Just a quick one… We loved hearing from you in the comments of our brand building yap and we'd love to continue the conversation. Drop your thoughts in the comments - whether this clicks for you or you have a different approach. It is always better with your voices in it.
Let's dive in...
Finding the Balance: Authenticity vs. Professionalism in Your Brand Voice
In today's digital landscape, authenticity has become the gold standard for brand communication. Audiences crave genuine connections—they want to see your failures, celebrate your wins, peek behind the scenes, and meet the people who make your company tick. But as founders, especially those new to being public-facing, navigating the line between authentic sharing and maintaining professional boundaries, can feel like walking a tightrope. (Trust us, talking to a camera is not for the faint of heart.)
Authenticity vs. Complete Transparency
Building a relatable brand is essential, particularly when nurturing a community. Showing who you are and sharing your journey attracts people who genuinely resonate with your mission. This authentic connection is precisely why we created PONND—to foster genuine relationships in a digital world often lacking them.
However, authenticity doesn't mean sharing everything. Strategic vulnerability, not complete transparency, is the goal. So how do you strike that balance? Here are three questions we are trying to lead with to help discover ours.
Three Questions to Find Your Authentic Professional Voice
1. What aspects of your authentic self serve your audience, and where are your boundaries?
This question helps distinguish between content that aligns with your brand identity versus content created merely for views or engagement. Everyone has different comfort levels—perhaps daily TikTok recaps feel forced, but sharing industry insights energises you. Finding out what feels most natural to you will help create a brand voice that is uniquely yours.
IRL Example:
Bella - I'm using my personal TikTok as a testing ground to discover my voice and boundaries. This approach feels less intimidating as I can experiment without the pressure of representing our business brand. For me, being forward facing, talking to camera and fear of judgement are three (or maybe one) things I struggle with.
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PONND - We're documenting our founder journey from initial concept through product creation, embracing all the ups and downs. By sharing insights into our decision-making, behind-the-scenes moments, and even our setbacks, we're aiming to build trust and deeper connections with our community. We've strategically diversified our content across platforms, tailoring our messaging to each channel's unique audience while maintaining consistency in our core values: community, authenticity, and growth.
2. Where does your brand voice feel inconsistent or forced?
Conduct an audit of all your communication channels—social media, emails, presentations, website copy. Identify which elements feel misaligned with your natural voice. Do some pieces feel overly formal? Too casual? Pinpoint specifically what creates that disconnect, then systematically refine those elements to bring consistency to your brand voice.
3. Which elements of your communication style resonate most with your audience?
Analyse your content performance beyond simple metrics like views. Look deeper at engagement—comments, shares, direct messages. What content sparked genuine conversation? Was it your tactical advice, your candid behind-the-scenes moments, or your perspective on industry trends? Use these insights to develop content pillars that feel natural to you while meeting your audience's needs.
Trust Your Instincts
Ultimately, the approach that feels most authentic to you will likely resonate most with your audience. If you naturally gravitate toward personal storytelling, embrace that. If you prefer delivering educational content in your niche, focus there.
The key is experimentation. Each piece of content generates data that helps refine your voice. The more you create, the clearer your authentic professional voice becomes.
Your Turn
How have you found your voice as a brand? Have you struggled with balancing authenticity and professionalism? We'd love to hear your experiences and any insights you've gained along the way.
Have a great start to the week!
— Bella & Remi