When you ask yourself, “how do I talk” or “how do I get my point across?”, think about what you actually enjoy talking about. What topics gives you the utmost confidence when you speak? This is known as your expertise. And while you can, of course, veer off course and speak to other things you love, remember to stay consistent with any and all subjects that you wish to harp on.

The 15 Percent Pledge, for example, aims to partner with global businesses to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to black-owned brands. And although their brand voice is very authoritative and direct because they're confident and knowledgable in their mission, they offer thoughtful and engaging opinions as well. 

While deciphering your voice, it’s important to listen and learn from your followers. By no means should they completely dictate your tone, but they can guide you and help direct you towards what is most influential.

Allison Bornstein is a great example of this. Allison’s Instagram is all about fashion as wellness. She shares her styling tips and offers items with accessible price points that mimic effortless style. But her audience wanted more; something more personal. During COVID, she listened to her followers and launched a Facetime vertical to give her followers advice on using the clothes already in their closet to create a capsule wardrobe.

Your newly found voice won’t magically appear overnight. It takes time to establish your tone and become known for something distinct. Even professional writers don’t discover their voice right off the bat. Creating a consistent viewpoint requires molding and input from others.

Nikisha Riley, in a recent Instagram post, personal brand voice to explore the importance of growth. She spoke both carefully and eloquently to the fact that growth requires you to take your time. Which, of course, fuels our narrative here that when you take your time to discover your voice, that growth becomes part of you and your story.

Trust your instincts. Be sure to note what sticks, but be flexible if something needs to change. When you’re crafting your voice, it’s an excellent opportunity to try new things – especially on stories. Given the 24-hour period your story lives, it gives you space to test. Because when it’s gone, it’s gone. Attention spans are short; minds wander, so don’t be afraid to do something that isn’t on par with what you’re known for. 

Angela Fink has always been known for her ethereal fashion aesthetic. When COVID hit, she began sharing more of her home interiors which her followers loved. Angela learned from that and is now launching a line of design-focused objects in December.

DO

Speak your mind. Your voice matters. Share the things that you love and those that you want to change. 

Spell check. We all make mistakes. Take your time and give your caption a quick second look before it goes live.

Respond to comments. Creating community is rewarding. So have honest, thoughtful, and fun conversations with your followers. 

DONT

Write a caption that overflows. Into your comments. A detailed overview of how you're feeling in the moment is great, but keep it to 2,200 characters and maintain brevity. 

Leave a caption blank. A picture may say 1,000 words, but context is necessary.

Forget to attribute. Original art or quotes to its maker. The caption is the perfect place to celebrate that artist or writer for their work.

Building your brand voice on social media has never been more important. With more and more communication taking place online and in DMs, your brand voice is oftentimes more visual than your product or even you. Getting it right is central to your online success.

Be sure to use PLANOLY to schedule your Instagram content and tap into our Analyze Web Dashboard to track your engagement and growth analytics!