What’s your blog voice? Last week, I looked at five ways to help you keep your blog ideas coming. Therefore, the next logical step is to help you make your blog unique.
Of course, the type of original content you put out helps, but your uniqueness should come from your style and approach.
I’m sure you have a favourite blogger whose style you’d love to emulate. But in doing so, you’ll just be creating a poor copy of someone else. It’s more important to take inspiration from them and create an individual style that others will recognise as you.
Finding your blog voice
I get approached a lot by companies who say:
“I’ve been reading your blogs. I love the way you write, and I’d love you to write blogs and articles for us too.”
Flattering, but I do have a slight issue with this.
The way I write reflects me: my personality, my take on the world etc.
It’s a very personal style that suits me. That doesn’t mean it will work for you or your company.
The thing about blogging is that it should be your brand but in written form.
The language, tone, and playfulness (or not) should all indicate your brand personality.
Let’s say a firm of solicitors contacts me asking me to write in my style for them. After looking at their website, I see they’re a very traditional outfit. Their web content is very formal (dare I say dry) and professional. If I wrote blogs and articles using my style, the result would be pretty jarring for the reader.
On the one hand, they’re faced with straight-laced, formal content, and then suddenly, they get relaxed, conversational, and at times light-hearted content.
See what I mean?
It just doesn’t work.
Be yourself, not a carbon copy of your heroes
If you try to replicate someone else’s style, you’ll simply be heading for disaster.
It’s imperative that you find your voice to create a unique identity for your company. That means expressing yourself in your style using your own words. In other words, a written form of the way you speak to your clients.
As you’re reading this, a voice in your head is ‘speaking’ the words to you. The same thing happens when someone reads your website copy. It’s that voice – how you sound – that will make you stand out from your competitors.
Release your blog’s voice and creativity
Blogging is all about imparting your knowledge to the reader, so you don’t have your sales hat on. That’s why it’s a great way to find your voice.
Once you’ve decided what topic you’re going to write about and roughly planned what you want to say, start having a conversation.
What I mean by that is imagine you’re sitting with a client who has just asked you about the topic you’re going to write about.
Have an imaginary conversation with them, writing it down as you go. Think about the type of language you would use if you were face-to-face with them and use it. For example, you wouldn’t blind them with jargon, so don’t use it in your writing.
Then, when you read it back to yourself, it will sound like you rather than as if a mechanical, jargon-filled robot wrote it.
Once you’ve found your voice, replicate the style for a library of exciting and easy to read blog posts that give a true reflection of your business.
Although I would happily take your retainer to create fabulous articles for you, I would always strongly encourage you to write your blog posts. That way, you will develop your brand personality and deliver great content that your readers want to build a strong bond between you and them.
Sally Ormond, copywriter and blog icon.