Finding Your Voice

How to be true to yourself and make your blog stand out

The Importance of Personality

“Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.”

--Mae West

Defining Your Voice(or personality)

• Don’t Be Ordinary

• Find Your Unique “Twist”

• Don’t Be Afraid to be YOU

The UAT Filter

UNIQUE

AUTHENTIC

TALKABLE

-- from “Personality NOT Included” by Rohit Bhargava

Being Unique

• Do Something Different

• Create a Twist

• Don’t Be Afraid of the Negative

Being Authentic

• Qualify Yourself

• Build a Good Back Story

• Be Passionate!

• ENGAGE

• Know Your Motivation

Being Talkable

• Provide Value

• Have a “Hook”

• Make it Easy to Share

• Know Your Community

• Don’t Try to Control Your Message

Pioneer Woman

• UniqueCity Girl Marries Rancher

• AuthenticLiberal Use of Photography + Cooking

• TalkableEngages with Commenters

Dooce

• UniqueFirst person fired for blogging

• AuthenticShared openly about PPD

• TalkableControversial

Aiming Low

• UniqueGroup Blog with a purpose: “Anti Perfection”

• AuthenticWelcomed bloggers with established authenticity

• TalkableBy offering up a bit of everything & being high profile

Cool Mom Picks

• UniqueReviews of high-end products

• AuthenticReview by real moms

• TalkableKeep reviews short & sweet

My Journey

• Began as Infertility Blog“…and I wasted all the birth control”

• Re-Branded in 2007

Uppercase Woman

Uppercase Woman

• Uniquefat, feminist, tattooed, pink haired, sober, formerly infertile, church going mom blogger

• Authenticunflinchingly honest

• TalkableInclude politics and pop culture as well as exploring “mean of life” stuff

Finding Your Voice Means…

• Be Yourself• Love What You Are Doing• Be Passionate• Show Up and Tell the Truth• Be Consistent