Contrary to how it may feel for my fellow communicators, our industry has seen so many shifts about how the department is organized, who we report to in a company, and the best technology to connect with employees. That’s one of the beauties of communications though – we are constantly learning and adapting as roles, technology, and expectations evolve.
The biggest shift from my career has been the “who.” Who oversees which communications, and what voice do they have for their audience? If a communicator reports to Marketing, they write with a “client” voice, and if they report to HR, they write with an “employee” voice. In the early days, it was all under one umbrella. Then, we started to realize different voices belonged to different audiences. Now – dare I say it – the writing is more successful with a tone that transcends platforms.
Hear me out…
Internal Communications
These individuals wake up every morning choosing you as their employer. You want to create an environment for them that is diverse, inclusive, understanding, and supportive. Your tone should be a happy marriage of tactical information and emotional connection. As companies continue to rethink how to effectively engage with their employees, the importance of this tone and what you say is continually growing.
Recruitment Campaigns
Ideally, the candidates you’re messaging could become employees one day. You’ll want to speak to this audience in the same tone as your existing team. From job descriptions to onboarding, the recruitment voice should be consistent. The content you create can also be cross posted. At previous employers, nearly half of my recruitment content came from the articles I featured internally. It gives future employees a solid view of who you are and what they can expect from your organization.
Social Media
Even among different platforms, you’re still ultimately communicating to the same group – people. These people could be potential candidates, partners, investors, or customers. Each of these groups prioritize whether they do business with you based on your company’s brand reputation. Having a consistent tone throughout your communications can demonstrate transparency and authenticity.
Website
Many say social media sites are the new website since that can be someone’s first exposure to your brand. When they make the decision to visit your website, the information and navigation should be able to communicate clearly and confidently who you are and what you do. The content you use to explain your business will naturally be more formal, but it’s essential to reflect the same tone from your other channels. Cohesion equals confidence!
At any moment, people can do a quick search to look at the different sites under your company name. Technology is only expanding, and it’s easy to gauge authenticity by the presence or absence of a consistent voice. Build your rolodex of brand ambassadors simply by having a voice and tone that are not defined by a platform but defined by who you are and how you want to be seen.
