Brand voices are blending together — here’s how to make yours heard

Brand voices are blending together — here’s how to make yours heard

As you browse your social media feeds or check out billboards on a leisurely drive, you might notice a recent phenomenon: Everything seems quite, well, similar. “If you go to the comment section of any viral post right now, all the brands are commenting and they all sound exactly the same,” says Rachel Karten, a social media consultant and author of the popular industry newsletter Link In Bio.

If you run a business, it’s more important than ever to carve out a distinct brand identity—and your brand’s voice, or how you express your brand’s values, point of view, and attitudes, is key. “Brand voice can be the differentiator when every brand sounds the same,” Karten says.

Eighty-eight percent of consumers say trust is important or a deal breaker when it comes to brands they buy or use, according to communications firm Edelman’s 2025 Trust Barometer, with a majority of consumers saying they expect brands to make them feel good, educate them, and provide them with community. A brand’s voice is critical to accomplishing all of the above.

Shopify spoke with Karten, as well as Arin Delaney—co-owner of Fonzie, the agency behind the brand voices of Rhode and Reformation—for valuable tips and insights on how brands can stand apart in a sea of digital sameness.

Focus on what sets your brand apart

To develop a unique brand voice online, start with the values and qualities that make your brand and its personality special.

Your tone should reflect what truly sets you apart: your brand’s values, goals, and points of connection. This helps make your voice recognizable and distinctly you. “Always lean into your differentiators,” Delaney says.

When working with clients, Fonzie has developed a Verbal Identity framework to translate brand values and differentiators into a living system of voice: starting with a persona (a human character that embodies the brand), defining messaging pillars (what the brand talks about consistently), and building style and copy guidelines that show up across every channel.

When developing the voice for beauty brand Kosas, Fonzie cofounder Madison Palasini zeroed in on what set it apart from competitors. “For them, a differentiator is: makeup that actually helps your skin,” Delaney says. “It’s something you can constantly communicate through every touchpoint, from product names to taglines and beyond.”

Write like a real person

If a consumer has to ask themselves whether or not a human wrote your copy, you’re missing the mark—even if you didn’t turn to AI for help.

Ensuring your copy sounds like a real person is key, says Delaney, who recommends saying the words out loud or in your head first. “If those lines sound like something you’d say in your own head, all the better,” she says. “If you wouldn’t say it, don’t write it.”

For clothing brand Reformation, Palasini created the tagline “Thanks, it’s Reformation.” Its conversational tone is simple but effective. “It’s succinct and it tells a story; to this day we still hear people say it in response to, ’Hey, I like your dress,’” says Delaney.

Create tension

If you want to encourage consumers to stop scrolling and engage with your brand online, then the copycats of the world are working in your favor. Among all that sameness, leading with humor, honesty, or an unexpected point of view can break the scroll and earn attention.

“Algorithms and the internet have really collapsed language,” Karten says. “Brand voice can create tension among that sameness that we hear from every brand on social right now.”

In this case, tension is leaning into the unexpected, “something that gets your attention and sort of stops you,” says Karten, who points to government agencies and libraries—brands that historically have been considered stodgy or boring—that bring fun and humor to their posts. “Because they’re doing the opposite of that perception, it creates a tension, and then the post catches the attention of somebody scrolling,” she says.

Embrace the everyday

Even “boring” industries or seemingly mundane processes can lead to compelling stories. “Just think about what things you take for granted in the work that you do that might be so interesting to your audience,” says Karten.

She gives an example of a water slide park’s safety check video. “Why does that have 400,000 views?” Karten asks. “I don’t know, but I also watched it. It’s human and it’s interesting and I would watch that in a second.”

“Doesn’t matter what it is, if you find it interesting, somebody else will,” agrees Delaney. “Witnessing someone’s passion is one of the most powerful things you can experience—it provokes you to find yours.”

Think beyond your followers

Social media algorithms have changed dramatically over the past few years and will continue to do so. While brands could once post a photo or video and know it would be in their followers’ feeds the next time they opened the app, that’s no longer the case. To perform well with TikTok and Instagram’s discovery-based algorithms, brands need to develop voices that speak to followers and non-followers alike.

“That inherently changes your brand voice, because you need to appeal to strangers, essentially,” says Karten. “Those non-followers determine your engagement because when they like it, when they send it [to others], it gets fed even further into the algorithm.”

Brooklyn-based brand Craighill designs everyday objects like scissors, key chains, and money clips, which may not seem like perfect subjects for engaging social media content. However, the brand starts its Instagram Reels with a universal problem or phenomenon—like why a pen clip bends out of place—which it then answers and relates back to how its own product was designed.

“When you start with that universal truth, problem, whatever it may be, you’re hooking people who care about your brand already and people who have never heard of your brand,” says Karten. By using the same format for all its videos, Craighill also builds trust among its audience, because they know exactly what to expect and that they’ll enjoy it.

Be consistent across every touchpoint

Brand voice extends far beyond an email subject line or Instagram caption. Every decision your brand makes is a chance to present a consistent, recognizable personality. “Who is speaking words about your brand is also your brand voice,” says Karten. “Brand voice is what you’re saying, but also what you’re not saying too.”

When you have a strong voice and clear brand guidelines, it can help inform your entire business strategy. For example, a brand rooted in sustainability that takes a group of influencers on a lavish brand trip is sending conflicting messages to its audience, says Karten.

On the other hand, she points to beauty brand Merit for its disciplined brand voice across all touchpoints—from Reels, posts, and captions to where it does its shoots and who it partners with. “I could probably pick it out of a crowd if I didn’t see the handle next to it,” she says. “It sounds so specific and it’s not internet-y and it’s not written for an algorithm. It’s mature and it feels … almost educational, but in a really entertaining, smart way.”

Keep evolving your voice

It’s important to remember that brand guidelines are living documents. Language and cultural context shift, so your brand voice should too. “Nothing stays the same,” Delaney says, “The words we use and how we connect to each other is always evolving. It’s important to stay receptive and tapped into those subtle changes.”

Engagement, customer feedback, and competitor analysis can help you stay on top of changing consumer preferences. Understanding your target audience and what they care about is also key. “True connection is about resonance and feeling seen,” says Delaney. “Staying honest, grounded, and real helps you find the best ways to show up for people.”

This story was produced by Shopify and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.