Voice is a big thing for me this week, partly because I have a cold and appear to be losing mine, but mostly because so many brands on social, need one.
There is just no excuse for posts and tweets that are vanilla, samey and predictable? After all, most brands want to extend reach, engagement and be memorable to their audiences. So why bombard them with uninspiring messages?
Every brand has a personality (even if sometimes it is a bit shy or squashed). Social gives you the opportunity to bring the brand to life – with a voice of its own. Use it to build better relationships. Let it differentiate you from the social noise. Work it, so it add value to your social activity. Play it out to different audience segments. Experiment with it in customer service. Make your brand sing!
Give them a glimpse of the real you
Great team culture? Fabulous staff? Share the real you – your people. Like First Direct, sharing behind the scenes can make banking more human.
Flippin’ ‘eck, it’s only our leadership team taking their turn in the kitchen. pic.twitter.com/Ph9eBMbpKm
— first direct (@firstdirect) February 17, 2015
Put enthusiasm behind your messages
It is pretty clear from Intel’s LinkedIn page that innovation is a key message pillar. But they don’t just bang on about what they have done. Instead they let their enthusiasm for invention and cutting edge just shine through in their copy and visuals.
Find your passion
Maersk Line just love talking shipping and containers. Yay! I hear you say. Well, if you don’t believe me, take a peek at their Twitter feed. They talk about ports visited, the number of noodles in a container, races, travels, sunsets and so much more. You name it, if it is about container shipping they talk about it. And it is hard not to be caught up in their passion.
Throwback Thursday: #EffieMaersk in Hong Kong in 1955 #Throwbackthursday #TBT #China #MaerskLine pic.twitter.com/n4cUL8mnqa — Maersk Line (@MaerskLine) February 5, 2015
Be confident in you
Let’s face it, toilet roll in your Twitter feed is hardly a must follow. Well unless it is Charmin (this one comes recommended from our own Harry). A brand that is, well, just very charming [sic]. Charming, silly and able to poke fun at itself.
Sometimes the kids can have too much of a good thing. #tweetfromtheseat pic.twitter.com/sUSBEehcPO
— Charmin (@Charmin) February 18, 2015
You can see from the examples, I didn’t just pick brands from industries bursting with personalities. In fact, most of these companies are from traditionally boring industries (banking, widgets, shipping, bog roll etc) – yet they found a way to shine on social. Now you can too.
