It’s no surprise that social media has changed the way companies talk to their customers. Generally, marketing to consumers used to be very structured and controlled — practically press releases and public statements. However, now company representatives have the ability to reach out and speak to customers directly. With that added responsibility to present the company in the best light, instead of buttoning up that metaphorical top button to make things more formal, some companies are going in the opposite direction: casual.

Let’s be honest, finding your company’s social voice is a challenge, especially if you are just starting out. That’s because it takes time to develop a rapport with your customers. You have to build relationships, and also establish yourself as a thought leader in your particular area of expertise.  

So, what can a company do to find their social voice? Let’s take a look.

Voice Doesn’t Happen Overnight

You can’t adopt a “savage” online persona just because you see it working for other companies — you have to put in the work. It’s important to have the ethos for the language you’re using. For instance, if your company sells cars, you can tap into a niche group without sounding too “salesy.” It’s an opportunity to focus on a particular group of followers by speaking to them in a specific way via playful language that resonates with them.   

Copy Matters

There seems to be a somewhat negative stigma out there in corporate America regarding copywriters. Some companies think they’re easily replaceable, or that anyone who can type can write copy. But those wordsmiths out there know that’s not particularly true. We’re long past the days of “just slap some copy on a page.” Now, it’s all about crafting compelling copy that hits the mark and resonates with your audience. (And finding the right people to help your company thrive online.) With more than 92% of marketers saying that social media is important to their business (Hubspot), copy seems to be an area where it’s essential to have the best of the best.  

Know Your Audience

Even the most conservative companies can craft a successful social persona if they know their audience. But that’s going to take some research. However, we can safely say that audiences on social media don’t respond to: “We have a new product, try it out.” These kinds of messages don’t resonate with people, especially when you observe other companies using their social platforms to really push the envelope. If you want to know your audience, don’t think of your social updates as ads, think of them as conversations.

The Bottom Line

Just because your competitors have an established “different” voice doesn’t mean you have to try to imitate their success. Rather, the challenge here is for companies to channel a unique level of creativity and engage, engage, engage. Think about your company’s voice. Think about the way your company sounds online and think about your audience. Let’s all work to elevate our social game and strive for genuine connections with our audiences.