Defining your voice on social media

As I’ve come to learn, there is no shortage of big personalities in our industry. From the serious to the hilarious, our advertising partners (and our readers) run the gamut. And when it comes to social media, there’s nothing wrong with letting that personality shine through.

Before getting into marketing, I served as Athletic Business’s social media manager. I would travel to trade shows and people would ask me what tone or “voice” they should be using for their company’s social media accounts. For smaller companies, the answer is simple: your own!

If you’re funny in real life, it’s OK to be funny! If you pride yourself on being professional and straight-laced, take that approach. What is your company’s story? What kind of impression are you trying to make?

At Athletic Business, we try to keep our posts professional and informative. This one for example, is fairly straightforward.

However, occasionally a certain story (like the tweet about Harvard below) allow us to be more playful.

In a larger organization, your company may already have its own distinct voice. It’s important that employees managing social media understand the tone their company wants and are comfortable communicating in that tone.

Whatever route you go, make it authentic and keep it consistent. Your social media followers (think, customers or potential customers) will see right through you if you’re trying to be somebody you’re not. And a feed without a consistent voice or “personality” can leave followers confused.

Now, not everyone is a comedian. And a Twitter feed full of jokes won’t help you grow your business. But a witty remark or creative photo caption related to your industry can help put a human face on your brand. The same can be said about replying and engaging with your followers. Think of social media as a telephone, a two-way conversation, not a megaphone to blast your message to anyone within shouting distance.

This is social media after all. Along with your informative (i.e. not always promotional) posts targeted for your specific audience, a little personality and interaction can go a long way. So next time you’re over-thinking that Facebook post or sweating over your next 140 characters, allow me to be the voice of reason: The only voice you need to worry about is your own.