Know the Difference Between Tone & Voice to Set Your Social Media Apart

There is truly an abundance of ways to stand out on social media in 2021. Video content is killing it, amazing visuals are still incredibly effective, and format and strategic hashtags are still getting the job done. But did you know that working on establishing your tone and voice can make all the difference in how well your content performs? 

Now more than ever, we want authentic connection and understanding – we don’t want to be talked to like we’re dollar signs. Establishing a tone and voice is truly understanding the values of your company and expressing them through your content marketing. 

While this may sound like this requires a lot of planning, it’s worth it to set your social media apart. In this article, we take a look at the difference between tone and voice and why it’s important in a social media marketing strategy. 

What Is Tone and Voice, Exactly?

In order to begin to identify your brand’s tone and voice, it’s important to understand what sets these concepts apart. While your brand’s voice remains consistent across not only your social media accounts, but all communication platforms, your tone may change according to your audience and circumstances.

Matt Solar of Adobe Marketo defines the difference between tone and voice:

“Voice: An expression of your brand’s personality; adjective(s) to describe your brand’s communication style

Tone: How your brand’s voice is applied. Can differ across social media channels and situations.”

Why Should I Bother With Tone and Voice?

So, why should you bother with establishing your brand’s tone and voice? Is it really that important? Establishing a tone and voice can make all the difference when it comes to not only setting your brand apart but connecting with your audience as well.

Mojo Marketing explains why tone and voice should be an essential part of your social media marketing plan:

“One of the first tenets of good messaging is consistency. Brands set themselves apart from their competition by establishing tone versus voice and using both to communicate with customers across all channels. Brand consultancy Interbrand found, in its 2016 Best Global Brands report, that a big part of what makes brands like Apple so valuable is the company’s consistent communication with customers using one narrative. Using tone and voice respectively — and appropriately — helps you stay consistent with your narrative, especially in telecom marketing.”

Finding and Maintaining Your Tone and Voice For Social Media

There are several paths you can take in finding and maintaining your tone of voice for social media, including taking the time to thoroughly understand your own brand, auditing and converting your existing content, and refining your tone per social media channel. But when establishing your brand’s tone and voice, it’s most important to ensure that you understand what your audience is looking for.

Simplifie.com tells us why understanding your audience by creating a buyer persona is an essential part of finding and maintaining your tone and voice for social media:

“Your audience forms an important part of your brand and it’s essential that you already know at this stage your buyer persona. Knowledge of who makes up your audience, what they read, and how those familiar with your brand would describe it is paramount. To gain further insight into your audience, you should be able to determine what your audience is receptive to. It should be noted that your social media audience will not consist solely of customers but will also include individuals who are interested in the content you develop.”

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