Owning Your Voice On Social Media

For every time you share an image or video, comment, respond to a dm, reply to a query on social media you have begun to use a voice. And from thereon, the public is already building a perception of what your organization stands for and best believe, it is in your own interest that you decide to be deliberate about it.

You should begin to own your voice on social media from the first word. 

“If you communicate you can get by,  but

if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles”

– Jim Rohn

As a brand, if getting by is your goal then it is fine to continue without having a social media voice but if not, you need to find and own your brand’s tone.

Why is owning my social media voice important to a business?

For businesses, it has since become important not just to have a presence online but more importantly to have a voice and be able to own that voice. Is it safe to conclude that you must know why it is important that your business is on social media?

If you don’t know, it’s not too late to hop on this train so I suggest you read our other post on why your business should be on social media.

Here is an outline of a few steps to take in ensuring that you own your voice on social media. 

 

• Determine Your Tone. 

 

If you say the same joke as a comedian, will laugh the same way they’d laugh at the comedians’ jokes? Well, maybe not! 

Cos you don’t sound like a comedian. 

Safe to say, you don’t have the tone of voice!

You have to decide what kind of voice you want to project on social media and stay true to it. There are hundreds of options to choose from, ranging from happy, sarcastic, adventurous, bold, cool, creative, eccentric, friendly, fun, vintage, urban, etc, you can choose any adjective you want.

• Write the way you talk

It suddenly feels lighter when you do not have to send an email or write a formal letter right? That’s because it is easier to say it than to write it.

However, this should not be the case, you should write like you talk not like a robot or like you are writing an email. 

For instance, after a conversation with someone would you say “best regards”?, That will sound awkward right? So you’d rather say “see you” or “talk later”. The same applies to social media, avoid talking in a mechanical tone like an automated response.

People already have to inconveniently interact with machines, what you don’t want to do is add your social media platform as one of their ever-growing sources of discomfort.

• Think like the reader

Don’t just try to wear the shoes of the reader walk in them. Genuinely ask yourself, if you were a part of the audience you are talking to would you be interested in the industry jargon, would you like your own tone of voice?

If that answer is no then your audience is probably not interested too. What is the point of talking if nobody is interested in listening?

If your brand would want to come across as a ‘we-like-to-groove’, apart from the ‘hardcore’ values like ‘excellence’, ‘promptness’, ‘value-adding’, fun is part of who they are.

So it will not come as a surprise when you visit their social media pages and you feel it is fun.

Take the week! Audit your brand tone on social media!