You have a social media profile, you post messages and information related to your company, and yet the response seems consistently dull.

You do not see much engagement, in spite of “perfect content.” You begin to wonder where it is that you are lacking.

There is no wonder about it at all. The answer? You are not engaging enough with your audience!

Content is not enough. If you want to be heard, you have got to have a terrific brand voice.

It is not just enough to have a social media presence and to pump loads of money into your social media strategy if you are not engaging with your audience.  On Facebook you have to be genuine. If Facebook is used as an engagement tool first, it can be an effective voice motivating tool for many, especially younger people.

Why is a brand voice important on Facebook?

To receive more responses and engagement from your target audience, you need to connect with them. Customers need to develop a sense of connection with your brand. People must be able to relate to your brand. Without building a relationship with present and future customers, brands cannot hope to get customers to take interest in what they are offering. For this, a genuine brand voice on Facebook is essential. Facebook is the most widely used social networking site and it’s the premium social site used by most companies for their marketing efforts and promotion strategies.  It’s time we think before we post.

How can a brand voice be recognized and enhanced?

Brand voices need to be recognized, identified, managed and modulated according to your specifics. It should be a complete testimony to what your organization stands for – from it’s message, vision, values to the culture and practices which define your company.

Be genuine

When you speak on Facebook, be genuine, interested and talk to the customer not at the customer. And certainly not talk in a way which makes it clear that all you want to do is just get into the pockets of a customer. Whatever you say should be customer centered.  Being genuine and from the heart, while at the same time representing the company’s culture, takes a lot of time and practice. Unlike other things which can be measured or changed, voice cannot be measured or analyzed by any obvious way. The only way is to do it and check the feedback ( as in engagement).

Understand why people use Facebook

Use your voice to build a community online by engaging with the customers and finding out their impressions and what they want.

• Engage in active listening to determine their needs and wishes
• Respond appropriately
• Display warmth in your responses
• Show the genuine interest in the thoughts, impressions and feelings of customers
• Show the real personality of the faces behind your company and show how you relate to the people
• Build trust and faith

All of these tips will lead to a long lasting community. Understand what the customers use Facebook for, their behavior and motivations.

Tone of voice

The voice should be consistent and the kind that has consistently won response from customers. It should not appear confused, unsure, lost, ignorant, or ill at ease. Just as in real-life, behaviors such as these can lead to a negative impression in our interpersonal interactions.  Brand voices which do not sound confident, authoritative, knowledgeable, unaware, unprepared can put of f their target audience.

The brand voice should be in tune with the effect which you want to generate. The brand should reflect the people who are behind the company, their attitudes, and their values. This helps the brand to bridge with the audience. It is unique and helps to differentiate the brand from other brands. Making the difference really makes a difference in customer engagement.

Storytelling

Your brand voice can better engage and draw in the audience by telling stories revolving around the audience, the company and the world. The purpose is to build emotional connections which would help the customers relate to the brand more. Your Facebook page should invite your customers to share and be a part of the stories you create and tell by inviting their own input. Make sure that your brand voice is communicating the kind of stories which your brand wants to be associated with .

Reflect the correct persona

Your brand voice should reflect the brand if it were alive or to be met in person and the brand persona had to engage in real with the customers. If your brand is something for the young, than the brand voice needs to use youth using vocabulary, language, images. If your brand is something which is very much in demand, than show the appreciation for that by being responsive, engaging and commitment. If your brand is representation a social cause, than your voice should be accordingly so- passionate, earnest, and serious. In short, match the voice according to the character.