Making your social media sound like a person, not a corporate robot

The danger of the brand-shaped void

A brand-shaped void happens when a business posts nothing but polished stock photos and PR-approved captions. It feels safe, but it is invisible. In a feed full of friends and family, a corporate broadcast stands out for all the wrong reasons.

To fix this, you need to stop hiding behind 'we' if you are a team of two. Use the first person. Share the messy reality of running a shop or studio in the UK. This creates a connection that a polished logo never can.

Write like you speak at a local pub

Professionalism does not mean being boring. If you would not say a sentence out loud to a customer standing in front of you, do not post it online. Remove the industry jargon and the passive voice that makes you sound like a government department.

Try these simple swaps to clear the air:

• Replace 'We provide bespoke solutions' with 'We fix this specific problem for you'.
• Replace 'Utilising our expertise' with 'Using what we have learned'.
• Replace 'Please be advised' with 'Just so you know'.
• Replace 'Value-added services' with 'Extra bits we do for free'.

Show the hands at work

You do not need a film crew to show your process. A 15-second clip of you packing an order or setting up a workspace is more engaging than any graphic designed on Canva. It proves there is a real person doing real work in a real UK location.

Content that shows your face or your team's faces consistently outperforms generic product shots. Aim for a 3:1 ratio. For every three bits of 'work' content, show one bit of 'behind the scenes' person-led content.

Ditch the engagement bait

Asking 'Coffee or tea?' to get comments is transparent and annoying. It does not lead to sales. Instead, share a genuine opinion about your industry or a common mistake you see your customers making.

Useful content builds authority. If you run a gardening business, show a photo of a plant that died and explain why it happened. That honesty builds more trust than a perfect photo of a prize rose.

• Share one mistake you made this week and how you fixed it.
• Answer the three most common questions you get in your inbox.
• Post a photo of your actual morning coffee or workspace, even if it is cluttered.
• Credit your suppliers or local partners by name to show you are part of a community.

Stop broadcasting and start responding

Social media is a two-way street, but many businesses treat it like a megaphone. If someone comments, do not just 'like' it. Reply with a sentence that keeps the conversation going. This signals to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more people.

Set a timer for 10 minutes after you post. Use that time to reply to every comment and go to the profiles of five local businesses or customers to leave a thoughtful comment on their posts. This is how you build a network rather than just an audience.