Donald Miller says it best: “Niches lead to riches.” And that principle applies to your brand voice, too. You can’t speak to everyone the same way and expect your credit union marketing to connect.
We once asked a client who they were targeting with their campaign. Their answer? “Yes.” That’s code for “we haven’t actually decided.” And when you try to speak to everyone, your messaging doesn’t truly speak to anyone. It’s watered down, generic and forgettable.
Your brand voice is vital if you want your marketing to resonate with members. But consistency is hard when you have multiple people creating content, launching campaigns and responding to members across different channels.
The solution? Create a brand voice cheat sheet. Here’s what it should include.
#1: Who Are You Speaking To?
This is the foundation. Your brand voice changes based on who’s listening. Are you targeting young professionals, retirees, small business owners or families with young kids? Each group requires different messaging approaches.
Take the famous “Don’t Mess with Texas” anti-littering campaign. The state had a problem. Texans were trashing highways at alarming rates. But polite messaging like “Please keep our state clean” wasn’t working. So, they crafted a message that spoke directly to Texas pride and identity. “Don’t Mess with Texas” wasn’t a request…it was a challenge. And it worked because they understood their audience’s mindset and values.
Your brand voice cheat sheet should clearly define your primary audience for each campaign or communication channel. What’s their demographic? What matters to them? What motivates their decisions? Answer these questions, and your voice will naturally align with who you’re trying to reach.
#2: How Does Your Personality Come Across?
Is your credit union formal or casual? Friendly or authoritative? Quirky or strait-laced? Your personality should be consistent across every touchpoint, from social media posts to loan applications to branch signage.
This doesn’t mean you can’t adjust tone based on context. A social media post about fraud can be more serious than one for a staff birthday. But the underlying personality should remain recognizable. Inconsistent brand voice is a problem that often arises in marketing assessments.
If your brand is warm and approachable, that should come through whether you’re posting about financial literacy tips or explaining complex lending requirements.
Define your personality traits clearly in your cheat sheet. Use specific descriptors. “Professional but approachable.” “Confident but not arrogant.” “Helpful without being condescending.” These guideposts help everyone on your team stay aligned.
#3: What Words Does Your Credit Union Marketing Use?
Word choice matters more than you think. Your vocabulary should be tailored to your audience right down to education level and industry familiarity. Using jargon-heavy language with members who aren’t finance experts creates confusion and distance. Using overly simplistic language with sophisticated audiences feels patronizing.
Milwaukee Tools offers a perfect example. When they launched their battery-powered tool line, they didn’t call it “cordless” or “battery-operated.” They called it “Fuel.” Why? Because their core audience – contractors and tradespeople – already trusted fuel-powered tools. The name bridged the gap between what they knew and what was new, making adoption easier.
Your brand voice cheat sheet should include a “words we use” and “words we avoid” list. Maybe you say “member-owners” instead of “members.” Maybe you avoid financial jargon like “APR” without explanation. Maybe you lean into regional phrases that resonate with your community. Document these choices so everyone creates content the same way.
#4: What Are the Pain Points?
Your brand voice isn’t just about personality and word choice. It’s about solving problems. No matter how formal or casual, quirky or serious your voice is, it must communicate how you solve member pain points.
Are members frustrated by complicated loan applications? Address it directly. Are they anxious about saving for retirement? Speak to that fear with empathy and solutions. Your brand voice cheat sheet should list the top three to five pain points your members face and include examples of how you address them in your messaging.
A warm, friendly voice that ignores real problems is useless. A bland voice that solves problems but feels cold won’t build relationships. The best credit union marketing balances personality with purpose.
Stay Consistent
A brand voice cheat sheet keeps your credit union marketing consistent, relevant and effective. It ensures everyone on your team (from the CEO to the social media coordinator) speaks with one unified voice that actually connects with the members you’re trying to serve.
Because niches lead to riches. And clarity leads to connection.
Your current brand voice may not connect with anyone. And the scary thing? You might be too close to realize it. A marketing assessment gives you an outside viewpoint so you can improve your brand voice right away. Book a free consultation today.
FAQ
Q: What is a brand voice cheat sheet and why do credit unions need one?
A: A brand voice cheat sheet is a document that ensures consistency in credit union marketing across all channels and team members. It’s needed because when multiple people create content, launch campaigns and communicate with members, consistency becomes difficult without clear guidelines. The cheat sheet helps everyone—from the CEO to the social media coordinator—speak with one unified voice that connects with the members the credit union is trying to serve. Without one, messaging becomes watered down, generic and forgettable.
Q: What are the four essential elements of a credit union marketing brand voice cheat sheet?
A: The four essential elements are: (1) Who you’re speaking to—defining your primary audience, their demographics, values and what motivates their decisions for each campaign or channel; (2) How your personality comes across—whether you’re formal or casual, friendly or authoritative, with specific descriptors to maintain consistency; (3) What words you use—including a “words we use” and “words we avoid” list tailored to your audience’s education level and familiarity with financial terms; and (4) What pain points you address—listing the top three to five member challenges and examples of how you address them in messaging.
Q: How should credit unions adjust their brand voice for different audiences?
A: Credit unions should tailor their brand voice based on who’s listening—whether targeting young professionals, retirees, small business owners or families with young kids. The “Don’t Mess with Texas” anti-littering campaign demonstrates this principle: polite messaging didn’t work with Texans, but a challenge that spoke to Texas pride did. While the underlying personality should remain recognizable, tone can adjust based on context (social media can be more casual than mortgage disclosures). Word choice should match the audience’s education level and industry familiarity—avoiding jargon with general members but not oversimplifying for sophisticated audiences.
