it.
“We’re passionate about empowering [insert niche] to disrupt [insert industry] with innovative, scalable solutions rooted in empathy.”
BARF.
What does that even mean? It’s like Mad Libs for startups. Somewhere between trying to sound professional, credible, and not like you’re selling snake oil, you erased your actual personality. And that, my dear bold builder of brands, is a crime against connection.
Here’s the trap: most brands are terrified of being too much. Too weird, too edgy, too raw, too honest. So they cram their messaging into a safe little box of buzzwords, approved adjectives, and recycled phrasing. It’s like corporate drag—but without any of the sparkle.
And in the pursuit of “professional,” they become indistinguishable. Sterile. Beige. Vanilla latte in a world begging for mezcal on the rocks.
You know what actually stands out? Realness. Vulnerability. The messy, imperfect magic of human language. You don’t need to be polished. You need to be felt.
The TED Talk + LinkedIn Hybrid Monster
Let’s dissect this beast.
On one side, we’ve got the TED Talk voice: all sweeping generalizations, grandiose statements, and pseudo-profound soundbites. “We believe the future is human-centered, purpose-driven, and radically empathetic.” Okay, Deepak, but what do you actually do?
Then there’s the LinkedIn humblebrag: “Honored to have delighted over 10,000 users this quarter with our game-changing platform. Couldn’t have done it without our rockstar team!” Translation: “I need validation. Please like this post.”
Now imagine slamming those two tones into one brand voice. It’s not just bad—it’s nuclear cringe. It’s a performative puppet show dressed up as authenticity.
And yet… this is the standard. This is what people think “professional” sounds like. So we rinse and repeat, louder and louder, until all we hear is the echo of someone else’s brand strategy deck.
You can feel when a brand is trying too hard. When it’s mimicking instead of meaning it. You can feel the gap between the polished statement and the beating heart behind it.
That gap? That’s where trust dies.
Reclaiming Your Brand Voice
Now let me whisper a little rebellion in your ear: you’re allowed to sound like you. Scratch that—you’re required to if you want to matter.
Reclaiming your brand voice is like remembering your own laugh after years of silencing it in boardrooms. It’s not just about tone—it’s about truth.
Start by naming what you won’t say anymore. Make a list of the clichés and catchphrases that make your soul shrivel. Burn them. Bury them. Banish them from your About page and your welcome email.
Then, write like you talk when you’re with your best friend after two margaritas. Write like you’re texting someone you love. Write like you have nothing to prove and everything to share.
You don’t need to “disrupt” anything. Just be honest. Be weird. Be wildly specific.
You can say “weird little internet corner” instead of “online platform.” You can say “we care about people not being burnt toast” instead of “we help clients prevent burnout.” You can say “we’re obsessed with helping you unf*ck your brand voice” instead of “we specialize in voice differentiation.”
Permission granted to sound human again.
Talk Like a Real F*cking Human
Your audience doesn’t want perfect. They want real.
They’re scrolling past dozens of perfectly branded posts and airbrushed promises. What stops them? A voice that makes them feel seen.
This is your superpower. Not being the loudest. Not being the smartest. Being the most you.
Talk in full-color sentences, not grayscale jargon. Use contractions. Swear a little if that’s your thing. Laugh at yourself. Tell the truth. Say what you actually mean, not what you think you’re supposed to say.
If your About page reads like a eulogy, start over. If your Instagram captions sound like a robot with an MBA wrote them, throw them out.
Build a voice that feels like a warm punch in the gut. The kind that says: “Hey, I see you. I get you. I made this for you.”
Because when your brand talks like a real f*cking human, people stop scrolling. They stop doubting. They start listening.
Now, Your Turn
Edit one line of your website today. Just one. Make it sound more like you and less like a brochure. Make it weird, honest, punchy, or poetic. Make it something that makes you smile—because it finally sounds right.
And then ask yourself:
What are you really here to say—and what are you still too afraid to?
