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The Importance of Tone Of Voice on Social Media

September 4, 2019

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Social media has given consumers access to brands in a way like never before. If you have an issue or a question that you want to ask, all you have to do is find them on social media and ask away.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”

One of the more famous pieces from Shakespeare, and one that helps explain how in the social media world, we all play a role. This isn’t just limited to personal accounts either; brands now play a role online as well. What does this mean for your brand? Let us explain.

To be effective in the social media world, brands can no longer just be brands. A brand’s social media account now not only represents the brand in that space (whether that be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), but that social media account is now, for all intents and purposes, a person. They represent a personality that embodies the ideals and values that you want your company or brand to share with the world, so it’s very important that personality has a distinct tone of voice whenever you share something from that account. Here are some tips to make sure that the tone of voice of your brand is as effective as possible:

Think about the language that you use

This one should be rather simple, but you’d be surprised to see how often this can go wrong. A big one for this going wrong is using language that doesn’t quite fit your audience. Using language a younger demographic may be more familiar with can very quickly backfire, especially if you use it in the wrong way. Not very lit at all. 

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There’s also the risk that by using language that is too technical, you can confuse your audience. While you might understand what you are talking about, there’s a high chance that your audience might not. Keeping your language clear, concise, and understandable is key to keeping your audience engaged and happy.

Consistency is key

Maintaining a consistent tone across all social media accounts is important to make sure that your message is not lost between platforms. But, in saying this, the tone needs to also be consistent with the platform that you are using. Different platforms can attract different demographics, and your brand’s voice on Instagram may be different from your brand’s voice on Facebook because of this. This might sound a little confusing right now, but don’t worry, we’re going to do a little exercise soon to help it make a bit more sense.

Positivity breeds positivity

The more positive interactions you have with your audience, the higher the chance your prospective audience will see those interactions and think of your brand in a positive way. Fostering a good environment for people to interact with your brand is the best way to increase your positive engagement. In the same sense, negativity breeds negativity. The internet can be a harsh place sometimes, and when there’s a chance for a pile on, there’s going to be a pile on. The reality of social media is that not everyone will see every interaction that you have with your audience. Think of every interaction as someone’s first interaction. You want them to have the best experience they can so that they think of your brand in a positive light. These interactions are an ad for your brand, and you want to make sure that they are as good as they can be.

So, now that we’ve got some pretty great tips to help with delivering your tone of voice, you’re all set to go, right?

Well, yes and no.

To put this all into practice, there’s a simple exercise that you can do. Most brands will have a target audience in mind; an amalgam of all the traits that their average customer will have. Remember when we were talking about characters earlier? Think of your target audience as a character. And while monologues and solo performances can be great, it’s much easier and more fun to have a play with multiple characters. Why not create a character or personality for your brand? By creating a brand personality, you can have someone there to respond to your audience. Writing out a list of traits, and maybe a vocabulary list can help immensely in keeping a consistent tone of voice across your brand’s social media. 

It’s also a great idea to create a document that features some of your more frequently asked questions, with answers written in the same tone of voice as your brand’s personality. This can greatly cut down on your time spent looking for ways to respond to your community. By utilising a personality with distinct tone and language, it makes it easy to respond to your audience in a consistent and friendly way, which at the end of the day, provides the best experience for your audience.

Ben

Ben is a Community Manager at Milkbar Digital. With a passion and flair for customer service, he loves helping customers with any and all queries. With a background in both radio and professional wrestling, Ben knows how to create a meaningful connection with an audience.

If you’re looking to upgrade your tone of voice on your socials, Milkbar Digital is here to help! You can contact us on [email protected] for all your enquiries.

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