This post originally appeared in Accelity Marketing's owner, Jackie's, blog for Like to Share.
How you speak to your audience on social media is a direct reflection of your company, and you will be judged by it. But how do you find your social media voice? Should it be playful (see: Taco Bell), educational (see: Intel), motivational (see: Nike)?
There are many different ways to choose a social media voice, but first, some considerations:
1. What are you trying to accomplish on social media?
For companies that are looking to build brand awareness, a more casual voice may do the trick. But for those who would like to be seen as inspirational thought leaders, keep it professional.
If you are just getting started on different social platforms, check out our guide to social media to get you up and running.
2. How do you describe your company?
If you already have descriptors in your tagline, on your website, or woven throughout your business in any way, it could be fairly easy to choose a social media voice. Are you a crafty company? Trendy? Any of these words could be used to form your social voice.
3. Who is your audience?
For companies that sell into a specific niche or serve a specific need, speaking directly to the interests and personalities of your audience may be best. For example, Tiffany & Co. is known to be very classic and refined—and so is their Twitter presence. On the other hand, Lululemon knows its audience is interested in health and fitness, so they simply keep to those topics. When thinking about your audience, consider the following:
Choosing a voice
Write down your answers to the questions above. Are there any common themes? If you’re looking to build company and brand awareness, have a casual vibe and your audience is young professionals, then a casual voice is probably for you.
But don’t go too far. It can be tempting to forge bonds with your audience by being uber-casual, but use your best judgement and as always, keep controversial opinions to yourself.
Documenting your social persona
After you choose to be more casual or more serious, there are many other factors that can come into play. Your company can be serious and informative or casual and informative, and the list goes on. Here is a comprehensive list of the characteristics your social media voice should have by Social Media Today. Make sure you write this list down and distribute your social media goals to other employees, especially those that may ever touch the sites.
For small businesses that are just getting started, keep in mind that your social media voice will evolve over time. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your followers, customers or friends to tweak your strategy.
How did you choose your social voice? Leave a comment below, or contact Milwaukee marketing agency, Accelity Marketing, to discuss further.
