Brand voice is a critical but often overlooked key to success. Focusing on not just what you say but how you say it can be the deciding factor on whether clients bond with your clinic or feel like just another appointment on the schedule. 

 

What is a brand voice?

Simply put, your brand voice is you.

It’s how your veterinary business or practice connects with its audience. It is a representation of your values, mission, and perspective presented across every form of communication. While the voice may be adapted slightly for each channel, its overall sound or feel should remain consistent, whether it’s a large-scale marketing campaign or the tiny tagline at the bottom of an invoice.  

 

Functions of a brand voice

A well-crafted and consistent brand voice does more than raise awareness for your business—it works behind the scenes 24/7/365 to connect with your clients in valuable ways. This includes:

  • Trust – A strong voice grabs attention, then nurtures relationships over time. When your voice is authentic, helpful, and consistent, readers perceive your brand as familiar, credible, and genuinely caring—essential qualities when they’re trusting you with their beloved pets. 
  • Education – Your voice helps audiences understand what you do and why it should matter to them. In the veterinary space, this includes breaking down complex medical and preventive care topics into clear, relatable messaging that pet parents can use to care for their pets confidently.
  • Persuasion — Your brand voice is one of your most effective marketing tools. When it aligns your values with your audience’s needs, it inspires action (e.g., appointment booking, preventive care, responsible ownership) without feeling sales-y or gimmicky.

Who are you? 5 Steps to finding your brand voice

While many businesses leave marketing to the experts, defining your brand voice can be a valuable and meaningful exercise for the entire team. Inviting everyone to the table ensures your brand voice reflects who you truly are—capturing the tone, feel, and intent that best represent your values, culture, and the people behind the care.

Work through the following steps to bring your brand voice to life. 

#1: Put your values first

Authentic brand voices are grounded in and guided by a company’s core values or mission statement. Use yours to gain clarity on your brand voice’s tone and approach. Voices rooted in compassion will naturally sound warm, empathetic, and reassuring—ideal qualities for veterinary care. Businesses that want to prioritize authority and expertise might lean into a voice that’s clear, confident, and informative, helping to establish credibility and earn respect. Prefer a collaborative care approach? Try a more conversational, inclusive tone that invites pet parents into the care process and positions your practice as an ally.

While each brand voice should be unique, a balance of approachability and expertise is ideal for gaining trust in the veterinary industry.

#2: Define your audience

Yellow paper with black writing that says "Who is your audience?"

Speaking directly to your audience means you must understand them, including:

  • Who they are — To speak directly to your audience, you need to know who they are. This includes their demographics, lifestyle, values, spending habits, and concerns. Focus your messaging on this particular client or customer profile (i.e., avatar). When people see themselves in your content, they’ll be more likely to see your business as the right choice.
  • What they need — Go deeper than the services you provide. Consider what else clients are looking for in a business like yours. This may include expertise, partnership, support, and encouragement.
  • Where to reach them —  Ensure you understand the communication preferences of your target client so you can position your content for maximum impact.
  • Why they’d choose you — Knowing what sets you apart, and how it meets your target client’s needs, gives potential clients clear reasons to choose your business.

#3: Review your current content

While it may be tempting to scrap your existing content, don’t. Reviewing old marketing campaigns can help you save money and time by recognizing what worked—and preventing you from repeating the same mistakes.

Compare high- and low-performing content against your new guidelines. Was the old messaging too promotional? Too generic? Did your audience respond better to compassionate, supportive language or a direct, authoritative voice? These insights will help you fine-tune your tone.

#4: Testing, testing  

Your brand voice won’t reveal itself overnight. Be prepared to rewrite, review, and refine your messaging until you find what resonates. One easy way to evaluate your updated brand voice is to rewrite underperforming content and track its performance.  

This piecemeal approach can be more effective and less risky than a full-scale rebrand because it allows you to evolve your voice gradually, without confusing existing clients.

#5: Be timeless, not trendy

Resist the urge to give in to marketing trends and fashions. Trustworthy brand voices are consistent, authentic, and, like the client relationships you wish to cultivate, built to last. While its tone may shift slightly depending on the platform or context, your brand voice should always reflect the same core values, personality, and intent. 

Remember, trends come and go, but trust endures. Which one do you want speaking for your veterinary brand?

 

Communicate trust with every word

Done correctly, finding your brand voice can be a journey of discovery that adds depth to your business identity, intention to your messaging, and growth to your bottom line. It embodies the spirit of your work and carries it into the world, introducing you to clients you haven’t met yet and deepening trust with those who know you well. 

 

Need help turning the sound of your mission and values into a voice that turns heads and wins hearts? You need a niche writing team that understands the unique challenges and joys of the veterinary industry. Contact Rumpus Writing and Editing to discuss your needs and request a quote.