When we’re creating content for our social media posts, we focus a lot on the “voice” of the client. Many of our clients are healthcare clients. The voice of the typical healthcare client is more professional and clinical than a brand like Target or Taco Bell’s voice would be. On the flip side, we also represent some restaurants – each of which have their own, unique voice and can typically have a more “playful” voice. Regardless of the voice of your brand, there are certain things that help any brand maintain a professional presence on social media. The tips we’re providing today will be general guidelines that are good to follow for any brand. We’ll write a follow up blog post later to discuss how to determine and develop the voice of your specific brand.
- K.I.S.S. – Keep it Simple, Stupid. (Side note: In most instances, calling your audience “stupid” is probably not a good idea. This acronym is a good illustration for what we’re trying to convey, so we’re allowing ourselves to break the rules here.) Though not all platforms limit the number of characters like Twitter does, it’s still beneficial to say what you need to say in as few words as possible. The average attention span of someone on social media is about 8-12 seconds. This means that communicating the information you need to share in the shortest way possible is the easiest way to ensure that the reader is getting all the information you need them to have.
- Ask Questions. Asking questions is a great way to get people to engage. Ask in a way that allows people to share their opinions and experiences. Pro tip: avoid asking questions that can easily lead to negative feedback. It’s best to keep a positive feel whenever possible.
- Tell Your Reader What to Expect. If you’re sharing a link to your newest blog post, create a caption that explains what the reader will be reading and learning about when they click through to the article.
- Triple Check Spelling & Grammar. Although one of the easiest ways to get a response from your audience is a blatant spelling error, we don’t recommend it. When you’re representing a professional brand, it’s important to be just that – professional. If you were creating a brochure or marketing piece for your company, you’d spell-check before sending to print, right? Social media posts are marketing “pieces” that represent your brand in a similar fashion. Proof read before you post is the new think before you speak.
- Determine Your Voice. As mentioned before, we’ll be writing a detailed post on this later. However, as a general rule, it’s important to consider the voice of your brand when creating content. Does your brand use words like “ain’t” and “fleek” or is it best to stay away from slang?
Following these simple tips can help you keep your brand’s social media presence polished. Stay tuned for another blog post on how to develop a professional voice for your brand!