Sound More Like a Vibe: How the Right Words Set the Tone for Your Personal Brand
Words are like a dress code. Learn the language of the room you want to enter, then make it your own. The right words can create the vibe before you’ve said much at all.
I find myself saying “It’s such a vibe” more than ever lately. While I’m sure there are more eloquent ways to express what I mean, the internet’s love of all things “vibes” seems to have captured what marketers and communication specialists like me have always strived to achieve. Because when it comes to connecting with people, it’s all about the vibes.
A vibe can be a feeling, atmosphere, energy or aesthetic. And words can create one, too.
Whether your message lands depends not only on what you say, but on the energy it’s delivered with. The right words can help you communicate the vibe you’re trying to create — whether that’s for your ideal audience, your dream job or a coveted partnership.
1. Words Don’t Just Communicate, They Create a Feeling
Words are not simply a practical tool for communicating information. Words also carry associations, emotions and cultural cues. They can make something feel sophisticated or accessible, serious or playful, traditional or progressive, and the list goes on.
Consider the difference between:
Cheap and affordable
Classic and old-fashioned
Exclusive and expensive
Playful and silly
Confident and arrogant
Curious and nosy
The meaning may overlap, but the feeling doesn't.
This is why some of the world's strongest brands are so deliberate about the language they use. Their words don't simply describe what they sell; they help create the world their audience is being invited into.
Take fashion. A luxury house like Louis Vuitton might use words such as craftsmanship, heritage, artistry and timelessness, while a mass-market retailer like H&M is more likely to emphasise what’s new, trends, and everyday style. Both sell clothing and accessories, but their language creates entirely different expectations about the experience - and the kind of world you're being invited into.
Different brands. Different audiences. Different vibes. And yet, in each case, the words are doing a lot of the work.
2. The Cultural Code
Every industry, profession and cultural community develops its own vocabulary. Some of it is obvious; some of it is so familiar to insiders that we barely notice it. The key is understanding it. Then, deciding what you want to align with and what you don’t - to create a communication style for your personal brand that’s unique to you.
Spend time looking at the brands, employers, leaders and people you admire, and you'll start to notice patterns. If you're trying to enter one of these worlds, it pays to understand the dialect. You might see this as being cultural coding. For more on the idea of cultural capital, see my earlier blog, Cultural Capital: The Hidden Advantage Shaping Modern Success.
This is particularly useful when thinking about your ideal audience, dream employer or coveted partnership. Consider:
What language are they already using?
What ideas do they value?
What words seem to signal that someone understands their world?
Start paying attention to words used on their websites, job descriptions, LinkedIn profiles, interviews, social media and marketing campaigns. You're not looking for a list of buzzwords to sprinkle through your own personal brand communications. You're looking for the verbal codes of the culture you want to join.
3. The Right Word
Mark Twain summed it up beautifully when he said:
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
It's a great reminder that a seemingly tiny decision can change the impression we create.
As I’ve shared in my earlier blog, 9 cliches to cut from your LinkedIn profile: from lacklustre to leader energy, in personal branding, people often reach for buzzwords. Think passionate, experienced, creative, strategic, innovative and results-driven. There is nothing inherently wrong with the words. The problem is that so many people use them that they feel generic and vague.
So the question isn't simply, “Is this word true?”
It's “Is this the right word for the vibe I want to create?”
The goal isn't to use bigger, cleverer or more impressive words. Sometimes the most powerful choice is the simplest one. It's about finding language that is precise enough to express what is distinctive about you.
Sometimes the difference between sounding generic and sounding memorable is just one word.
4. What’s Your Verbal Vibe?
Before you start choosing words, think about the feeling you want your brand to create.
For more ideas on establishing the tone of voice for your personal brand, see my earlier blog, Build a better verbal brand: Communicate a confident and compelling verbal identity.
Perhaps you want to be:
Sophisticated but approachable
Creative but credible
Intelligent but warm
Ambitious but generous
Playful but polished
Disruptive but considered
The combinations are important. Anyone can say they want to be “professional” or “creative”. Adding tension creates something much more interesting and specific.
Then ask yourself: “Who needs to feel this way about me?”
Your dream employer might be different from the audience you want to build online. And the brand you are creating today might need to communicate something about the person you are becoming tomorrow.
That's why I think it is useful to look beyond yourself when developing your vocabulary.
5. Borrow. Own. Blacklist
The best brand style guides don’t just tell you what words to use, but also what not to use.
I personally love collecting words I enjoy on a dedicated word board on my Pinterest, which, as I’ve shared in my previous blog, How I Use Pinterest Boards to Rewire My Brain and Upgrade My Life, is where I build my ‘second brain’. I like to see this as a little word bank.
Rather than sitting in isolation trying to come up with the perfect words to describe yourself, start by looking at the world you want to be part of.
Borrow
What words are already part of the conversation you're trying to join? The ones you actually love, use already or want to make a part of your own lexicon?
Look at your industry, its leaders, desired audiences, dream employers and brands. Pay attention to the language they repeatedly use and the ideas they return to.
You don't have to use these words. You're simply learning the language of the room. Think of it as a linguistic dress code.
Own
This is where you make the language personal. Perhaps there's an industry term you love but would express differently. Perhaps there's a word that perfectly captures your approach to your work. You can develop your own phrase, metaphor or concept that eventually becomes recognisably yours.
The goal isn't to sound like everyone else in your industry. It's to find your voice within the conversation.
Blacklist
What words work against the vibe you're trying to create?
These might be tired industry clichés, language that belongs to a different professional world, or words that attract an audience you don't actually want.
Your blacklist can be just as revealing as your word bank.
Sometimes the fastest way to change the feeling of a brand isn't to add more. It's to remove what doesn't belong.
Be the Vibe
Choosing the right words isn’t about becoming someone you’re not or sounding exactly like someone else. It's about understanding the subtle cues that tell people you belong in the conversation — while still making it clear that you're uniquely you. It’s like a dress code for words. Understanding the room doesn't mean wearing exactly what everyone else is wearing. It means understanding the occasion well enough to make an intentional choice about what you bring to it.
The strongest personal brands don't simply adopt the language of their industry. They contribute something to it. They evolve it. They use familiar cultural cues while adding a distinctive point of view. That's the sweet spot: recognisable enough to resonate, distinctive enough to remember.
