Developing a voice for a brand (without losing your own)
Becoming a writer or content creator comes alongside some struggles.
For writers, finding your own voice “brand” is not only key, it is difficult. The words an author puts on the page must sound unique against other pieces of writing on similar topics. People need to know who the article or book is written by without having to read the byline.
But what about when you write for someone else? Should the text read like you or them? Ghost writers struggle with this on the daily. They are professionals at voice manipulation.
But what if it is taken even a step further:
What about when you write not for someone else, but for something else?
Social media managers flip-flop between Twitter accounts like it’s hopscotch. Writing tweets, posting photos, scheduling articles, the list goes on. Keep something in mind: It’s not convincing in the slightest to a company’s target audience if the tweets sound like they are coming from a 20-something liberal arts major, as opposed to a Fortune 500 company CEO.
The difference between these two hypothetical people is extreme. One has familiarity, the chance to meet them on the bus, or while getting take out Chinese. One might have an intimidation or aloofness, and you can only meet them if you climb up a company ladder for countless years. When it comes to marketing, you don’t want that distance: so the main question arises. …
How can your brand make a voice which is both accessible and commanding?
When you are a brand, you want to impress and mystify your target audience with your product or service. You want them to feel like they can grab it or use it at any time they please with little hassle.
Being a social media manager is all about finding that happy medium; it’s about learning to dance on that line of professional and personal so this new age of digital marketing and influencing proves to be revolutionary to history.
Still confused how this delicate process could even be remotely pulled off?
How do you write a company’s social media to perfection?
Here are some tips:
1. Be empathetic.
Empathy is key when managing social media. If there is not an emotional connection, not only to your client, but to your client’s audience, then there will be no success. You can only obtain the appropriate voice with which to tweet on their behalf if there is mutual understanding about the aspirations, personalities, and atmosphere the client wants to cultivate. If they want to come off as scientific and informative with hopes of creating a life-changing technology, learn to write as such. If they want to come off as sarcastic, employ that sassy hashtag.
2. Engage, engage, engage.
Talking is essential. If you don’t initially talk to your client thoroughly, you won’t only know what to say but how to say it. But talking to your client is only half the battle. The beauty of social media is you can talk to everyone from all over the world — so why wouldn’t you personally talk to your audience? Sometimes, they know more about the brand than the top ranking individuals in the company office.
3. Leave yourself room to grow.
There will be mornings when you will get that dreaded email from your client saying “Can you change your tweet from x to x, it doesn’t really fit to our image.” This may seem like a kick in the teeth at first, but see it as an opportunity to grow. Count the times you’ve tweeted and they haven’t said a word — in that instance, they were content with how your writing was presented. Those are victories. You’ve gotten the foundation of the brand. From there on out, it’s nuances which simply need sharpened.
Using these techniques are all about open-mindedness, engagement, and finesse when it comes to developing another voice to sit alongside your own.
The most important thing to keep in mind: When you are writing for someone else, you aren’t losing your voice as a creator, you’re just adding to the ones in your arsenal!
