Dos and Don’ts of Finding Your Brand’s Voice

It’s one thing to demonstrate a brand’s voice through a thought-out campaign carefully crafted over time. It’s another to bring your brand to life on social media through fresh content and user interactions on a daily basis. So how does one tackle the beast of bringing these two tactics together?

I won’t say it’s easy – because finding the right voice for a brand can sometimes change as quickly as the next company CMO – but there are clear-cut steps you can take to pave the right path.

Let’s walk through the do’s and don’ts of it all, shall we?

DO: Start with the basics

It’s important to start with the brand’s identity and the questions that were asked in order to define who you are as a company. Things such as:

• What are your core values as a company?
• What do you represent?
• What makes you different from your competition?
• What value do you provide?
• Who do you want reach?

It may seem too simple to start with information that’s so well-known, and it probably feels silly to spell it out. Still, answering these questions, and being on the same page with your entire team, will help guide your approach to social media.

DO: Craft a well-rounded brand personality

To better channel your message and connect with potential customers, take the time to round out your brand persona. Find the answers to questions like what type of human your brand would be, what kind of interests they would have, and what their priorities would be in life. If you’re struggling to determine what will set your voice apart from your competitors, consider creating a vision board to help fill in the gaps and better see what makes you unique.

With a well-defined personality in mind, it’s much easier to approach brand tone. You can determine whether your brand should speak in a more professional and formal voice, or if it makes more sense to be friendly and conversational. Go so far as to determine what type of sense of humor your brand would have, so you know how to approach light-hearted content or funny conversations started by users. Brands like Wendy’s, Arby’s and MoonPies are doing this best.

DO: Maintain consistency

Let’s be clear: While flexibility and adaptability are needed, consistency is key. Without it, you’ll confuse users as to what your message is and who you represent. Maintaining a reliable and identifiable voice will build both trust and likeability.

Like most brands, your voice will be tested in several situations. Prepare by evaluating all the ways in which your voice will need to be put into action for things like comment replies and post copy. Determine how you want to approach each, and craft examples to create a clear plan for when those situations arise.

DON’T: Be afraid to have fun

Of course, this really comes down to the brand and what’s appropriate. But for most, it’s completely acceptable and much more enjoyable for users if brands have some fun. If you have the freedom, maybe you’re the type of brand that starts playful Twitter feuds with competitors, or maybe you’re the kind that hits users with sassy little comebacks. Or maybe being that aggressive doesn’t suit your brand – you can still give a follower the occasional gentle ribbing.