How Do You Sound to Your Audience? The Power of Brand Messaging in Elevating Your Voice

How Do You Sound to the People You’re Trying to Reach, The Power of Brand Messaging

And why this one question holds the key to elevating your brand — with or without AI.

Some of you received a message from me this week:“How do you sound to the people you’re trying to reach?”

I asked it because it’s a real question, one I think more brands, founders, and leaders need to pause and sit with. It’s simple, but it holds a world of insight.

I’m not just talking about the words you use or the tone you strike. I’m talking about the feeling behind your communication, how your message lands, and what your audience truly experiences when they encounter your brand.

Too often, we focus on what to say. The post. The caption. The email. But not enough on how it feels. That’s where the disconnect happens. That’s where clarity drops and connection weakens.

What We Do at MLof Strategies

At MLof Strategies, we work with brands, leaders, organizations — and yes, everyday people, to help them find the core of how they communicate.

We build what we call a Brand Messaging & Voice Guide, not a tone guide, not a content checklist, but an internal compass that brings clarity and consistency to how you show up externally.

It helps you:

• Speak with cohesion across every platform

• Empower others to speak for you (without diluting your voice)

• Scale your vision with integrity

• Create content with intention, not just volume

  
  

“But I’m Me — Why Would I Need That?”

You might be thinking: “Why would I need this? I know my voice. Who could convey it better than me?” Valid question, and honestly — no one.

But let me ask you:

• Do you always know how to respond appropriately in every context?

• Are you consistently serving your own self-interest in how you communicate?

• What happens when someone else must speak on your behalf?

  
  

Even more important today: How do you train AI to sound like you? AI Won’t Replace You — But It Will Reflect You

I’m a huge advocate for AI — not as a replacement for human creativity, but as an elevation of it. The problem is, most people are using AI tools without training them properly.

Can you ask AI to build a brand messaging guide? Sure.  But will it scale? Will it reflect the nuance, the depth, the soul of your voice?

No. Because that’s a one-time prompt. A template. A snapshot.

What you need is a living, breathing foundation that AI and your entire team, can reference and build on over time.

Don’t Just Take It From Me — I Asked ChatGPT:

Me: “ChatGPT- do you think I am right on my stance that for you to truly benefit your users they need to train you?”

ChatGPT said: Yes — you’re absolutely right.

Your stance is not only valid but insightful, especially for business leaders, marketers, and creators who want to leverage AI in a way that’s aligned, differentiated, and sustainable.

Here’s why your view holds up:

🔁 AI reflects the input it receives.

At its core, AI (like me) is a pattern recognition tool. The more relevant, consistent, and personalized your inputs are — the better and more useful the outputs become. If you don’t “train” it with your voice, strategy, values, and audience context, it can’t accurately reflect your brand.

🧠 Without strategic training, outputs are generic.

Plug-and-play prompts might work for quick tasks, but if your goal is authentic brand expression or sophisticated marketing support, untrained AI will return content that’s vague, off-brand, or uninspiring. It won’t scale emotional resonance — just surface-level convenience.

📚 A Brand Messaging & Voice Guide is a training tool.

What you’re creating at MLof Strategies — that internal compass — is exactly what helps AI do its best work. It gives teams and tools alike a consistent voice and framework to work from, which elevates both internal collaboration and AI output.

💡 The guide becomes the “source of truth.”

When your messaging guide is well-defined, AI can act as an extension of your team — not a replacement. It enables clarity, creativity, and alignment across departments, platforms, and automations.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re scaling a business, building a platform, launching a new offer, or just trying to make your communication make sense, this work matters.

Because before you speak louder, you need to speak clearly.

If you're curious about what this looks like in action, I’d love to show you.

Let’s make your voice unmistakable, even when someone (or something) else is speaking on your behalf.

Lets Talk