brand consistency Archives - Kirsty France Writes

Posted on 17th October 202517th October 2025 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

Aligning your Voice and Visuals: The Secret to a Consistent Brand

Have you ever visited a site where the words felt warm, friendly, and full of personality – but the images looked stiff, generic, or completely mismatched? It creates confusion, even if the reader cannot pinpoint why, something just feels off. That’s because your brand isn’t just what you say – it’s what people see and feel too.

A strong brand is built on consistency. When your copy and imagery work together, your message feels cohesive, authentic and trustworthy. Every element – from your tone of voice to your visual style – should tell the same story.

Matching your voice to your visuals

As I photographer, I see this all the time. Someone will invest in incredible copy that captures who they are perfectly, but then rely on old headshots or stock photos that don’t reflect the same energy. The result? A disconnect that weakens the message.

Other businesses have beautiful photos but outdated or unclear messaging. This conflict weakens the overall impact – your audience can’t connect with a mixed message.

Consistency matters

Why does consistency matter? Consistency builds trust and recognition.

Your clients may need to have experienced numerous interactions with you before they feel ready to buy from you. It’s important, therefore, that each and every touch point needs to make them feel as though they are getting to know you.

They may visit your website on numerous occasions prior to making a decision so it’s important that your message feels aligned, cohesive and credible.

When you do align the two? Your business feels instantly more professional and trustworthy. Your images will reinforce your words and not conflict with them and most importantly your personality will shine through without feeling forced.

Your marketing will actually become easier because you will have a clear message where every element feels connected.

How to get started

That probably all makes perfect sense, but where on earth do you start?

Start with your brand personality. How do you want to make people feel when they work with you? If your tone of voice is calm and confident, think soft colours and natural lighting. If it’s bold and empowering, move more towards strong colours and striking backgrounds.

Invite your photographer and copywriter to work collaboratively with you, by involving your experts from the outset you can build something truly cohesive.

If you follow Kirsty on social media, you might have already seen how beautifully Kirsty demonstrates all of this in her own marketing. The images I created for her sit perfectly alongside her copy – each post feels polished yet genuine, with the images reinforcing her warmth and brilliant sense of humour! It’s a great example of how photography and copy can work hand in hand to tell one cohesive story and build real connection with an audience.

Using photography to bring your words to life creates a consistent, memorable brand. Why not revisit your own website to see how well your images reinforce your copy? If your images don’t yet reflect the story your words are saying (or vice versa!), maybe it’s time to update them.

About Julie

Julie Grant is a brand and headshot photographer who helps creative business owners feel confident showing up online. She specialises in capturing the personality, quality, and care behind each brand — creating imagery that tells your story and connects with your audience.

www.juliegrantphoto.com

Posted on 8th September 20258th September 2025 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

How can a copywriter sound like you?

If you’re a one-person business and all your marketing is in your voice because you write it yourself, you might think you can’t hire a writer. I mean, you can’t outsource your writing when it has to sound like you, can you?

The good news is, you can. Here’s how I work with my clients to get to know and replicate their voice in their marketing

I’ll listen to you talk

I have regular catch-ups with my clients where we discuss the topic I’m going to write about and gather information. These conversations also let me hear the way they talk. In fact, I often work best with people who are good at talking to their clients in person, but freeze or slow down when writing.

I have a few clients where this doesn’t apply, as they’re smaller businesses with brand voice guidelines I can follow. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a catch-up in person, but it’s less vital to getting the work done.

We have to get on

I listen to you talk about your work before I write anything, which means you need to feel comfortable speaking to me. I also need to be able to ask questions or clarify something you’ve said without feeling awkward.

The upshot is that we need to get on well. If we can’t communicate freely, I can’t write in a way that sounds like you, and you won’t get the results you want.

I use your phrases

When you read something I’ve written for you, you’ll probably notice I’ve included a lot of the phrases you used when we spoke. That’s because you’ll probably naturally use those words when you talk with clients. Including them in your marketing means that when clients speak to you later, they feel as if you’ve already met.

When you speak to new people, you’ll probably have developed concise phrases to explain things, which will also come across well in your content. You might also use words that reflect your background or where you come from, which can help create a connection with your readers.

I’ll look at what you’ve done before

If you started off writing your marketing content yourself, you might want a more polished version when you start working with a writer. That’s what I offer, but consistency is still important. When I write for you, I’ll look at what you’ve written before to keep the overall tone the same. If you’ve shared videos, those give me another opportunity to hear you speak. They can be very helpful if I need to get your voice in my head before I start work!

I’ll ask about your audience

As well as listening to you, I try to put myself in your customers’ shoes. It helps me ask the right questions and consider what they need from your content. I’m always mindful that our speech patterns and the language we use vary depending on who we’re talking to. The version of yourself that speaks to me might be slightly different from the one you want to share with your future customers. Understanding the difference helps me write in a way that lets your audience get to know, like and trust you.

Ready for a chat?

If you’d like some help finding your marketing voice, let’s have a chat. When you work with me, I’ll get to know you and your business, and write content that sounds like the best version of you and that your audience will love. That could be monthly blog posts or articles, social media posts, emails or pretty much anything else you can think of!

Please email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook with fifty (yes, 50) topic ideas for your marketing as a thank you. It also includes hints and tips to help you structure your posts if you’re currently writing your content yourself.

Posted on 28th August 202528th August 2025 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

What does your marketing voice sound like?

What does your marketing voice sound like? It might be a bit like your mum’s phone voice when you were a kid. You knew she was talking to someone important if her voice edged towards Lady Bracknell. The way you speak probably changes for different audiences, but how does it work when you’re writing for potential customers? If you’re a one-person business, sharing your personality helps you build a connection with your audience that makes it more likely they’ll buy or work with you long term.

Of course, there are a lot of factors that influence the voice you use in your marketing. In no particular order, here are my tips to help you think about what you want your marketing voice to sound like.

You are your business

When you’re a one-person business, you set the tone in terms of how you work and treat people. As customers, we make buying decisions based on our values and whether we see them reflected in the businesses we choose. Your marketing should show people what you stand for and how you work, which can also help you attract the right people. For example, I talk about structuring my working hours around family life, which means I often attract business owners with children because they know we work in the same way.

If your work involves meeting or talking to clients, ensuring your marketing voice matches the way you speak in person gives them a seamless experience. Equally, if someone meets you at a networking event and then looks you up online, they’ll feel as if they’re talking to the same person.

How professional do you need to sound?

Your profession might create expectations about the way you come across in your marketing. If you’re a financial adviser or lawyer, your clients will expect you to take their work seriously. However, they might also worry that you’ll use technical language they won’t understand, and want reassurance that you’ll communicate clearly. Your marketing voice can find the balance between the two, demonstrating your knowledge while also being approachable and friendly. Using informal language in some contexts doesn’t mean you’re unprofessional.

What experience do you offer?

Your marketing voice and writing style need to evoke the kind of experience your customers can expect when they come to you. You could write in a reassuring way, especially if you help with something that could be causing your customer stress. Think about the experience you offer. Is it calming, exciting or entertaining? How do you want your customers to feel when they work with you? The way you write can evoke those emotions and help people understand what to expect before they decide to buy from you.

Who are you talking to?

Getting to know your audience helps you understand what they need, which is one of the foundations of good marketing. It also helps you write by allowing you to imagine having a conversation with a potential customer.

When you write, think about who the post is for and what you want to achieve, then tailor your marketing voice to the person you’re speaking to. It’s a lot better than trying to talk to everyone, as you end up speaking to no one.

What’s already working?

If you’ve already been writing content for a while but haven’t looked at your analytics, start now. Reviewing what’s working helps you understand the type of posts your readers enjoy and which ones help you get results. Review your social media and blog posts to see what gets good engagement or prompts people to buy a product or book a call.

Taking this approach can help you plan what posts to create, but it can also help you work out what language people prefer. Think about whether your more successful posts use a particular marketing voice so you can replicate it in future content.

Ready for a chat?

Please email me to arrange a chat or book a Zoom call to find out more.

Posted on 13th December 202111th December 2025 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

3 ways you can put your personality into your marketing

Photograph by Amber Gosden

It’s a cliché for a reason – people buy people. Most big brands don’t build themselves around the personality of the owner, but small businesses like ours have to. It can feel utterly squirm-inducing to put yourself out there in your marketing, but it’s worth it. Your personality is the biggest difference between your business and every other similar one out there. Need more convincing? Read this. If you’re already sold on the idea of putting more of your personality into your marketing, read on. I’ve got some great ideas to get you started.

Write the way you talk

Grammar is a slippery little beast. I know the rules, which means that I can bend and occasionally break them for effect. (Like starting a sentence with a conjunction – my ten-year-old was horrified by that one.) The great thing about content writing is that the overall effect is more important than sticking to the rules. You can write the way you speak, and your content will often be better for it, as long as it gets your point across.

If you find it difficult to sit down and write, start by recording yourself. Imagine you’re explaining something to a customer and go from there. You’ll be able to hear the phrases you naturally use and include them in your writing. You can then edit your writing yourself or send it to someone like me.

Show your face

If this idea makes you want to hide under a rock, I get it. I’ve built up my confidence over time, but there are still days when I’ve planned to go live and talk myself out of it. The reason I do it is because it helps people get to know me. When you show your face, it gets more personality into your marketing. It makes it more likely that people will pay attention because they recognise you from earlier posts or face-to-face networking. You stop being a faceless business owner and turn into someone they can trust.

The easiest ways to show your face involve video, whether it’s live, prerecorded or a reel. Plan what you’re going to say, then just press the button and start talking. The more you do it, the easier it gets. If you really can’t face that yet, start with photos that have you in them and build from there.

Tell a story

The human brain loves stories. We associate them with happy childhood memories or good times with friends. Telling a story in your marketing can put your audience in the main character’s shoes or give them insight into your life. (Which gives them another opportunity to see you as a real human being.) Case studies are a great way to do this as you can tell them the story of someone you helped who is just like them. They can identify with their struggles and see you as the solution.

Sharing a story from your life is ideal if you share common ground with your audience. You might have been in their shoes in terms of life experience, for example, as a parent. You could also have felt the same emotions, like overwhelm or imposter syndrome. It doesn’t mean sharing your life story, but giving a bit of yourself will help you to build a relationship with your audience.

Would you like to put more of your personality into your marketing content? I can help with that. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Alternatively, sign up for my mailing list here, and I’ll send you a free copy of my eBook ’50 blog topic ideas for your business’ as a thank you.

Posted on 11th January 202111th December 2025 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

How you can use your blog to create more content

Photo by Dominika Roseclay from Pexels

Creating a blog can feel like a lot of hard work, especially if you spend hours on it and end up with something that feels a bit underwhelming. Paying someone else to do it for you can also seem like a lot of money for one piece of content a month. The good news is that your blog can go a lot further than that. Get into recycling, and your blog could help you create a whole load of new marketing posts. Here’s how to get started.

Break it down

A good blog should have a few subheadings so you don’t end up with a chunk of text that your audience will struggle to read. Each subheading, or even each paragraph, could be a social media post on its own. You can post a section with an image or create a graphic with text on it. The copy might need editing a bit ,but it’s quicker than creating something from scratch. You can also add a link to your blog so more people find it.

This works really well if your blog is a series of tips (like this one). Write a blog with five tips, and you’ve got five separate posts.

Create video content

I know that the idea of doing video causes a lot of you to have a wobble, but it doesn’t have to. There are ways to use video that don’t involve you being on screen. If you’ve already created images for individual paragraphs, you can use them in a video. Just add some text if the image doesn’t already have it. I do this using Canva.com or try Ripl.com if you prefer a paid version.

If you’re up for doing a live or video with you in it, you can give a quick summary of your topic and send viewers to a link in the comments if they’d like to read more.

Use the theme as inspiration

Coming up with new things to say on social media can take up a ridiculous amount of time. Reusing your existing content will help, but you can also cut down on the thinking time by talking about your theme in different ways. You can share a motivational meme that’s relevant to your audience or choose a quote that gives a different perspective on the topic. Asking questions can be a great way to find out what your audience thinks or what they struggle with. It can get people talking and give you insights that could help you to develop new products and services in the future.

Reuse your blog in your emails

You might think that your email subscribers will follow you on social media, so they will have seen all of your stuff already. Not necessarily. Nobody will see everything you post. Your subscribers have signed up because they’re interested in what you have to say, so there’s nothing wrong with sending them something you think they’ll find useful. Just make sure you write something that’s just for them, too. It’s also worth remembering that subscribers are more likely to buy from you than anyone else. Showing them content that shows them why a particular product or service is helpful means they’re more likely to become a customer.

Do you need help creating your blog or coming up with ways to reuse it to create more content? Book a call and let’s have a chat. Alternatively, sign up for my email list for blogging and marketing tips straight to your inbox every month.

Posted on 16th March 202016th March 2020 by Kirsty France — Leave a comment

Why brand consistency is important

In a nutshell, your brand is your most valuable asset. Whether at home or in the workplace, we all have brand preferences. Firm favourites we use often, ones we’re following and may well try out next time, and those, for whatever reason, we dislike, mistrust, and prefer to avoid.

Successful brands connect. They have personality, inspire confidence, and are easy to recall. They’re distinctive, making good use of engaging, clear, consistent communication.

Inconsistent branding endangers that relationship. From a customer’s standpoint, it’s confusing and careless. After all, if the brand doesn’t care, why should its customers? Damaging your brand’s reputation will have a negative effect on not only your brand, but your bottom line too – ouch!

John Lewis’ Never Knowingly Undersold (NKU) pricing promise has served them well for almost 100 years and played an integral role in driving loyalty and lifelong customers. If ease, choice, and fast delivery are top of your list, Amazon is likely to hit the spot. Meanwhile, Red Bull is busily ticking all the boxes for speed loving thrill seekers. What these brands have in common is consistency and that does have a value.

The most recent Brand Consistency Benchmark report found “The average revenue increase attributed to always presenting the brand consistently” to be 33%.

Building brand loyalty involves the whole brand experience from start to finish and beyond. As business owners, we all want to attract new customers and a growing number of repeat customers over the longer term.

The first thing to check is your brand resources – do you have everything you’ll need to stay on track?

Logo masters – various file formats so you’re covered for large and small, online and offline applications. Remember, there’s nothing worse than seeing a logo stretched out of proportion, pixelated, or in the wrong colours.

Image library –key images in high and low resolutions, not forgetting social media profile pictures and avatars – the small profile image which displays on your timeline.

Colour palette – colour breakdowns so that you’re good to go for litho, digital and desktop, (Pantone, CMYK & RGB), as well as Hex for web/online.

Brand fonts – usually comprising a pairing for on and offline use.

Strapline – summing up the essence of your brand or company, including its values and personality. Ideally short enough to be remembered and memorable enough to stand the test of time.

USP – differentiates your brand.

If you’re missing any of these elements, talk to your logo designer about working together to develop and complete your brand identity.

The other essential is your Brand Personality Framework. It’s a set of assigned human traits, or characteristics, which help towards building an emotional connection between your prospects and your brand’s personality.

There are five key dimensions – Competence, Sincerity, Excitement, Sophistication, and Ruggedness, each with its own set of traits. Red Bull’s personality is Excitement, as is Nike’s, Rolex and Apple are Sophistication – you get the drift? Even big brands make the occasional gaff though. Harley Davidson (Ruggedness) over-extended their branded product range to include cologne. No surprise it failed being at odds with Harley’s masculinity and strength values.

Google has lots of framework chart examples, which you can use to determine which section your brand resonates with. Try not to overcomplicate – your brand’s personality will change and evolve over time. Once you have your framework, keep it in mind. It will prove an invaluable checklist for all your future brand activities.

Two-thirds of us use more than one channel to make purchases. With all the online and offline opportunities to make an impression, consistency across all channels and touch points is more important than ever.

https://birkettconsultancy.com/