Everyday I see people online that are trying really hard to blog and pretend to be what they’re not. They usually try to use very complicated words, or they try to make themselves bigger than they are by saying “we”, when they should just say “I”.
Why do people do this? They try to impress us because they are worried that if they show what they really are, then they won’t be taken seriously. Reality is, it’s quite the opposite. If you pretend to be what you’re not, people will eventually figure it out and you will lose all respect they might have had for you.
Because it’s easier to show what you really are than pretending to be someone you’re not, finding your voice on your blog shouldn’t be a painful exercise and will benefit you greatly.
Everyone is Guilty
You’re not the only one pretending to be something you’re not online. When I first started blogging about the iPhone, I was just another copy/paste, a blogger molded to perfection to fit the terrible blogging standards that many most blogs use out there.
I would just read an article, then paraphrase it on my blog. I was proud of myself because I had created unique content which would sometimes bring a few extra visitors to my site.
One of my favorite thing to do was to say “we” instead of “I”. Saying “we” in my articles would instantly make me feel like I was running a large blog with dozens of writers. That was so good for my ego!
Most bloggers are guilty of this. Because everyone does it doesn’t mean you should do it to.
The Web Doesn’t Need Another Standardized Blogger
After a while, I grew tired of pretending to be someone else. I got tired of paraphrasing articles. I got tired of being yet another blogger among thousands of similar bloggers.
The web is so full of crappy shitty bloggers that you don’t have to be one more of those. Why would someone read you if they can read about the same topics from someone really unique and original? Someone who would actually bring something to the table instead or regurgitating content and ideas.
It took me some time but I eventually figured out that I didn’t want to be one of those plain bloggers anymore. That’s when I started working on finding my voice.
What is Your Voice?
Your voice is who you really are. That’s you when you’re talking with your friends and family. That’s you when you’re being 100% true to yourself and your values. Your voice is what sets you apart from every other blogger. Something that makes you unique, original, different, and hopefully remarkable.
Finding my own voice was actually pretty simple. I stopped bullshitting people and I started writing with my guts. That’s when I started giving my opinion on things vs just reporting on them. Instead of being just another iPhone blogger, I started building authority in the bloggosphere because I was writing with this special voice that is mine.
Try to write like you speak. It’s ok if you don’t speak well. It’s ok if you say “shit” or “fuck” all the time. If that’s the case, you’ll be known as the guy who swears a lot and that’s fine.
Be real. Be original. Be yourself.
Why Finding Your Voice is Important
It’s important to find your voice so you can set yourself apart from all copycat bloggers.
Like I mentioned above, finding my voice allowed me to stand out from the crowd and having me, Sebastien Page, recognized as an iPhone expert. I might not be an iPhone expert, but that’s how people see me because I talk a lot about the iPhone with my own voice. I’ve got my own views and opinions and I’m being recognized for that.
Once you’ve found your voice, you will start seeing readers coming back and reading more of your content because they’ll see that you’re different from everybody else and that you have something to say.
If I had to sum it up, I’d say finding your voice is important because:
- it builds credibility
- it makes you original
- it builds trust
- it differentiates you
- it makes you shine
- it attracts readers
- it captivates those readers
- it keeps them coming back
- it sets you up as an authority
Have You Found Your Blogging Voice Yet?
I hope these few words will convince you that it’s important for you to find our own voice and be true to yourself and your readers. If you have any question or comment, please feel free to speak up in the comments section below.
8 replies on “Find Your Voice”
I agree. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is reading “we” when I know it’s just some dude in his dorm room.
Hi, I’ve read all the article and I think it was very interesting. I try to find my voice because I’d like to be a successful blogger someday.
Hey, thank you so much for write these excellent posts. I will follow reading your posts. Bye!!
I like your honesty! I hope you don’t mind but if i can mention another good tip to finding your voice is to read aloud what you have written to your other half or someone that knows you well enough to be honest about whether it sounded like how you normally speak. It’s easier said than done.
Thanks for a great article
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for sharing this useful tip with us.
Sebastien
Love your post, it’s right on about how people need to really find their own voice. Not sure why people feel they have to be less genuine and down to earth about who they are. Perhaps it’s a lack of confidence in themselves, they feel they have to portray themselves as being better.
The real benefit though to finding your own voice is that it makes you and your content unique and that’s what visitors to your site, as well as the search engines, are looking for.
Nice Post, Bettey
Good stuff.
I honestly feel I’m on the pretension phase yet especially on those niche that I know I’m not really good at. Although, I had also have a blog which serves as screaming outlet of my interests. In that case, I got my strong voice in there that no one can overcome. For the other blogs, guess I have to pass the learning stage yet.
Thank-you. That was a groovy article.
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