Your blogging voice is what makes your blog unique. I remember when I first heard the term “blogging voice”. I was talking to a friend of mine who’d been writing for a while about food and travel. In fact, her blog was becoming such a success, she decided to leave her job in publishing to focus on it full time.
I wanted to pick her brain about what she’d learned about blogging. So I asked her, “what’s the most important thing to get right with your blog?”
She blew on her coffee, looked me dead in the eye, and said, “your voice.” We both agreed.
Here is How to Find Your Blogging Voice In 5 Simple Steps.
What is your blogging voice?
Good question! That’s exactly what I asked my friend. She said:
“Your blogging voice is your DNA. It’s what makes your blog unique. It’s why your readers choose you.”
Your blog voice is the foundation of the essential trust you build with your readership, to keep them coming back. It’s how you’re able to connect with your community from behind a screen, even when they can’t see your face.
Why do you need to find your blogging voice?
Your voice is perhaps the most important aspect of your blog to get right. And probably the hardest.
And it can be anything! You are free to decide. But whatever it is, it MUST also be these two things:
Your voice must be authentic. Even if you’re blogging as an invented character, you should ensure that the voice you use for them is authentic to their unique persona.
You must remain true to your voice for as long as you’re blogging. Because without consistency, your readers won’t be able to trust you.
Ultimately, your voice is what’s going to distinguish your blog from the rest. It’ll turn your community from readers into loyal advocates. Honing your blog voice may take a bit of time and practice, but these tips will get off to a flying start:
How to develop or find your blogging voice
Anything really worth doing is not done quickly. But as they say, practice makes perfect. So jump right in with these 5 steps to nail your blog voice…
1. Do your research
Have a look back through your most read posts or those with the most comments. Ask yourself, why do you think they were the most successful?
What language and tone did you use in those posts? How did you share your thoughts or knowledge – did you tell a story or reveal something personal to your audience? What was it that made you write that post?
Write down any thoughts or realizations on a piece of paper. This is a great starting point for your blog voice!
2. Start with “why”
Simon Sinek famously told marketers to “start with why” (Check out his book – is among my best reads for bloggers and entrepreneurs). Based on his notion of the Golden Circle, your why is important because people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. It’s a much more compelling way to connect with your audience as it creates authenticity.
If you can define your why and articulate it clearly, your readers will be able to relate to you easily. Ask yourself, why are you writing? Why did you start your blog? What do you want to bring to people’s lives? Be true to yourself – your raison d’etre – and let it shine through every word you write.
3. Show your personality
When you’re not blogging, who are you? How would your friends and family describe you? Everyone is unique. Our personality makes us who we are. So embrace your weirdness and show your true self through your blog!
Even if you’re writing under a pseudonym, paint a picture of that persona in your mind’s eye. What’s their story and how does that manifest itself through their personality? You need to let it show to stand out from the crowd.
4. Stay curious
Have a read of other blogs, paying close attention to their unique story, style and voice. How are they different to yours?
Allow yourself free time to be creative offline, reading books, traveling, and interacting with others. Asking questions and staying curious will help you to see yourself more clearly. Authentic real-life experiences also come in handy when you’re storytelling on your blog.
5. Tell your story
Make sure you save the insights you’ve gathered throughout steps 1-4. These form the essential building blocks of your unique blog voice. Make sure you review them in tandem with your blog posts.
Remember, a blogging voice is built over time. But if you follow these steps and consistently tell your story, every day, with every post, others will soon be coming to you for blogging tips.
Good luck building your blog voice! Let us know how you get on. And stay tuned for more tips on how to be a better blogger.
