Communicating with clients on Social Media can be a challenge, especially if you lack confidence, in this post we provide you with some simple tips to get you started or give you more confidence to really engage. We share tips on what, when and how.
Finding your Social Media voice
Personally, finding my “Social Media voice” has been one of the great challenges for me at the Tourism Tribe. Find your Social Media voice they said!, what on earth is my Social Media voice? I mumbled after I hung up the phone. Is it different from my normal voice?, is it the same as my Social Media voice on my personal Facebook page? Am I prepared to expose myself and take risks?
Well, the answer in the short term was “NO”, I have to admit I used our Facebook page rather like a bulletin board or email blast. Why you ask? Probably due to a lack of confidence. I’d rather play it safe than risk damaging the businesses online brand.
Below are my tips on how to build your confidence.
Tip 1 – Do your research
Look online and see what other like businesses were posting and make notes, why did you like or dislike what they posted? how did it make you feel about them? did you find the post interesting? and finally, did it make you feel more likely to purchase their product? You’ll then began to get a sense of what appealed to you.
Tip 2 – Be authentic
Personally, I found an instant connection with those posts that were authentic. Did the image show me real people doing something I would find interesting? Was the copy genuine? For our industry, I think it’s important to be friendly, honest and informative.
Make sure anything you post or share is authentic and supports your online brand.
Tip 3 – Be relevant
The second challenge is to be selective on what you post or share. Is it relevant? The funny post you saw on your personal Facebook feed might be hilarious and have brightened your day, but is it relevant to your business page feed? If it is and it’s unlikely to offend anyone, then I say post it. The caveat is that if you are in doubt don’t post.
Examples of relevant posts could include local events, adverse weather conditions, local or regional attractions, local services, restaurants etc.
Tip 4 – Make sure it’s newsworthy
The fourth tip is newsworthiness, will the information add value? will it assist improving your relationship with the client? is it a community service to your town or region? If it is then post and don’t forget to thank the originator for the information.
Tip – Don’t post for the sake of posting, 2 or 3 times a week is fine, just be consistent.
That covers what and when to post, but how about “how to post?”
Tip 5 – Use the correct tone
In my opinion, the answer to the question on finding your Social Media voice is all about your tone and understanding your audience. We all know from our years using email and SMS, that tone is very difficult to convey in the written word. Words and phrases can be misunderstood, messages can get misconstrued and brand damage is a likely consequence. That’s when you can get into trouble.
“So, What Is Tone?
Tone in writing can be defined as attitude or emotion toward the subject and the reader.
A writer’s tone is very important, as it conveys a particular message from you as the writer and likewise affects the reader in a particular way. Consequently, it can also affect how the reader receives the message you are communicating.
Appropriate Tone is Very Important!
Using the appropriate tone in business writing is an important aspect of communicating the desired message and of achieving the desired results. When determining the appropriate tone to use, ask yourself why you are writing the document (the purpose of the document), who the audiences is, and what you want readers to learn—and more importantly, to do—with the information in the document. When you know the answers to these questions, you will be able to identify and use the appropriate tone. In turn, the appropriate tone will help you to engage your reader and propel him or her to action.”
Source: http://www.writeexpress.com/tone.html
I think this applies to Social Media posts as well.
So to summarise, ask yourself why you are writing the post? (using the tips above), i.e. the purpose of the post, who the audiences is?, and what you want them to learn? and do you want them to do anything or are you just providing information? (remember only 20% of your posts should be self-promotional)
Be yourself and let your online brand reflect your personality, it’s about being “social” as the names implies, take small steps to build your confidence, repeat what works and cease what doesn’t.
To help you a little here is an example of what I consider is a great post and why…
It’s great because….
- It’s an authentic image selling the destination
- The author is politely acknowledged
- It dispels your perception very subtly, that it’s “wet season” in the North of Queensland.
- The promotion of the saleable product they represent is not the primary purpose of the post
- It engages the locals and makes them feel proud.
Armed with this information you can start your Social Media journey today!
