Finding Your Brand’s Voice on Social Media
Who comes to mind when you think of best-in-class social media accounts?
Many would point to classic case studies like Wendy’s — or, more recently, Duolingo — as brands with a hall-of-fame social media presence. Sure, both accounts post stellar content, but it’s not just about what is being posted; it’s how the brand posts.
Brand voice, personality, and tone separate good social media accounts from great ones.
According to a recent Shopify survey, 88 percent of marketers feel that a distinct brand voice helps their business create better connections with customers. And consumers agree — a third think that a distinct personality makes a brand’s social best-in-class.
Intentional decisions about how a brand sounds must be made in order to propel brands out of a cluttered landscape and into social stardom. At Mythic, we carefully consider all dimensions of a brand’s existence before defining what role it will play in the social ecosystem and how it comes to life. Below, our team members share a few of the key tips, tricks, and decisions they make when establishing a brand’s voice on social media.
Start with the overall brand voice
Becca Marshall, Mythic’s Director of Strategy and Planning, starts by asking, “What is your brand’s voice and tone off of social media?”
Because social is an extension of the main brand, the social voice should not be a total departure from who the brand already is. While certain channels call for a slightly adapted delivery style, the core of the brand’s personality should largely stay the same.
Referencing the brand’s foundational voice will help ensure consistency across every touchpoint.
Know your audience
Understanding the brand’s audience is critical to connecting with them. Ask questions such as:
- What do they need?
- What do they want?
- How do they use social media?
Answering these types of questions allows you to curate the brand voice to match consumers’ preferences.
Furthermore, the brand’s voice and tone should complement the role you want the brand to play in the lives of the audience. “Do you want to be more of a peer? Do you want to be more of a guide? Or more of an expert?” asks Marshall. “Understanding what you want that relationship to be between the audience and the brand on social media will help answer the questions of how to speak to them, how to address them, and how to engage with them.”
Humanize the brand
Knowing your audience also means finding out what type of language they use. Here’s a hint: it’s probably not business jargon.
Hootsuite advises brands to “write like you talk” and avoid jargon. Jargon alienates your audience and makes them feel unintelligent. It also takes up brain cells and valuable space on the page when attention spans are already short.
Instead, “social is a place where you can be a little more lighthearted and fun,” says Alexandra Frazier, Associate Creative Director (Copy) at Mythic. “In the quicker digital space, you can be more casual, more playful, and generally use the same language your audience does — that more conversational, approachable voice.”
It’s important to “keep in mind that people are using social for entertainment, socialization, killing boredom, and exploring new things,” Marshall adds. “Don’t take yourself too seriously on social. Feel free to be a little more human, a little more colloquial.”
Be as specific as possible
Lastly, specificity is your friend. The more specific you can be with attitude and how the brand sounds, the better.
Managing Editor, Hootsuite, and other social media blog sites recommend exploring brand voice by listing five to 10 adjectives of the brand’s personality as if it were a human. Or, as Marissa Stabler, Vice President of Strategy and Planning at Mythic, suggests, “define a celebrity or character to put a face to the brand. That helps your writers put themselves in a specific mindset if they have that point of reference.”
And David McClay, an Associate Creative Director (Copy) at Mythic, agrees that using a well-known person or character helps set guidelines when writing for a brand. “It’s almost more freeing to have boundaries than not,” he explains. “It gives you a place to play, knowing you’re in the right place and a place that will keep you consistent with everything. The more specific and detailed tone and voice are, the better the creative expression will be.”
At Mythic, strategy is at the core of everything we do as an agency. With significant industry experience and knowledge in branding, audiences, and social media, we’re always digging deeper to help our clients’ brands find their unique voice in the social media landscape. If you want to know how you can partner with a team that’s brimming with strategically-backed creative ideas, reach out to our CMO, Taylor Bryant ([email protected]), and get a conversation with Mythic started today.