Why establish a voice for your blog?
In one of the early scenes in the movie Ray, producer Ahmet Ertegun chastises a young Ray Charles for trying to sound like other popular artists of the day. And as the recording session unfolds, he helps Charles find his own voice. Of course, Charles’ voice would ultimately be one of the most popular in the history of music.
You don’t have to be quite that ambitious, but that’s the attitude your blog needs.
And that voice is essential making your blog unique – like it comes from you. That’s the quality that separates the truly engaging blogs from the countless others that clog up the web.
So how does cultivating your voice benefit your blog?
Well, the first thing it does is attract readers. That’s easy to understand if you just think about your own life. You’re more likely to do business with someone who is genuine and authentic because you know you’re dealing with a real person. It’s not as easy to establish a direct relationship online. A blog is the first step in that process.
And that relationship grows because a personal voice gives your blog credibility. If you sound like you, your blog posts are more like a conversation with your readers. As they listen to you, they can weigh the truth of what you say. An honest dialogue with your readers gives you credibility that you must protect because it takes a long time to build and can be destroyed in one ill-advised statement.
If you continue to do this over time, you’ll form a long term bond with your readers. They’ll trust the information you tell them in your posts and listen to the recommendations you make. Don’t take that relationship lightly. It’s truly an honor to be given that level of trust.
Without that voice you and your blog will never achieve that level of trust because it will be as flat as your computer screen.
Sean Romanoff is a copywriter and online marketing consultant. He specializes in blogging, WordPress web sites, article marketing, social media, and all other aspects of creating an effective web presence. To contact Sean, just click here.
Tags: articles, blog, blog content, Blogging, blogs, Copywriting, Marketing, online marketing
