This is an FAQ I get when I present about brand and content development to small business owners. A lot of microbusinesses are struggling to catch up with their workload and desperately want to outsource tasks like content creation that require consistency over time. The objection I most often hear about this is a concern that no one else could capture the voice of the brand accurately. Is this true? Can someone else match your company voice?
The answer is yes. Yes, they can. That said, not everyone is going to be a good partner for you or want to try to match your company voice. So, there are two very specific things that need to happen for this to work.
First, you have to find freelancers who will actually make an effort to understand what your company voice is and adapt it into their style. Second, you have to give them the information they need to understand your company’s tone. Both of these requirements are possible. Let’s examine them more closely.
Your ultimate goal is to ensure that your brand has a clear tone of voice. If you have done work to define the message you are trying to send to your target market, the essence of this should be built into every message you send. Tone is a way that we reinforce our message and draw the right people to us.
Tone is a way that we reinforce our message and draw the right people to us. #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #biztips Share on XWhen you decide to outsource content, part of the job is to protect and promote your company voice. This can be part of your selection process. Whether you are hiring a freelancer or an agency, you want whoever is writing your content to be consistent with YOUR tone and YOUR goals. What this means is that they should be asking you questions and explaining their process for getting familiar with your tone.
I have done content development for a number of clients. When they approach me with the tasks they want to outsource, the first thing I do is look at their existing materials. How does it come across? I look for samples of how they talk, how they write, how they respond. In a perfect world, the company has a style guide, but the truth is that a lot of microbusinesses have not spent time to create or even think about this. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, read here!)
If there is a lack of existing content and a lack of a style guide, I often propose that we spend extra time on the first couple of drafts. I will do an initial draft and ask for them to edit it and give me all the feedback that jumps out. I listen for comments that suggest trends in their tone or style. When content creation will be ongoing, spending a little extra time up front to do this will be beneficial for the long haul.
Whatever the process is, the point is that whoever is doing the writing for you needs to ask questions, listen for the answers, and be adaptable. It is about what you need to convey to your audience, not what they want to convey to your audience.
Whoever is doing the writing for you needs to ask questions, listen for the answers, and be adaptable. #business #contentmarketing #smb Share on XIs it possible to find that? Absolutely.
There is a second part of this, though. You need to know what your brand is, and you have to be able to clearly communicate it. In fact, everyone on your team that represents your company should.
Tone can be delegated. It does not have to sit with the owner of the business. And if it does, the business will never be able to grow and stay consistent in its message!
Tone can be delegated. It does not have to sit with the owner of the #business. #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #biztips Share on XThis may be as simple as sitting down and starting to put some labels as to what you think your tone is. Even taking a step in the direction of defining tone will get you thinking about your business differently. Not sure where to start? Try this exercise!
Does every company out there work the way I am suggesting? No. Some agencies or freelancers are churning out content. Be mindful of this. Stock standard content does not set your brand apart. In fact, if they are actually using the same content over and over, it is doing you no favors for your SEO.
If you have a small business oozing with passion and personality, you don’t want to lose that when you outsource content creation. And you don’t have to. Just be clear on how to describe your company voice and then ensure you hire someone to write for you that can be a chameleon and take on your voice!