Having your say
We spend a lot of time talking to clients about how to build your expert voice. How to have a voice in often crowded marketplaces and how to build awareness and credibility through communications strategies. While it is not very often a client’s aim is to challenge and provoke, this particular contact is using his platform to express himself, build awareness of what he believes in and substantiate his claims with others’ thoughts.
Understanding the benefit
For many the journey starts around wanting to support a new business drive, understanding that people are the reason other people buy and how communications can help the sales pipeline. For others, it is around someone in their marketing or corporate comms team identifying them as a key stakeholder hence spokesperson for their company.
Finding your voice
The next piece of the puzzle is understanding your voice. I realise that sounds crazy when everyone has a voice, and therefore this part should be easy. Yet, often this is the most difficult part. That’s where a content strategist can come in useful, people who understand the difference between a personal voice and a professional, yet authentic voice. It’s a bit like Beyonce with her alter ego, Sasha Fierce, or Eminem with the Real Slim Shady or even Fat Boy Slim aka Normal Cook. All have a business voice, which is totally their own but isn’t their personal voice.
Finding your voice fits with your professional brand – what is it you want to be known for – is it your sustainability credentials? Your ability to weave diversity and inclusion into everything you do? Having your values at the forefront of your voice is what gives it authenticity.
Knowing what to say
Once you know your voice and your voice is based on your values then knowing what to say should be easy. All you need to do is align your values to your business. So if your value base is around being authentic in the workplace, then you can start to blog or comment on what real life is like in a working environment, perhaps undertake a ‘Day in the Life’ or ‘Dispelling the Myths’ piece.
Knowing what not to say
This one oddly is often harder. Once many embrace having a voice and they feel they have started a conversation with people, some feel they have an open mic. Our golden rule is Think of your audience. Imagine you were at a conference and you meet other colleagues in a breakout session, what would you share with them. Remember if you are on social media, or posting an article online, many of the audience will not know you well, they might not read the nuances you intended in that post, the humour, the irony. Keep it professional, which doesn’t mean it has to be corporate speak, and remember the aim of the communication – to reinforce your values, to show your clients and potential clients that you know your area of expertise, to support your new business drive.
Knowing when to say it
To have a consistent voice, plan your content so you have biweekly, monthly and annual articles scheduled, be aware of events that fit into that content and monitor and comment on others’ posts and articles. Saying things once might resonate with someone and of course if what you say goes viral might reach many. But as a general rule of thumb, post, sleep, repeat. But like if you were speaking to someone in real life, don’t just repeat the same message verbatim, but highlight your messaging through different examples (via a project or a service), or through comment on others’ posts, or through a report, a thought leadership piece – there are lots of ways to get your message across. Of course, working with a content specialist can help you do all of this strategically with a well planned content calendar as well as highlight quick win opportunities.
Back to my contact on Linkedin. He does all of the above really well. He knows his voice, is authentic in it. He knows what he wants to say and what subject areas interest him. He isn’t diluting his message by posting about the weather, or his kids’ activities in the half term but showing his hand firmly through his comms. And he is regular in this comms – posting at least three times a week. The outcome? We know what he believe in, what he stands for. Not everyone might 100% agree with him, but he is provoking a conversation to be able to put his side across, and temper others’ views with his own responses. And gaining great interaction and engagement with it.