As a brand, communicating through social media requires a different tone than your other forms of corporate communication. How different? Let’s explain and also show you how to find your social voice.

With a press release, for example, you write in the third-person and in a formal tone about your company to target a large audience via the media. Social media’s goal is also to get information out, but it’s about being engaging rather than formal, and conveying your news as though it’s part of a one-to-one conversation.

Your social voice needs to distinguish itself from the corporate tone that’s integral to your company’s identity, yet it should also reinforce the pillars of your brand. The key is to straddle the line between being personal and professional.

So how do you develop a corporate social media voice and expand your presence?Your social voice is built on top of your brand voice. The process begins with reviewing and understanding what constitutes the pillars and principles of your brand voice. Take these and use them as the foundation to develop your social media voice. Aim to blend them with an informal and engaging tone while remaining true to your brands’ individual identities.Long-term brand development is the next step. Begin by crafting an internal social media policy. This document, which is a master-set of guidelines for conduct and tone, is an essential tool to make sure everyone in your company’s on the same proverbial social media webpage. At this stage, you’ll have laid a firm foundation from where you can launch social media campaigns.Now you can let the creative juices start to flow. Because of the preliminary legwork you did in managing long-term development, it’s a lot easier to come up with innovative campaign strategies. At this point, you’ve done the necessary risk management and your employees are free to think creatively within the corporate social context.

Some of the things we’ve been able to do at Income Access include creating a social employee programme, live-tweeting at conferences and, most importantly, we’ve been able to engage with industry influencers and forge relationships with them.Lastly, the most vital part of the process is closely monitoring the impact of your social voice. Pay attention to your social metrics for insights on what was successful and what had less impact.

If something didn’t work, start asking questions: was the tone was too formal or was it not formal enough? These are the sort of questions you need to ask.

If something was hugely successful, make a note of why you think it resonated with your audience. The ability to react and adjust in real-time is the skill that will enable you to continue to develop a corporate social media voice.

If you have any questions about building a corporate social voice, please don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment below. We’d love to hear your own thoughts on social tone – don’t hesitate to speak up!