Thinking about voice and tone

According to WP Engine, “Voice is consistent and tone is variable. Think about how our overarching personality remains fairly steady (adventurer, thinker, leader), whereas our moods and attitudes may change depending on our current situation (excited, frustrated, happy).”

We’re certainly not in the business of policing the voice and tone of the University’s official and “official-ish” social media accounts. However, we ask you to consider having a designated voice and tone for social media, which can:

• Give your social media posts purpose, direction, and a point of view
• Help set your account apart from your peers, competitors, and the general “sea of sameness” that sometimes pervades social media
• Create a sense of consistency and cohesion, especially with new or multiple account managers

On social media, it’s important for an institution (or department or office) to have a human voice, while still conveying its values and spirit. To determine an appropriate voice and tone for an account, ask the following:

• What adjectives or descriptors (pick three to five) would we use to describe ourselves? What adjectives or descriptors would we not use?
• Who is the account’s target audience(s)?
• How do we want them to think or feel about us (both generally speaking and in specific instances)?
• How can we write our posts to help them think or feel that way?

We touched on the idea of voice and tone on our best practices page: “Social media is conversational. It is OK to be friendly, funny, and personable in tone, while still being professional and helpful.” To this we would add the following:

Allow us to elaborate.

Be human.

“Just because people work for institutions, they don’t have to write like one,” wrote William Zinsser in On Writing Well (1976). And just because we work on machines, doesn’t mean we have to sound like them. You are not a robot or a cog in a machine—and that’s a good thing.

What are some things you can do on your social media channel to sound more like a real human being?

• Start conversations
• Reply to others (you can even, at times, disagree respectfully)
• Tag or at-mention people
• Compliment or thank others
• Like, share, and comment on content

You might even try occasionally inviting followers to like, share, and comment on your posts as another way to increase reach and engagement while “humanizing” the account.

And in the inevitable times of stress or when under duress, try to sound official, not officious.

Be emotive.

For institutional or departmental social media accounts, being emotive usually means being positive. This Buffer article highlights simple yet effective tactics for conveying positivity on social media. These include:

• Using exclamation points (judiciously), GIFs, emojis, or hashtags
• Writing with positive language, tone, and words
• Referencing community members
• Asking questions
• Having bright, cheerful images

This tweet from the University’s Twitter account features a compelling image, mentions a related account, leverages appropriate hashtags, and closes with a touching sentiment—all while aligning with the University’s strategic goals and values.

Be original.

This one is harder to achieve but well worth the effort.

Use humor, style, and personality to help stand out in a crowded social media space. Focus on your interests and specialties. Lean into the things that make you, you—whether that’s live-streamed carillon concerts, stunning photos of Rush Rhees Library, the latest research from faculty, or something else altogether.

The University’s Rossell Hope Robbins Library, with its focus on interdisciplinary medieval studies, does a nice job using its archival materials to craft original content that celebrates its area of expertise and unique offerings.

Plus, use your social media analytics to see which content types resonate most with your audience.

Be aware of your audience.

Speaking of audience, always keep yours top of mind: what do they need, want, or expect from your social media presence? How are they feeling when they take the time to direct message you or comment on your post?

Here’s an example of the Memorial Art Gallery’s Twitter account responding to a (valid) observation from a community member. Note how the account manager acknowledges the person’s criticism while simultaneously highlighting an upcoming exhibition.

Ideally, your account’s primary goals—whether that’s raising the institutional profile or communicating departmental updates—should mostly align with your audience’s needs. So, while jargon and acronyms might be familiar to a departmental audience, they would need to be spelled out or explained to a broader, more general audience. In short, know your audience and then create social media content that useful, valuable, and meaningful to them.

Finally, always remember that you are posting as a representative of the University. When in doubt, err on the side of clarity over cleverness, polite over punchy, empathy over apathy.

Questions about voice and tone for social media? Feel free to contact us.