We have built this post in two parts in order to provide you some tools that will be supportive for your website. In this article, we will be focused on the informal and corporate style.
Being on digital with the Website design is not an innovation anymore, now the challenge is focused on the kind of content that is shared, this is the key.
Being a channel of active communication (RRSS) and the website of the brands and organizations should introduce information aligned with the positioning overall strategy corporately established.
As matter of fact, its gear enables to amplify the overall message and achieve a resonance which previously required a bigger effort and investment, in both the communication and the marketing.
Let’s see an example of an article published by the Social Impact communication center of the Georgetown University, there it is explained the joint work between the social media and the public relations (RRPP), one of the best key elements in the brand positioning.
“The social media has allowed that the RRPP can reach an even wider public. Previously, the public relations are addressed to specific individuals, like investors and business partners, but the social media have made that this target group gets wider in order to include all the vital persons in the success of the enterprise”.
How to develop the suitable content for the social media, keeping in mind this context?
As it is told, the fundamental basis of the communication in social media comes from a universal strategic and specific message which are generated in public relations. Nevertheless, the contents shall be adapted to the available channels.
This transformation is executed with the goal to captivate the audience of your brand, talking to them with a familiar language, looking for an interaction which doesn’t happen very often in other kinds of communication.
It is not about duplicating a message and ready, it shall be taken advantage of the strengths of the platform at your disposal on a digital format, using the suitable tone for every situation
Referring again to the article of the Georgetown University, we find the next description that explains the previously told phenomenon:
“In the social media, the content is published in an effort to get a response, that is welcome by the enterprise (…) The enterprises should use and be aligned with a specific tone when they are interacting with their audience”.
For this, with the purpose of creating an interaction with their audience and to keep a tone that allows them to reach their audience, it is important to consider the nature for which was created the platform-web page-blog, social media- and who are the ones who visit them: Why they make it, and what are they waiting for?
Suitable tone = closeness, credibility and effective communication
We are human beings, and we are inclined to hear and pay attention to those persons or messages that we find closer to us, that seems to be talking “our own language”, and
This behavior is concerned to social media.
In some channels we find that the language used by the brands is more formal, while in some cases there is a license to use an informal tone
But, what means formal or informal tone?
Formal tone: It relates to the construction of a message with a more polite language, careful. Whereby are avoided colloquialism and too relaxed phrases, especially because the communication of this kind enables to address issues like reports with statistics, figures, assessments, etc.
Let’s suppose we create the content for an appliance’s brand. The message in formal tone for the release of a new audio system could be the next one:
“Last audio system RFD845. A device with a surround sound, thanks to its 4 subwoofers of 10 cm, 4 speakers of 8 cm and an acoustic box that enables a better reflection of the sound. It can be linked with other devices across the 4 available USB ports and Bluetooth connection”.
As you may have noticed, this tone incorporates the use of technicalities own of this industry, that can be useful for the target audience and that also highlight the features of the said product.
Informal tone: It is understood as the closer and colloquial language that is used in the communication. It is generally used when a message is delivered to the target audience, its consumers.
As an example, we will use the previous case, the one of the appliances, but adapted to this tone:
“A classic soccer match in Europe, as if you were in the stadium. So, you will be able to live the emotions of the match that you are waiting for thanks to the new audio system RFD845, with surround sound and ready so that you can link it to your television by USB or Bluetooth connection”.
It is evident that this communication tone is looking for the user attention, making him to feel that the brand is addressed directly to him, that wants to give him a singular experience by means of its new product. In fact, there is place for the use of “familiar terms” in the text.
In the case of technicalities, it does not pretend to be so detailed, but it includes general features that give an idea to the consumer about the attributes of the product.
Now let’s put in practice these tones on the web and RRSS, then we will introduce you an example about how to use the communication tones in social media and web pages.
Remember that in every digital channel its tone must suit to the target audience and its corporate purpose, although it is giving the same general message. Here, we will show you how:
Hypothetical stage: A beverages brand releases its healthy smoothie’s line, “Fresh”.
Website
Tone: Formal, Comparable to the one you would use on the writing of a press release which will be sent to a medium of communication, to your trade partners and suppliers. In this case, they are the target audience, although also could be the consumer when visit the website because they want to increase the knowledge, they have about a product to get it on the online store.
The title of the article could be: “get to know our new line Fresh”.
Blog
Tone: Formal, but closer. The blog drives a language which is a combination between the website tone and the one that is used on the social media. It must be taken into account the initial target with which it was created, this channel, in order to support the enterprise communication. It is not advisable to replicate the corporate articles that were created for the website, they must always be adapted.
There the article could be titrated: “Fresh, smoothies the fruit with the best fruit from the Colombian land”.
Facebook and Instagram
Tone: Informal and very close. Don’t forget that they are two social medias created in order to share the content with friends and relatives, therefore the tone of the brand should try to conserve this purport.
Post: “¡Friday to live a refreshing moment with the new smoothies Fresh!
Tone: Formal, but informative. The people that frequently are on social media make it with the idea of showing their position about a specific subject, to know what the opinion leaders think and to inquire about the last events that happen up-to-the-minute
The tweet would be:” Friday of Fresh 2×1. Come to any of our stores and for the purchase of a smoothie you will receive the second one with no additional cost”
Tone: Formal, but closer. It is about a social media that links professionals that be linked to a particular industry; therefore, the tone is not as close as in the other social media.
The message would be: “Discover the joint work of Fresh with the small farmers from the Valley: Quality from the Colombian land”.
The right thing is that, it does not matter the tone used, your brand must have an original voice, that can be changed when it is required. Shane Barker, consultant of marketing and Ford partner, summarizes it like that:
In order to make your brand more human, you need an original voice that can be adapted to an overall image that can be portrayed.
Author: Sandra Rodríguez
Journalist and Digital Consultant | comunicaciones@smartsi.info | S Agencia Digital
