The Blog Brand Voice Guide: Crafting Your Unique Online Personality

Blog Voice Brand Guide

I’m back once again, this time with my blog brand voice guide. This simple guide will help you understand what a brand voice is and how to build one for your blog. It’s one of the best ways to stand out in a crowded world and will help make your blog a unique place that readers want to return to time and time again.

What is a Blog Brand Voice?

Let’s break things down a bit and look at the individual terms to better understand what we mean by a blog brand voice.

I’ll pretend you know what a blog is, after all, that’s why you’re here.

Dictionary.com defines brand as:

A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.

And:

A particular identity or image regarded as an asset.

So, while you may not see yourself as a product, you are. You are your own product and your brand becomes a defining part of you. You are the identity and image of your own self (aka your product). There is a great book called “You Are The Brand” (affiliate link) that helps you see the power of and build your own personal brand.

Dictionary.com defines voice as:

A particular opinion or attitude expressed.

And:

An agency by which a particular point of view is expressed or represented.

Your voice is both your thoughts and opinions and the vehicle with which you express those. So, your voice becomes the very definition of who you are. Your words express your thoughts in a way that is uniquely your own, and the way you say those words matters.

Your voice may be that of authority, but your readers will also get to know your quirks and writing style. For example, you probably know by now that I love asides, ellipses, and run-on sentences. It’s a part of who I am.

Brand Voice

By building a blog brand voice, you are helping define the direction your blog will take. Will you be very serious and academic? Will you be funny and tell great stories? Will you rant about the current state of your niche constantly? All of these are potential angles on the brand voice that you are building.

Consistency matters. You can’t go from the learned professor to the raving lunatic and back over and over again without confusing your readers. Sure, you can change opinions and craft your message differently over time, but if you’re just a chaotic mess with how you deliver, people are likely not to know who you are and what you stand for.

I go back to the idea that I have repeated throughout this website: be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Sure, you might tone yourself down in your writing or perhaps even amplify key aspects of your personality, but you can’t just throw away your own personal voice and start again. People crave authenticity.

Identifying Your Blog’s Unique Brand Voice

The first step to finding your blog’s unique brand voice is to look inward.

Who are you and what makes you tick? Why are you blogging in this particular niche? What do you hope to discover when you’re writing your blog? How did you get to this point?

The more you look at yourself, the more you will able to define what makes your blog different. There are blogs written on just about every topic conceivable – so why should some read yours?

Take me for example. How many blogs are their about blogging?

There are tons of them. Trust me, I’ve read many of them. Some I even learned from. Some I consider experts in the field that I turn to when I have a question.

So why would I start a blog about blogging?

Because I come from a different place. I started blogging before it was really a word – and I didn’t even know it. When I officially started blogging for my real estate career, I tried to be someone I wasn’t, and it showed. I was never great at my English classes. I didn’t think people would ever like what I wrote.

I learned, however, that people did like what I wrote. They enjoyed my natural, conversational style that came out of me not knowing “how” to write. I learned to take more chances with my writing and, above all, to be myself. Sometimes, that’s more frightening than it should be.

Don't Ignore Your Niche

Don’t Ignore Your Niche and Your Blog’s Goals

Of course, your voice will mean nothing if you ignore your niche (and what it calls for) and your blog’s goals. If you are meant to be a blog about learning English as a second language, you’re going to need to be serious enough to explain the inner workings of language, especially one like English.

You’re going to need to adopt the voice of a teacher and mentor to your readers. You can’t go on rants about why no one speaks English correctly – that’s not your goal, and it won’t work in your niche.

Find Your Authentic Voice

If you’re looking to be dead serious with perfect English and never show any personality, I don’t think I’m the guy to teach you how to find your authentic voice. Maybe go read some scientific journals, read the news, or talk to journalists. They might be able to help you.

If you want to be relaxed and find the inner you to be the voice of your brand, then I can help.

The Method

Sit down by yourself somewhere quiet with no distractions. I recommend a piece of paper and a pen/pencil. Ask yourself a question related to your niche. Ask as if you are your own audience, but think of that person sitting across from you.

Imagine you’re at the grocery store, waiting in line at the bank, sitting at the dinner table with a friend…just imagine you are with that person and they’ve just asked you something about your niche.

Don’t Cindy Brady it. You talk to your friends and family all the time – most likely about your niche, because it’s something you enjoy.

Just relax. Start answering the question. Answer it out loud, but as you say the words write them down. Don’t worry about your handwriting, your spelling, your grammar, or your punctuation. Do the best you can, but don’t focus on it.

Give a good, thorough answer. Go into the details. Keep writing, even if you can’t keep up. Once you’ve answered to your satisfaction, go back and read what you wrote. Maybe you got a little behind and missed some words – fix it.

Now, take that handwritten piece and type it into the computer. Give it paragraphs. Note where you got off track a bit and reconfigure. Can you see a logical flow to it all? Separate it with headlines.

Did you get some form of the question into your answer? Maybe write an intro that sets up the question you’re about to answer. You can also use titles to do the same thing.

Writing with Your Voice

Do you see how it’s starting to form? You’re writing your first blog post. And it really isn’t that hard. Just speak the words, but turn them into typing.

With a little bit of work, some occasional clean up or rewrites, and a dedication to not being afraid to write what you think, you’ll soon discover you already have a brand voice and all you have to do is transfer it to your blog.

Key Elements of a Strong Blog Brand Voice

There are a few key elements to building and utilizing a strong blog brand voice, but there are not that difficult once you learn to let go and let your voice do the talking.

Personality

Are you friendly? Authoritative? Funny? A little bit crazy? All of these have a place in the blogging world. Be true to yourself, and don’t be someone you’re not. That’s the easiest way to let your personality shine through.

Language Style

Will you be formal or casual? Technical or simple? Quick and to the point or more in-depth? You get to decide the methods of delivery when it’s your own blog. Find what you’re most comfortable with and run with it.

Storytelling Technique

Will you talk personally and tell stories from your own life to relate to your posts? Or perhaps you’re not willing to be an open book and would prefer to relay stories of others that will work for your niche. Storytelling is an essential part of blogging, and you’ll want to choose how your stories unfold.

Be Consistent

Once you have built up this brand voice, be consistent. This doesn’t necessarily mean you are locked into this personality for the rest of your life. No. People do change, and your brand voice should evolve when needed. Let it happen naturally. Forcing the voice is a direct path to failure.

Direct Path to Failure

Developing Your Blog’s Brand Voice Guidelines

If you’re just getting started on your blog, this section may seem a little silly, but trust me, it will pay off in the long run.

As you develop your brand voice, you need to start keeping track of it. Sure, it’s your voice and you don’t need to write down what you already know…do you?

The reason for documenting your blog’s brand voice and building a set of guidelines is that someday, you may need help. Whether it’s AI or a human you hired to help write, you don’t want your blog to take a sudden pivot just because someone (or something) is involved.

My own guidelines note that I often add side notes, and if they are completely independent thoughts from what I’m talking about in the blog post, I will put them in parentheses and italics.

They note my love for ellipses and dashes, furthering my love of side notes.

Those same guidelines note that I prefer to spell out numbers, but have forced myself to relax on that and use their numerical form.

Go back and look through my posts – you’ll see all of these things and more.

You may find some phrases pop up a lot. Jot them in there, too. I talk a lot about being yourself so you know that’s in my blog brand voice guide. And I always quote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series (affiliate link) and say. “Don’t panic.” That’s in there too.

Much like a style guide will help keep brand colors, fonts, and images consistent, your blog voice brand guide will help you ensure that in your absence, your blog will still operate and sound like you.

Evolving Your Blog's Brand

Evolving Your Blog’s Brand Voice Over Time

Over time, you may find your voice changing. Not the puberty kind of change where your voice cracks and squeaks, but a gradual change in your style and technique. This is normal and not to be feared.

Try not to make any sudden, drastic changes, and your readers should evolve with you. Just look back in your life and think about the things you used to say and do that you no longer do. Language itself changes over time – there are plenty of words that were commonly used 10 years ago that are not in vogue anymore.

If, for some reason, you have an epiphany and decide to refocus and change the direction of your blog (and how your brand voice affects it), be upfront and honest with your audience. Explain to them what happened and why you think it’s time for such a change. If you’re authentic about it, I’m sure you’ll find many readers stick with you unless you do something completely bonkers.

Don’t fear your voice. Embrace it. Let it take over the writing for you. You’ll soon find that blog posts flow from your fingertips as fast as the thoughts that power them.

Your blog’s brand voice will help people make those emotional ties to your writing that keep them coming back for more. Lean into it and you’ll find that there are more people “just like you” than you might think.

Creating a blog brand voice isn’t just about sounding good – it’s about the connection you create with your readers. The brand of you is why they are here, and it’s what turns the casual reader into a die-hard fan. Allow yourself the room to relax and let your inner self take control so that your voice is a true and authentic version of you. Make it a part of your blog content strategy and watch your site flourish. It’s your blog and your voice, so head on over to your blog and let your voice be heard. Your audience is waiting…

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