Yes, yes… the title sounds crazy. What do we mean by “being too Corporate is killing my brand”? Businesses are supposed to be serious and corporate, and formal, and… are you sure? Because I might have a different perspective for you to consider: corporate does not necessarily sell when it comes to social media.
What is Social Media About?
Well, social media has changed a lot throughout the years (we, the oldies that started doing social media management when Facebook was cool, definitely know how much it has). Still, the very basis of it somewhat remains: social media is supposed to be a place where people (emphasis on PEOPLE) connect with others, share their thoughts, and interact with their community.
Back in the day, when the social media craze started, it was nothing but a place where you would go to reconnect with your old school friends, distant relatives, and other like-minded people, and share your thoughts, life, and memes. There were no ads, no brands, just pure humans doing human things…
And then the Fire Nation attacked.
#OkNo (Yes, we are this old)
Little by little, businesses started to appear on social media. First, people just opened Facebook profiles with the business name (which, honestly, how cringy is that), which then mutated into Facebook creating “business pages,” then advertising, and so on…
Social media adapted to businesses, but was not created for them. And to a degree, that is still the case.
Businesses on Social Media
Regardless of what the goal of social media was at the beginning, businesses were going to try to sneak in sooner or later. Just think about it: business suddenly had a way to reach millions of people without having a big budget. Businesses were presented with a place where people will willingly spend their time, interact with others, and provide feedback.
And it was perfect.
And here’s where things started to go a little sideways.
When businesses joined social platforms, many brought their “corporate voice,” the same tone they used in emails, press releases, and investor updates. You know the one: polished, formal, full of jargon, and completely disconnected from how real humans actually talk. And to a degree, that made sense: keeping the branding and the voice the same while they experimented with the new environment
And at first, people went along with it. It was what they were used to anyway, right? But it was nothing new. It was interesting to see your favorite brands pop up on Facebook or Instagram, but that always monotone corporate voice was low-key boring. As time went by and more and more businesses started using social media, something became very clear:
Corporate Does Not Translate to Connection
People don’t open Instagram to read a mission statement. They don’t scroll TikTok hoping to see a perfectly phrased, PR-approved paragraph. They’re there for people. Emotion. Humor. Stories. Relatable content. Realness, not a corporate mask.
So when a brand shows up online sounding the same way it would in a board meeting, audiences tune out. Not because the business isn’t valuable, but because the voice doesn’t match the environment. Being too serious, too corporate on social media doesn’t generate as much traction.
Just think of your posts (or of the posts of any business). Chances are, the one meme or the one video where they are talking about something important gets more traction than the one sales post or the one mission statement with no context.
People want human brands. Not corporate slang.
The Problem With “Corporate Mode”
No, this does not mean that being corporate is inherently bad and that brands will become outcasts if they even think of smelling corporate: at the end of the day, brands are going to be brands, right? You should maintain professionalism, clarity, and brand consistency. But when your social media presence feels stiff, robotic, or overly polished, you lose the human element that makes social media… well, social.
Being overly focused on “corporate” can:
- Create distance. Formal language builds walls, not relationships.
- Kill engagement. When was the last time you saw a mission statement post and said, “Oh! Wow! Let me comment on this!” Yeah, that is what I thought.
- It blends you into the background. Everyone looks the same when they all use the same “professional” tone. Sort of the same way as asking ChatGPT to write your content, and then copy-pasting it makes you sound: “In today’s digital landscape…” (please do not use the word LANDSCAPE unless you are a landscaping business…)
- It reduces trust. Ironically, the more polished you sound, the less authentic you appear.
- It feels outdated. Audiences now expect brands to have a personality, not a boardroom transcript. And no, this is not an invite to add a 6-7 to all your content, but don’t over-script it either.
On the positive side, you don’t need to abandon professionalism to sound more human. You just need to tweak and adjust.
So… What Should You Sound Like?
Your social media voice should feel like a real person wrote it: someone who understands your audience, cares about them, and can talk to them like a peer, not like a teacher in a lecture hall or like a boss when you have a corporate performance review.
A human tone can still be strategic. It can still be insightful. It can still be high value. It just needs to be… human. Focus on being clear, being relatable, and being you rather than being “Corporate You.”
And yeah, I get it. That sounds tough, considering the brand, and the values, and the fact that this is work and not your personal profile.
- You don’t have to start posting memes every day.
- You don’t need to be funny. Even more if it happens that you are NOT funny.
- You do not need to drop emojis on everything.
Being human doesn’t mean being chaotic, even when life is chaotic (unless that is your brand, and then, by all means, embrace the chaos). Being human simply means sounding like… a person. A leader. A peer. A guide. A friend your audience trusts. Not a robot that was programmed by three executives and an intern who was too afraid to argue.
1. Write How You Talk (But Cleaner)
You don’t have to be stiff to sound smart. You also don’t have to use corporate jargon to sound credible. Speak like a real person, but with intention.
2. Add Context To Your “Corporate” Content.
Mission statements, service descriptions, feature explanations, they’re fine! They just need storytelling around them. Give people the WHY, not just the WHAT.
3. Share Stories and Moments
People follow people, not logos. Pull back the curtain a little. Show the humans behind the brand. Share a lesson learned, a mistake made, a client win, or a tiny moment from your day.
4. Show Personality, But Don’t Force It.
If your brand isn’t funny, don’t force jokes. Find your version of a human voice. Realness scales better than trends.
5. Be Willing to Loosen The Tie a Little.
Seriously. The “Corporate Tie” voice is not the vibe anymore. You can be professional without sounding like you’re auditioning for a role in a corporate training video.
You don’t have to swing from “corporate robot“ to “Gen Z chaos gremlin“ overnight. There’s a beautiful, effective middle ground where:
- You still sound credible
- You still represent your business well
- But you also sound like someone your audience would actually want to talk to
The middle ground is that sweet spot where social media magic happens: brands that sound human attract humans. Brands that sound corporate attract… well, no one.
The brands that win on social media in 2025 (and yes, in 2026) will be the ones brave enough to show up as themselves. Your audience is smart. They know when you’re actually talking to them… and when you’re reading from the brand manual. And the more real you sound, the more real the relationship becomes.
