How to find your voice as a blogger

How to find your voice as a blogger

I write only because / There is a voice within me / That will not be still.
–Sylvia Plath

When you read content by someone who’s found their voice, there’s a really distinct ring to it. You can tell they’re really passionate, really self-expressed and really know what they’re talking about. People are moved by those who speak with their real voice. Yet what most people don’t realise is that almost everyone who’s found their voice had to put in a lot of work to find that voice. It doesn’t usually come naturally.

So how do you find your voice as a blogger?

• Start with what you’re passionate about

If you love internet marketing, get into the internet marketing field. If you love crocheting, get into the crocheting field. Ask yourself: What’s a topic that you could talk about for hours and hours on end? What’s a topic that you’d talk about and obsess about even if you weren’t getting paid? What’s something that really lights you up in life and gets you excited? While not every passion can be turned into a career, you’d be surprised at how many people do manage to turn their passions into money, even in very obscure fields. Start with what you’re really passionate about. It’ll come through in your voice.

• Be as self-expressed as possible

Try to write without censorship. Don’t worry about the grammatical correctness or political correctness. If you’re speaking with your real voice, you’re probably going to turn some people off. However, you’ll also really attract the kinds of people you should be attracting. People who have strong voices are polarising – Some people like them, others might hate them. But that’s how real followings are built. Seldom is a following built from people who try to please everyone. When you’re writing content, try to write as if you were speaking one on one to a friend. Write naturally, in a casual yet self-expressed and passionate manner.

• Care about the impact you want to make

Can you tell the difference between someone who’s written something and really cares if you succeed, versus someone who’s just writing the content to write the content? Most likely, you can tell that the former has a completely different feel to it. Naturally, it’s the people who really want to help us that we feel drawn to. When you’re writing content, ask yourself: Who are you trying to help with this content? How would you like their life to change as a result of you writing this content for them? If you really want to help people, they can sense that. It comes through in your writing and your voice. It creates loyalty.

Your voice isn’t “one thing” that people can point to and say whether it’s good or not. It’s more of the overall vibe of your content, how everything you say is presented. A great voice will create a sense of community, loyalty and following, while a weak voice will turn people away from your content.

• Be consistent

While you don’t have to have the same tone in all of your posts (i.e being funny or sarcastic) you need to have the same voice). When your readers read a post they ideally should recognise your voice shining through. I always write the way I speak, so it is easy for me to maintain consistency across all of my posts. Chopping and changing would be off-putting for my readers.

• Stay true to it / Integrate

Your voice should be your voice whether you are writing a post, speaking on stage, chatting on a call, whatever! There needs to be a congruence to your voice, in order to build the know, like and trust factor and build your credibility.

Have you found your true blogging voice? What helped you nail it?