Should I change my tone of voice for each social media platform?
I’ve worked in social media now for around 7 years and for me, tone of voice is so important. What do I mean by this? Well, simply how I put myself across on social media, language I use, topics I share – everything. The way that I talk on LinkedIn for example is not how I talk on Instagram. That’s not because I’m fake and I’m putting someone I’m not online, but it’s about adapting your message to suit your audience. There’s no right answer to the question above, but I thought I’d take you through what I do on social media to give you some insight…
Twitter is kind of where it all began for me. It’s where I built my online network and chat to familiar names and icons. There’s no limits to my Twitter. I use it kind of as my online diary, updating people on what I’m up to but also the barriers I come across as a disabled person. For me, it’s all about the words. I’ll share images every now but less videos. As a very strongly accented Yorkshire lass, I very much type how I talk. I like doing this because if you was to ever meet me, I’d hope you think I’m exactly what you expect.
This is where I’m a little more thoughtful about what I share. As each grid post to me is treated like a mini blog post. Each caption is curated mostly with a little story or anecdote about my day (unless I just want to share a fire selfie, as you do). I share clips of me chatting about my day and snacks I’ve made that day. I try to be as accessible as possible putting captions on my stories and updating alt text in grid posts. Here I probably won’t be *as* Yorkshire in my captions but I won’t have a limit in the topics I speak about. I like to share stories of silly animals but also show my views on politics every now and then. I see it as a space where, if I was to catch up with you in a cafe – what would I talk to you about?
Here we go, the biggy. LinkedIn for me has a very high reach but can be intimidating for some. (When I posted about the queen using a wheelchair it reached over 1 million people 😨).
As it has a professional connotation some people don’t know what to update. For me though, it’s just another space to advocate about disability. My posts are less frequent but I would say they’re thought about the most and I spend most time curating what I say. Because I know that a wide range of professionals are likely to see the posts I keep my words simple, with a purposeful message in each post. I see it as, if I was to roll into a large conference, what would I share with my peers there? I don’t shy away from talking about my personal life because I’m a big believer in sharing messages everywhere in life – including work. Why can’t Sally from HR know the barriers I’ve experienced with dating? Hopefully it means if she ever meets someone disabled, she might ask them if they have a partner instead of shying away from the topic. It’s all relevant. I just try and share it in a way that’s clear, concise and open minded.
So there you go, that’s a little insight into how I treat each social media. Have you ever thought about your tone of voice online before? Let me know in the comments or if you have any questions!