Convince with the Brand Voice in Community Management

I was sitting on the M8 on my way to the office the other day when I watched a girl of about 11 to 14 years old next to me formulating, designing and finalizing her daily “good morning folks” Instagram Story. She did it with such meticulousness and dedication that I didn’t even wonder why she wasn’t at school that Wednesday morning.

The Person Brand

It’s 2019, ladies and gentlemen, and the innocent selfie has mutated into a flourishing self-promotion and marketing machine on many of our cell phones. And why not? Many people earn a lot of money with selfies and one or two apps downloaded for free. But it’s not just influencers who are building a brand with snippets from their lives. The little girl on Wednesday – she does it too! After all, she had written, designed and published her first campaign of the day in less than fifteen minutes – in the hope of achieving a high reach and response. ??

Why is the comparison with the business world so obvious? Oh yes, that’s right! Because companies are doing exactly the same thing in 2019 – only with more budget and AI and all. What’s more, regardless of whether it’s a company or a person – in social media, the activities of all participants are cast in the same form. Not everyone has the same voice (this post is sponsored by), but everyone has the same resources. And if the little girl who, without realizing it, thinks more and more often about the CI of her feed becomes a brand, it can also work the other way round.

Communication is Key!

– always and everywhere. This applies to the wording of a press release, the internal announcement of a new colleague, the attempted explanation of an unfaithful husband, the production of a claim – always and everywhere. What a company communicates at what time and via which channel is of course important. However, a large part of the strategic considerations should relate to the “How?”. The brand voice must be defined in all parameters (tonality, language, purpose, character) just as concretely as the sales targets by Q4. If this is done successfully, a company becomes a brand whose character we can always recognize in campaigns. “Oh, the BVG (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe) again!” or “Uh, typical Apple!” are phrases that brands have worked hard for.

The Brand Person

So now companies are signing up on various social media channels and entering initially dangerous territory. There are no skyscrapers or fancy offices on Facebook, no ties and chauffeurs on Instagram. Nothing separates the business world from the lower consumer class. They face each other screen to screen, ready for dialog. Even a company like Nestlé, with an annual turnover of over CHF 90 billion, has to fear comments from Gisela Knobbe, a curative teacher from Wolfenbüttel – if they have enough audience reach and relevance. Nestlé must respond, just as Gisela did – with a short comment. Only rarely does a company in the real world have to meet its consumers at such eye level. If you belong to Nestlé or, even worse, Deutsche Bahn, your profile and life will quickly become a theater of war. Those who have a consistent brand voice and comprehensive wording can count themselves lucky. And this is precisely where the big opportunity lies.

Innocent proves Innocence

Smoothie jester innocent is one of those brands that has definitely found its brand voice, in this case a health-loving but never stifling fruit nut. The behavior in the vibrant comment sections reflects this: innocent jokes, messes around, asks Ina for a waffle recipe, searches for the funniest coffee cups and even when asked initially serious questions about simple product information, innocent remains true to its funny nature. The brand person and the person-brand are happy and satisfied, people like it, there is commitment, in short: it is brand-menschelt.

But then: innocent launches a new drink, a gazpacho – in a PET bottle and without a deposit. “Ugh”, some think to themselves and angrily demand an answer. The company takes the opportunity to answer its critics and explains objectively but sincerely why this decision was made (according to its own statements, the sustainability of glass bottles is even worse) and even more: they also present all internal efforts for the future sustainability of sales. A casual exchange? No! The company operates a public complaint management system. And the brand voice? It helps to convey the company’s message even more forcefully and authentically.

Find your Voice!

In community management with a clearly defined brand voice, companies can therefore build up a unique, seemingly even personal relationship with their consumers. Visiting company pages on Facebook, Instagram & Co.   shows that this opportunity is recognized and used to very different extents. Nobody said it was easy! It’s easier to delete a comment online than a press release. Nevertheless, it remains external communication that represents the company on a small scale, but a hundredfold and with a direct approach. The brand person and their voice must be defined and speak even more boldly to the community. It doesn’t even have to be funny. An eco-organization can encourage, a fitness chain can motivate, a beauty brand can flatter – the possibilities are endless. Finding your own brand voice can take a while – and Wednesday’s girl knows that too.