Craft Your Social Personality: 4 Tips on How to Define Your Brand Voice

Every communication is a chance to build, or sabotage, your brand identity. Obvious spaces like ads or brochures convey a certain, hopefully deliberate, image. But does that well-crafted image translate to your other communications like events, email, and social media? Mindfulness and consistency will set you up for success so define your voice then get everyone on board.
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Defining your brand’s personality doesn’t require an executive retreat (although it can and we are happy to help you strategize and execute such an event), just start thinking about your brand like a human. Consider this, if your brand was attending a conference reception, who is it? What does it look like? How does it speak? What does it order and what appetizers fill its plate? And remember, you’re thinking of your brand, not you personally. Although in many cases the faces that our clients see are an extension of your brand, they do not have to be an exact replica of the named partner. 

When defining your voice, especially with social media platforms, use the following segments as a guide:

1. What qualities or traits do you want synonymous with your brand? Are you friendly, logical, meticulous, witty, warm, professional?
2. Choose your style of expression. It’s okay if this varies a bit depending on whether you're posting on Facebook or LinkedIn as long as you are consistent on that platform. Are you personal, honest, direct, technical, straightforward?
3. Decide the manner in which you speak. Are you serious, simple, complex, fun, full of industry terms and acronyms?
4. Set the intention or goal of the conversation. Do you want to educate, sell, inform, engage?

Now what to post is a whole other e-book but an easy place to start is to coordinate messaging with emails and events. Work on building your audience, add social buttons to your email signatures. Encourage employees, colleagues, and clients to follow and share your content. And mix your content up. No one wants to watch a constant commercial. Aim for 50% curated (shares from industry or other business leaders), 30% original (your blog posts or legal updates) and 20% promotional (watch our webinar, stop by our booth).  
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Social media is meant to be just that: social. It is ideally a place for two-way conversations with your followers. Our number one recommendation is to be human with your posts and interactions. If you are true to your brand’s personality, and consistent, it will resonate and build brand loyalty you cannot buy.