Digital Skills - Understand Audience

Create a TOV guideline document It’s time for you to start creating your TOV. Think about what your business does, and the personality that best represents it and you. Start by writing down your business’s values and personality and then think more about what these characteristics actually mean. Thinking of opposites can help here. For example: Witty NOT Slapstick Friendly NOT Stand-offish Human NOT Corporate These are the most important elements of your personality to convey when writing social media content. Once you have those written down, start to think about how you can convey these characteristic’s through your TOV – how can you apply this insight to your business’s personality on social media? Equally, what should you avoid doing? We have some examples to illustrate this below: Characteristic (value):  Enthusiastic Description:  We’re enthusiastic and passionate about our products, and our customers enjoying them Do:  Show your thought leadership a...

Why is tone of voice important? A unique TOV helps differentiate you from your competitors. It gives your business a distinct identity, and helps build an emotional connection with your audience. Get it right and they’ll feel like they’re developing a one-to-one relationship with a person rather than a business. Your TOV also lets people know what sort of business you are and what they can expect from you. For example, a bank will often speak with a factual, authoritative and reassuring tone to let you know they are experts you can trust with your money: “Our secure saver accounts offer steady returns year-on-year.” On the other hand, a clothes store might take a lighter, more personal and conversational tone to show that they’re a fun, friendly place to shop: “It’s time to get dressed for summer – and we’ve got the latest looks!” Top tip: Think about how you speak to your customers through your traditional marketing. You should mirror this through your social media ma...