Case Study: Brand Voice Workshop and Guide

Skills That Deliver Results

I use a combination of creativity, expertise, and gut instincts to put my skills into action.

Tag: digital marketing

Case Study: Brand Voice Workshop and Guide
The Ask

One of the first things I do when meeting with new clients is ask a handful of basic questions to inform their content strategy. Things like:
- Who is your audience?
- What do you do?
- What makes you different from your competitors?
More often than not, I was met with long pauses, inconsistent answers, or complete uncertainty. Without clarity, the entire content phase struggled — from strategy to execution.

I needed a way to get every project on track from day one. Bonus points if I could give teams the tools to stay aligned long after their website launched.

The Results

I created a fully interactive brand voice workshop. The deliverable was a practical, easy-to-use guide that helps teams stay on message, no matter who is behind the keyboard.

The final guide gives them something they’ve (usually) never had before: a clear, consistent way to talk about who they are, what they do, and why it matters. All of this is tailored to their specific audience and packaged in a way that they can actually use. In short, it makes it easy to speak with clarity and confidence, whether it is a freelancer, a new hire, or a seasoned staff member.

Why It Worked

Start With What You Know

I have nearly a decade of experience creating strategies and writing copy for business, so I started with the questions I ask during the discovery phase. But I knew that wasn’t enough to fully encapsulate everything this Brand Voice Guide needed to be. I leaned into my love of learning new things and read everything I could get my hands on about brand storytelling.

My reading list included:
- Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
- StoryBrand and StoryBrand 2.0 – Donald Miller
- Podcast on F1 Brand Voice
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek
- Story – Robert McRee
- Various newsletters, like The Hustle, STFO, and Harry’s Newsletter
Brand Voice Has Multiple Applications

I knew this guide couldn’t just be for the website, because the website is only one piece of the brand. If the website content says one thing and everything else says something else, it isn’t serving the business or the audience. That’s why we started with high-level positioning that could be applied anywhere: website copy, social posts, blog, newsletters, scripts, sales emails, onboarding, and more.

Once your voice is defined, every message gets stronger — and easier to write.

Lessons Learned

Brand Voice Is More Than StoryBrand

A lot of businesses put all of their eggs in the StoryBrand basket. Don’t get me wrong, StoryBrand is great for what it is, especially if you’re starting from zero and looking for a DIY option. I’m not saying StoryBrand doesn’t work. I’m saying it isn’t enough. It’s too black and white. It lacks nuance and context.

With this workshop and guide, I wanted to look at the business as a whole, its long-term goals, and how messaging can grow with it. The result is deeper, more flexible, and better suited to real-life content creation.
May 5, 2025
Case Study: A Record-Breaking GivingTuesday
The Ask

Historically, Knoxville Habitat for Humanity had never devoted a lot of energy to GivingTuesday, meaning they’d never had many results from it either. This missed opportunity was mostly due to a lack of bandwidth and buy-in. No one had the time to create a solid social media strategy surrounding GivingTuesday, and no one thought the payoff would be worth finding the time.

When I joined the team as a communications specialist, I was ready to change how our team saw GivingTuesday. My goal? Increase donations (of course) but also strengthen donor relationships and set the stage for future fundraising success.

I sat down to brainstorm ideas and realized I needed three things right off the bat:
- Organizational buy-in from the development team, executives, and marketing
- A clear fundraising goal tied to something tangible — doors, shingles, nails, or something similar
- A multichannel strategy that extended beyond a single social media post
The Result

I shifted from a passive social media effort to a full-fledged marketing campaign. We saw record-breaking donations and set the new standard for GivingTuesday at Knoxville Habitat.
- Raised a total of $17,500, exceeding our goal
- Recruited 23 first-time donors
Why It Worked

Telling a Story
“Donate to help us build affordable housing.”

Vague

Not interesting

Centers Knoxville Habitat

Doesn’t set up any specific imagery

“Donate today to help nine homeowners purchase the front door for their future home.”

Tangible

Engaging

Centers homeowners and donors

Opens the door (see what I did there?) for engaging copy and visuals
The first thing I did after getting the green light was sit down with our development team. They helped me set a fundraising goal and brainstorm tangible things that the goal would cover. We landed on doors — because what signifies the joy of homeownership more than opening the door to your new affordable home?

The development team exceeded my expectations by securing a match, adding another layer to the GivingTuesday messaging: “Give now and double your impact.”

Multichannel Approach

GivingTuesday may be a social media initiative, but that doesn’t mean you are restricted to only using social media. I developed an integrated campaign where each piece complimented and supported the others.

Social Media

Of course, social media had to be a big part of my GivingTuesday campaign. Starting more than a month ahead of time, I scheduled a flurry of posts. I created campaign-specific profile and cover photos. I shared save-the-date posts and created Facebook events that would remind followers on the big day. Additionally, I boosted content to expand our reach. And so much more. The goal was to drum up as much interest as possible ahead of the big day.

Email Marketing

The second largest part of this fundraiser was an email marketing campaign. I was lucky enough to inherit a robust email list of volunteers, donors, and partners that built the foundation. From here, I was able to include a direct link to donate, in addition to videography, photography, and copy that supported the overall message.

Short Message Service (SMS)

Text messaging was a big unknown for us at the time. We could text our volunteers but had previously only used it for build-day cancellations. Why? Partly because it was expensive and partly because volunteers donated time, not money. I convinced (read: begged) my team to let me try one text message. If it didn’t work, we knew not to try in the future. The result? Overwhelming support. It turned out our volunteers weren’t donating because they weren’t being asked. We transformed multiple long-time volunteers into first-time donors.

Digital Ads and Media Coverage

We partnered with a local news station to purchase ad space leading up to GivingTuesday. That, coupled with our strong relationships with local news stations, helped us get some free press coverage that extended our reach beyond our regular audience.

Lessons Learned

GivingTuesday IS Worth It

Yes, it may be a social media holiday. But you get out of it what you put into it. If you post once, your donations will reflect that. If you put the time, effort, and investment into GivingTuesday, it can become a high-impact fundraising opportunity.

Branding Is Important

GivingTuesday provides a wealth of information and resources to help you get started. However, combining that branding with your existing branding can be difficult. Starting early allows you to explore options and discover what works best.

Storytelling Is Everything

It’s not enough to say, “You should donate to us because it’s GivingTuesday.” You need to show your donors exactly how their money impacts the community they are supporting. The following year, we narrowed the messaging to focus on one family. This approach helped us exceed our previous GivingTuesday record to raise $23,000.
February 23, 2025