Selecting the right social media voice

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A brand’s voice is the personality they have chosen to take on as their own. This voice is expressed through everything they do in their marketing efforts, on their website and more. But, there’s nothing more awkward than a business using the wrong one to reach their audience. Selecting the right voice helps reach the intended audience and keeps engagement up. Having a set voice gives a brand personality, which the public can relate to. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting an online voice:

1. Write down the top three to five adjectives that signify the brand

These can help set the tone for everything the business does from engagement on social media to making in-person sales.

2. Consider the demographics of the business’s desired audience

Voice and tone can affect online reach. For example, if a business’s demographics include an older audience, they might not resonate as much with social media lingo as a more up-to-date younger audience might. You do not want to exclude a large segment of the audience. The voice and audience needs to align together.

3. It should reflect the brand overall and not just online

When selecting an online voice, make sure it resonates with the business as a whole. This will keep the brand feeling authentic and truthful.

4. Make sure there is a consistency across platforms

Although different platforms are used for different types of content, the business should still hold a similar voice across platforms. The best way to achieve this is to have one person posting on all accounts. If this is not possible, make sure there is one set person who proofs all the content for consistency before it goes out. 

5. Keep it natural

Creating content that sounds unnatural or forced takes more effort to read and engage with. This is not good when trying to create a community or sell a service or product. Jargon should also be avoided because of this. Not only does jargon not encourage engagement it could also cause a disconnect with anyone in the audience who does not quickly understand it.

6. Keep it professional

Although a brand’s voice should feel natural, it should also be professional. Business social media accounts are not the same as personal accounts and should not include the same content. However, there are a few exceptions to these roles such as public figures and some small businesses. It is also important that family-friendly businesses post family-friendly content.

7. Scheduling

Scheduling content ahead of time might make it easier to check voice consistency across platforms. There are plenty of scheduling tools out there to try such as Hootsuite, Fanbooster and Tailwind.

For all businesses, it is important to develop a voice that establishes an online brand identity. Having the right voice will help businesses connect more successfully with their audiences. For more help on developing an online brand and voice, schedule a single strategy session with the Hello Social Co. team!

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