Contributed by Shannon Dalton Giordano of Serendipity Social Media
Remember when your mom would say things like “watch your tone of voice, young lady”? OK, maybe that was just me, but honestly, our moms were spot on. Tone matters. It’s always been important on social media but it is now, more than ever.
Your tone of voice is all about how you want to make people feel. It’s the words you use and the sentences you share in order to inspire, get customers to engage, and yes, to sell your products and services but in a little less overt manner.
The first step is to think about how you want to share your products, services and thoughts during this challenging time. The most successful businesses I’m seeing are coming at it with a voice of hope and connection. I’m sure you’ve all seen hashtags like #togetherwecan and #weallrise. They are meant to make us feel connected. We are all facing the same challenges.
So don’t hold back. Instead ask yourself “Is this the right time to sell something (or share my services)?” shift your mindset so that you come from a place of helping people. If there is something that you DO or HAVE that can help someone, this is the IDEAL time to share it. So share away. Just keep positive tone in mind in every post. And when you help others, you will help your business as well.
To get you going, here are some questions to ask to help you hone your tone.
- Are your posts aiming to make your followers feel good?
- Are you sharing an inside glimpse of what your life is like right now?
- Is your goal to give your followers a reason to check in and to enjoy the time they are spending on your social media platforms?
Every time you share a post, ask yourself questions along those lines. Remember to capitalize on using uplifting hashtags like #smallbusinesssupport #togetherwecan, and #weallrisetogether. Shifting your tone will help you spread a little more joy and worry a little less about asking for the sale. It will pay off, for sure.