Last Friday, I found myself at my favourite coffee haunt chatting with my friend Sarah, who had recently embarked on an insightful journey to train her social media team to uphold her company’s brand voice. Over steaming cups of cappuccino, she shared her experiences and the strategies that worked wonders for her team. Here’s a glimpse into our conversation, sprinkled with some practical tips you might find useful.

Setting the Foundation

Sarah started by emphasising the importance of a clear, well-defined brand voice. “Before I could train anyone,” she explained, “I had to ensure we all understood what our brand voice was.” This meant revisiting their brand guidelines and ensuring they were detailed enough to serve as a comprehensive resource for the team. Sarah suggested a brand voice workshop as a great starting point. In this workshop, they explored the company’s values, target audience, and the emotions they wanted to evoke through their communications.

“Think of it as crafting a personality for your brand,” she said, “Is it friendly and approachable, or is it more professional and authoritative?” They even created a brand voice chart, listing adjectives that best described their voice and tone. This chart became a handy tool for reference, ensuring everyone was on the same page.

Building a Bridge With Practical Examples

Once the foundational understanding was established, Sarah moved on to the practical side of things. She found that providing examples was incredibly effective. “It’s one thing to describe your brand voice,” she noted, “but showing it in action is where the magic happens.”

Sarah curated a collection of sample posts that exemplified their brand voice. These included past successful posts, as well as hypothetical scenarios. Each example was dissected to highlight why it worked and how it aligned with the brand’s personality. This helped her team visualise what an on-brand post looked like and offered a tangible template they could emulate.

Interactive Training Sessions

Sarah’s approach was refreshingly interactive. She conducted role-playing exercises where team members would craft responses to social media comments or draft posts for upcoming campaigns. “It was like a mini-workshop,” she chuckled, “but with a lot of laughs and learning.”

These sessions encouraged collaboration and allowed the team to practice maintaining the brand’s voice in real-time. It also opened up a platform for feedback, where she could offer gentle corrections and praise when someone nailed the tone perfectly.

Empowering Through Tools

“Technology can be your best ally,” Sarah pointed out as she took another sip of her coffee. She introduced me to some tools that had become indispensable for her team. Grammarly, for example, was configured to match their brand voice, flagging any deviations or inconsistencies. Additionally, social media management platforms like Hootsuite allowed her to schedule and review posts, ensuring they aligned with the brand voice before going live.

These tools not only streamlined the process but also empowered her team to take ownership of their content. “It’s like having a second pair of eyes,” Sarah said, “but one that’s always ready to help, not criticise.”

Regular Feedback and Updates

Finally, Sarah underscored the importance of ongoing feedback and updates. “Your brand voice should evolve as your company grows,” she advised. Regular check-ins with her team ensured everyone was aligned with any shifts in brand strategy or audience expectations.

Sarah set up monthly review sessions where the team could discuss recent posts and brainstorm ways to refine their approach. It was also a chance to celebrate successes and learn from any missteps. “It’s all about maintaining an open dialogue,” she said, “keeping communication channels as open as possible helps everyone stay engaged and informed.”

A Journey Worth Taking

As we wrapped up our chat, I couldn’t help but admire Sarah’s dedication to upholding her brand’s voice. Her journey was a testament to the power of clear guidelines, practical training, and continuous feedback. By investing in her team’s understanding and skills, she ensured that her brand’s personality shone through in every post, tweet, and story.

If you’re thinking about training your own social media team, consider Sarah’s approach. Start by defining your brand voice, provide practical examples, and use interactive sessions to hone your team’s skills. Empower them with the right tools and keep the lines of communication open. It might take time and effort, but as Sarah’s experience shows, it’s a journey well worth embarking on.