4 Actionable Ways to Develop your Brand’s Voice on Social Media

Written by Amy Albertson

By now it’s no secret that social media is an essential part of any successful brand’s online presence. With over 90% of global consumers using social media and 52% of brand discovery happening on public social feeds, clearly this is the place to get the word out about your brand.  

However, with so much content out there, simply being on social media isn’t enough. Having a strong, cohesive, and relatable brand can be the difference between someone scrolling past your post and actually clicking on it - and one key element to this is a clear brand voice. 

What is a brand voice?

To put it simply, a brand voice is the way your brand communicates to its audience. This includes the tone, language, and even visual elements you choose to use in all of your digital content. Whether you’re selling a physical product, a virtual service, or even a lifestyle, it is important to present a clear brand voice that will captivate your target audience. From your website & social media accounts to the excerpts on your product’s packaging, you should aim to be consistent. 

Here are 4 tips for developing your brand’s voice on social media:

Look at other brands for inspiration

I always suggest starting by doing your research. Look at the way brands that are popular with your target audience and in your same niche present themselves on social media. 

This is important for two reasons. Firstly, with so many brilliant brands in the market, there is no reason to completely reinvent the wheel. If these brands are already having success with your target audience, then find out why. Do they use certain buzzwords? Perhaps they speak to customers like they do to their best friend? 

Secondly, you’ll want to make sure you’re not just doing exactly what everyone else in your market is doing. You don’t want to become a clone of all of the other brands in your niche. It is important to find the balance between fitting into your market and giving your brand a unique edge. 

Ask yourself “If my brand were a person, how would they speak to people?”

One great exercise to develop a clear brand voice is to treat your brand like a person. When people interact with brands on social media they want it to feel like they are interacting with another person, not a company trying to sell them something. Think about who your brand is, what they do, and what they want to communicate to people. In many cases, it is good to take a look at your brand or company’s values (if they have them) for reference.

Let’s use a health coach as an example. Are you a health coach who likes to emphasize science and the interactions between food and human biology? If yes, then you might want to use a bit more formal language. You’ll want to cite many statistics and facts, and use professional or scientific terms. On the other side of this, you’ll want to be sure to explain these more technical terms or processes to your unknowing audience - something like a teacher to students. 

Another approach might be the health coach that takes a more spiritual and holistic approach. In this case, your tone would be more casual and you’ll favor emotional language. You would likely want to talk to your audience more like a personal mentor or spiritual guide.  

Create a few catch phrases or slogans

One great way to add a unique flavor to your brand is by using a selection of trademark catch phrases or slogans. These will help differentiate your brand from others in your market and help people automatically recognize your brand anywhere. 

To take it a step further, you can use these catch phrases or slogans to engage your audience. For example, on my page @theasianisraeli I started using the phrase “Baruch Hashem it’s Thursday” (a play on the popular “Thank god it’s Friday” phrase) because many of my followers live in Israel where they speak Hebrew and end the work week on Thursday. I created a hashtag, #BHIT, and each Thursday I ask my followers what they are thankful for that week, encouraging them to share with me and their followers using my hashtag.  

Make sure your visual language matches your written language

It’s not only important how you speak to your audience, but also the way your brand presents itself visually - and the two of them should speak the same language. As your audience scrolls through their Instagram feed, it is a visual that will catch their eye, and the message this visual conveys is key.

Let’s use our two types of health coaches from earlier as an example. Health coach #1, who emphasizes the science behind nutrition, might favor a more clinical design. I would suggest they use straight lines and shapes, bold colors associated with nutritional foods, and infographics to accompany their scientific explanations.

Health coach #2, who takes more of a holistic approach, might favor a more ethereal design. I would suggest rounder or abstract shapes, lighter colors, and a less-is-more-approach when it comes to composition. 

Bonus tip: Be sure to use proper grammar and spelling

No matter the voice of your brand, one key tip is to use proper grammar and spelling. You don’t necessarily want to be writing like a scholarly paper, but using correct grammar and spelling is as vital to your audience’s experience as having a distinct voice. It also communicates that your brand is both professional and trustworthy. 

In Conclusion

No matter what type of business, product, or service you’re selling, a strong brand presence is a game changer. The key is to develop a brand that both fits into your niche and stands out. One of the best ways to do this is to create a distinct brand voice that will accurately communicate whatever your brand is or does, and lead to loyal, engaged followers that are potential paying customers. 

For other ressources on ways to define your brand’s voice to maximum impact, we are happy to share with you all this article on Toptal.

About the Author

A native-Californian-turned-Tel Avivian, Amy Albertson is a digital marketing consultant for independent businesses, specializing in social media and creative content. She is also the woman behind the Instagram account @theasianisraeli.