Your Ultimate Copywriting Hack: The Brand Voice Dictionary (Copy)
Ask me 10 times what I think every business owner should spend more time on, and I’ll give you the same answer 10 times – sticky brand voice.
Hear me out, I know I talk a big game about sticky brand voice.
It’s my thing. But it’s not just my thing because I get a kick out of it; it’s my thing because I’ve seen how transformative it is.
For the last (almost) decade, I’ve helped clients refresh and refine their brand voices. Why? A sticky brand voice is one that clicks with someone’s ideal audience.
The stickier your voice, the easier your people will remember you, like you, trust you, and, ultimately, invest in you.
But everyone I’ve ever worked with is intimidated by the concept of brand voice. And I get it because…where do you start?
Brand voice feels abstract. You get it in theory, but in practice, it can be sort of theoretical. It’s hard to take a concept and make it concrete.
The good news? There’s a great way to do that with brand voice, and it’s one of my favorite hacks I’ve ever invented.
Business owner, meet the Brand Voice Dictionary.
(Trust me, you’re gonna love her).
LIL KEY TAKEAWAYS: THIS BLOG AT A GLANCE
A Brand Voice Dictionary is a running list of the phrases, words, quirks, and themes that make your voice unmistakably yours.
It’s the easiest way to start paying attention to how you naturally speak—and start using that voice with intention.
It helps you capture your sticky stuff: your go-to metaphors, repeatable one-liners, weird little isms, and the language your people remember.
It’s not polished. It’s not curated. It’s raw data you collect in real time and refine later.
Starting one is ridiculously simple – we walk you through it step-by-step inside this blog.
A Brand Voice Dictionary keeps your copy clear, consistent, and unmistakably you across platforms.
The more you use it, the more your dream clients start to recognize your voice—and remember it.
My free, quarterly challenge Brand Voice Bootcamp can help you take your brand voice from blah to bold (with more tips like the BV Dictionary!)
Brand Voice Roundup – a 5-day mini course – teaches you how to build and use your own custom brand voice guide.
The Ultimate Hack for Sticky Words Your People Remember
Before we jump into the BVD hack, let’s just make sure we’re up to speed on the Boundless-approved convo surrounding brand voice.
Peep this cute lil 101 below if you’re new to the sticky brand voice world (or if you want a refresher). Already fully up-to-speed on the sticky brand voice stuff? You can go ahead and pop on down to the tutorial on building your brand voice dictionary.
First Things First: Sticky Brand Voice 101
What is brand voice, anyway?
There are a million lil definitions floating around in the ether, but this is the Boundless definition:
Brand voice is the consistent & curated personality, vibe, & attitude of your brand when presenting itself to the world.
As an abstract concept, you kinda get that, right? Let’s make it concrete.
Your brand voice is more like your neon welcome sign – the thing you flip on as bright as possible so your kinda people can see you, hear you, and then come running.
Picture it like this: Your dream client is driving down a dark highway in the desert. It’s chaotic – tumbleweeds are blowing by, cars are whizzing past, and there are tons of gauzy, half-lit signs all over the place that might be their ideal place. The problem? They really can’t tell.
They’re already looking for someone just like you. But it’s all kind of a blur.
That’s when you flip on your neon welcome sign. It’s the brightest one on the road. And suddenly, the blur disappears – you’re front and center, and your neon light is guiding them straight to you.
There’s no question you’re for them – they can see you bright as day. Those 100s of other dimly-lit signs? They’re there, sure, but they pale in the distance. They’ve got eyes for you, and they’re comin’ in hot.
That right there? That’s how brand voice works on the internet.
It’s chaotic. Distracting. Crowded as all get out.
Your industry is filled with people who might be kinda like you – so how do you get your people’s attention on the chaotic internet highway?
You flip on that neon welcome sign – with your brand voice.
And you start standing out.
The Quick ‘n’ Dirty Brand Voice Details
Here’s what makes a voice sticky:
How to Refine & Refresh Your Sticky Brand Voice
The quick answer here? (And I’m going to keep it quick because you’re here for the dictionary stuff).
It’s simple.
Step 1. We go digging
Step 2. We start listening
When we go digging, we’re asking ourselves big, exciting questions about the foundation of our brand, our people, and our purpose. Digging into our foundation reveals the BIG feelings of our dream people and our brand–that guides how we want our brand voice to feel.
When we start listening, we’re paying attention to our perfect personality. We’re noticing our quirky phrases; we’re acknowledging what we say over and over; we’re CLAIMING our weird and bold and stand-out-ness so our audience hears our sticky lil voice and says, “Hey–hold up, I recognize that voice, and damn, I kinda like it.”
^^ That (paying attention to your personality!) is something I teach you how to do in my free (!) quarterly challenge, Brand Voice Bootcamp –
Meet the Brand Voice Dictionary: Pay Attention to Your Personality
If you want people to remember your brand voice (and come back for more because they can’t get you out of their head), your voice needs to be sticky – AKA memorable, recognizable, and unmistakably you.
Here’s the thing – sticky brand voice isn’t about sounding polished or professional. It’s about sounding like you all the time, everywhere you show up.
It’s about consistency, consistency, and, you guessed it, consistency.
That means using your key words, phrases, and metaphors on purpose everywhere you show up until your dream people start repeating them back to you.
It’s how you go from “someone I found on Instagram” to “you live in my head rent-free.”
Sticky voice is the reason why:
People feel like they know you
You sound the same on your website, IG stories, and email list
Your copy feels natural to write (and read)
You have fun sharing about your sales, launches, and offers (because you’re being you)
What’s a Brand Voice Dictionary?
A Brand Voice Dictionary is your living, breathing tip sheet filled with what your brand says, does, or thinks. It’s your quirky phases, your themes, your words, yours isms – the verbal stuff that makes your brand who and what it is.
It’s not fancy It’s not polished. It’s raw data – it’s a living, breathing list of the things your brand says, does, and believes.
And, no, it’s not the “mission-vision-values” version of your brand. I’m talking:
That weird phrase you always say without realizing it.
A word you use 400x a week and your friends lovingly roast you for.
A line your clients always highlight when they give you feedback.
It's your personality – the consistent stuff you say that sticks in people’s brains. And it’s one of the most powerful things you can build for your brand voice.
Here’s a quick snapshot of part of mine. Mind you, I’ve been doing this for years – and I’m still constantly adding to it.
Why a Brand Voice Dictionary?
Again, consistency. Because if you want to sound like you when you write, you’ve got to know what “you” even sounds like – and take note of it!
Here’s what the Brand Voice Dictionary helps you do:
Train your brain to notice your natural voice (spoiler: it’s already great)
Create consistency across everything you write
Get unstuck when you're staring at a blank doc wondering what to say
Plus, using the same phrases over and over? That’s how your dream people start to recognize your brand voice instantly. That’s the sticky magic.
If you’ve been around long enough, you know that my IG, my emails, my website – everywhere I show up – is laced in words you see in my Brand Voice Dictionary (peep that snapshot above). I’m talkin’ words and phrases like:
Hey pal (I say this so much I even have a hat on my shop with this lil catchphrase!)
Hyped
Clear & sticky
The neon welcome sign
Refine & refresh
Lil
Dream people
How to Build Your Brand Voice Dictionary
You’ve got the picture, right? It’s time to build YOUR Brand Voice Dictionary. Here are the easy-breeze steps to make it happen!
Step-By-Step Guide for Building Your Brand Voice Dictionary
Here’s exactly what I want you to do.
STEP 1: Open up a note on your phone / in a Google doc (wherever you’ll actually add to it)
STEP 2: Title it [Your Brand Name] Brand Voice Dictionary
STEP 3: Start paying attention to yourself. When you’re talking to a client you work well with, when you’re on a call, when you’re emailing & it feels natural–just pay attention!
STEP 4: Write it down. Without judgment, without strategy. Just start writing–that funny thing you said to a friend, your regional slang you use all the time, a phrase your kids tease you for that you’ll never let go, a sentence you find yourself repeating to clients all the time.
STEP 5: Take a peek at what you’ve added. Which of these words and phrases align with the feeling of your brand voice that you discovered in your Voice Venn Diagram?
STEP 6: Enjoy the process and keep adding to this without pressure. This is a living, breathing, and evolving note that’s meant to flex and change.
Filling Your Dictionary: Hot Tips to Try
I’ve helped hundreds of business owners and brands start their own Brand Voice Dictionaries – the most common thing I hear is, “I don’t say anything special! There’s nothing to add.”
My best piece of advice is this – remove the judgement. If you say it, add it – even if it feels basic.
Get yourself in the habit of adding your words and phrases to the list; you can always refine and refresh it later for the real winners.
If you’re still strugglin’ to take note of your words, phrases, and isms, try these tips!
Ask the people who love you and know you (your friends, partner, kids, etc.) what are some you-isms that you say or repeat. Trust me, they’ll know.
Ask your colleagues and clients what words and phrases you say that stood out or stand out to them. Do you have ways of explaining things or talking about things they’ve never thought of before?
Record yourself talking to a client. Get their consent to record, set it up, then forget it’s there. Talk to a client you’re super comfy with and let yourself just be yourself. Then listen back (it might feel cringy at first, but this is a great exercise).
Don’t go searching for out-of-the-box words or phrases – talk like you, just make sure you’re taking note.
Write everything down. Don’t say “this doesn’t apply,” write everything down first, you can always refine it later.
Find, Refine, & Use Your Sticky Brand Voice with Your Dictionary
Feeling hyped about your Brand Voice Dictionary? Good – go, run, get started! You’re just one quick note-creation away from sticky consistency with your brnd voice.
And if you want more support, more strategy, and more sticky tools – don’t stop here.
I 10/10 recommend you take a peek at Brand Voice Roundup, the 5-day mini course that teaches you how to build and use your very own brand voice guide!
Check out Roundup, and remember – my email (heypal@boundlesscopy.com) and my DMs (@boundlesscopy) are always open for Qs about brand voice, copy, and general chaos.
