Social media has changed the way we communicate. And complicated it. While it has allowed many professionals to do away with corporate speak, it has also created a gray area for those working in corporate communications to figure out how personal can I be? And when can should I be corporate? Many struggle with how to speak to your ideal customer.
Even entrepreneurs get hung up in find the right balance between using their personal voice and what they assume to be the voice of their company or organization.
Unraveling when to use your voice and when to use a corporate voice isn’t easy.
The answer – it depends. Depends upon what the corporate culture and brand voice is. If you work for a surfboard company that markets to millennials, your corporate voice should reflect the voice of your target audience. With the stress being on target. Don’t get hung up in talking to everyone who buys your surfboard but focus on your company’s ideal customer.
All forms of corporate communications should speak directly to this ideal customer. No one else. This allows your ideal customer to connect with your brand on a personal level and see your brand as part of their tribe.
While that seems obvious, it gets more complex when dealing with larger corporations with multiple brands, or governments. The common comment is – we are speaking to EVERYONE. Or our audience is taxpayers (which once again is everyone).
The result is often this boring, flat, bureaucratic speak that resonates with NO ONE. Why? Because there is no life, no personality, no voice and no one to relate to.
So does this mean you need to start saying ‘let’s hang 10 dude?’ Please don’t.
How to speak to your ideal customer
Instead, take the time to drill down and figure out your ideal customer. If you work in government, what are the demographics of your community? More retirees, young families or an equal mix? Are you trying to share information about a particular program? If so, who do you think is most likely to take advantage of or attend the program? Now structure your communications to talk to them. As a person talking to another person. Without the corporate monotone voice.
Figure out how you can put some personality into your writings. To get started, brainstorm what the voice of your organization should be in relation to its ideal customer. Then test it out on some customers. See if they relate to your posts, tune you out (which means you missed the mark) or get enraged (back to the drawing board).
Finding your organization’s voice can take time, depending on how broad your audience is and the services/products you offer. But if you don’t take the time, your brand will get left behind and you will loose touch with your audience.
Why? Because someone else has taken the time to figure out how to talk to them and they are listening. Just not to you.
If you want to learn more, How to Write a Press Release the Media Will Actually Read walks you through the steps of identifying your target audience, determining the elements of a story, and helping engage your target audience.
Take a moment to review your organization’s corporate communications – including social media posts, press releases, newsletters, web postings and more. Is there a common voice throughout? How does it resonate with your target audience? Do you even have a defined target audience?
I’d love to hear any questions or concerns you have. Comment below or send me a message.
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