Flickr photos: Howard Lake & SophieG*
Voice is how you speak to your audience
VOICE = Diction + Syntax + Tone
• Diction: The manner in which something is expressed in words.
• Syntax: The structure of sentences.
• Tone: The attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.
Tone isn’t just what you say, but rather HOW you say it• Your word choices
• The phrases you use (or overuse)
• Your sentence complexity
• Your grammar
Science Daily
Doctor-to-doctor, highly technical, complex terminology & sentences
Metropolitan Pain ConsultantsHealth Blog
Doctor-to-patient, simple words/explanations, short paragraphs.
Why is tone important?• Expresses your personality
• Sets you apart from millions of other bloggers
• Makes you memorable
• Makes you relatable
• Builds trust & familiarity
MailChimp
Honest, relatable, casual, transparent, trustworthy
Developing Your Voice
Why are you blogging?
Define your purpose
Are robots reading your blog? No, humans are.
Ok, what kind of humans? The _______ kind.
Cool. What do they want from you? They want _______.
Why do they want that? Because _______.
Outline your personality
How do you want your readers to describe you?
How do you see yourself?
Get to know your audience
Who is yourtarget audience?
Who AREN’T you writing for?
Screw those people
Ask your readers why they like your stuff• Is it the pretty pictures?
• Because you share new ideas?
• Are they fascinated by the topic?
• Do they like the way you write?
• Do they like your personality?
Use your audience intel to help them feel comfortable
when they visit• People have an innate desire to belong
• They want to connect with you
People read on their own timeline, not just when
you’ve published a new post
Avoid the Caveman Mentality
Match your tone to your topic
Maintaining a consistent voice is easiest when you’ve put some
thought behind the process.
Vocab mattersAwesome, Far Out, Groovy, Great, Super, Excellent, Kick-Ass, Peachy, Phenomenal
These all mean the same thing.
Technical language: proceed with caution
Slang, acronyms, & specialized terminology
Rule of thumb: If 95% of your audience is likely to understand the jargon you’re using, you don’t need to explain it.
Easy reader research trickFigure out what words they’re already using to discuss your topic
Humor can be tricky• Be humble - it’s better to make fun of yourself vs
others
• Err on the side of subtlety unless you know for sure you can pull off overt jokes
• Beware of misunderstandings, especially if the content is taken out of context
Overcoming fears• Embrace criticism
• When doubt creeps in, find a fresh set of eyes
• Internal debates are awesome
• If you can’t decide, sleep on it
The best voice is the one you’re comfortable using
Questions?@JenJamar [email protected]