Whenever I talk to brand marketers, I always make sure to ask them one question: How is your content different than what your competitors create?

It’s a simple ask, but I’ve noticed that people have trouble answering it. And a lot of them sound the same. They mention things like truly caring about the customers and using an authentic voice. If all companies use those goals to guide their creative process, then they’re not really differentiating themselves in a meaningful way.

However, for the brands that do have a distinct voice, this question is easy. Marketers can rattle off specific adjectives like trustworthy, straightforward, or irreverent. Contently’s brand voice, which we aim to convey in every post on The Content Strategist, is supposed to be friendly, smart, conversational, with a touch of humor.

That unique voice has become so important because of how much content gets posted online every day. Brands can control two factors: what you say and how you say it. But the “what”…