Have you found your authentic blogging voice yet?
If you’re a blogger then it’s very possible that you’ve heard that finding your authentic blogging voice should be one of your burning priorities.
Chances are you spent many hours right at the start of your blogging journey trying to be sure about this without much success.
The good news is that there is an easier way to approach this because the way we do business these days has changed.
The fact is you don’t get to determine this voice on your own anyway so stop trying so hard and take the path of least resistance.
This is a decision that grows out of the two way conversation you must have with your fans. Naturally until you have some fans and a relationship with them you have nothing to go on.
Gary Vaynerchuk who became an Internet celebrity as a result of his video blog, Wine Library TV, a daily Internet webcast on the subject of wine, was already talking about this in 2009.
“Your fans control the message of your brand. They are the ones talking about it. The way you respond to them is the game, not what you tell them.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
The question is, have you been looking for your voice in the right places and at the right time ?
Rather than try and identify your blogging voice too early in the piece, simply get out there and start blogging as best you can.
Be passionate about what you know. Share yourself without being concerned about whether what you’re doing is right. Just be.
Always deliver quality and always aim to educate, inspire or entertain. Just be and do what comes naturally and easily to you. Learn to trust and follow your impulses.
This is what will attract people to you and your blog; your online home.
When you’ve been doing this for a while your fans will tell you what they want to hear from you.
Your job is to care about and interact with them and this mostly means, listen, listen and listen….
How do you hear what your fans are saying?
4 Easy Ways to Find out What Your Fans Want From you:
- Study the comments your posts receive. Which posts attract more in depth responses? Which posts are more popular for comments? Do these relate to specific types of topics and/or specific types of posts? You’ll more than likely be able to identify some common themes in studying your comments as research. Listen carefully…
- Interact with people who visit your blog on social media and have conversations with them. Ask lots of questions and listen…. What do people talk to you about? What expertise do they associate you with? Listen carefully…
- Ask people who read your blog regularly to tell you what they perceive your blog to be about. In my experience they will tell you why they like visiting your blog and which type of posts they identify you with even if you write about other topics. Listen carefully…
- Use Google Analytics or a similar statistic collecting site. Study how your readers got to your blog, what keywords they are using to find information and again which type of topics and posts are most popular. Listen carefully…
The above four ways should be enough of an indicator as to what your fans want from you but you could always throw a formal survey into the mix too although I believe the other ways to be more effective.
Now all you have to do is refine what you’re giving your readers and give them more of what they want.
Voilà … your authentic blogging voice will have made itself known with the help of the people who matter most.
This quote from Simon Sinek probably best sums up your role in the process:
“The best entrepreneurs don’t go around with something to tell. They go around eager for something to listen for.” Simon Sinek
What do you have to add to help people find their authentic voice? What have your own experiences been? Do you have any questions about this post? Leave your responses in the comments section.
I’d also like to ask you to share this post with your followers because it may help others who want to know how to find their authentic blogging voice too. Thank you.
Be Happy!
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Hi Marcus,
You summed it up pretty much in the two words…”listen carefully.” There’s a reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth
If we listen more and talk less we will find out what our readers want (and our prospects too for that matter.)
I also liked it when you said …”Just be.” Don’t worry about a thing, just be, start writing, be passionate about what you write and in time you’ll find your voice.
Another great post!
Ilka
Ilka Flood recently posted..3 Marketing Mistakes That Cost a World Famous Musician 45-000
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Hi Ilka,
I’m really pleased you highlighted that specific point. I do believe that doing this helps us to get started and all refining can take place later.
I used to always want things to be perfect before I started doing anything and it stopped me from ever starting a whole lot of projects. How silly but I learned my lesson.
It is worthwhile taking risks because it’s the fastest way to learn, change and progress.
Thanks Ilka!
~Marcus
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Ilka Flood Reply:
May 9th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Gosh, Marcus, we are so much alike it’s scary
Glad we both learned to “just be.” Sometimes I am still not happy with what I put out, but if I would keep refining my blog would be dead. Funny thing is that those posts I’m the most unhappy with are the ones my readers like the most. Go figure!
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 6:09 am
Hi Ilka,
Isn’t that the oddest thing? I have experienced the same thing and heard from many other bloggers that they have experienced this too. Just makes even more sense for us to consult with our readers.
Appreciate your comment here.
~Marcus
Hi Marcus,
I luv your focus on asking and listening.
Our brand is what our followers and readers think our brand is. We can convey a message but how our readers perceive the message is the difference maker.
We may think we are a go-to person for some specific thing, but we aren’t the ones buying things from ourselves, providing a service to ourselves, etc, Our audience does that. Best to know what they’re thinking.
Careful listening means pushing the ego aside and listening quietly. We might miss things. Or our ego may cause us to tune out things we don’t want to hear. I’ve experienced this a few times.
I ask questions, not wanting to hear a certain answer – which would be beneficial to my growth – and of course, the answer would pop up. Sometimes I ignored it until returning to the answer later, other times I resisted it because my ego didn’t want to see it. I thought I was right, and this need to be right and refusal to really listen stunted my growth.
Thanks for sharing your keen insight Marcus. You’ve been an adept listener for quite a while and the success of your blog and business proves it.
RB
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..Dazzling Tips to Prosper as a Cash Gifting Sponsor
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 11:55 am
Hi Ryan,
This line in your comment is one I would have loved to have included in my post because it says is all,
“We can convey a message but how our readers perceive the message is the difference maker.”
Thank you for adding more value here Ryan.
I agree with you when it comes to being tricked by the ego. We sometimes only want to hear what we have decided to hear and will distort any message or ask questions in such a way as to satisfy this.
One of the things I often appreciate about your comments Ryan is that you expose the real you. I believe this is the mark of true leadership because you are being totally authentic.
Thanks too for the compliment Ryan. I too can sometimes let the ego get in the way of my growth but I am getting better and better at catching the little rascal out these days.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus!
Cheers to another riveting post! Thanks for this insight on the sometimes most neglected aspect of communication either online or offline – listening.
When someone doesn’t listen, the message being conveyed is not getting through and is lost. Opportunities are likewise blown away and the communication is really hampered as there was no communication happening in the first place. In the blogging world, we have to learn to learn from others. And the best way, is to hear them out. They do have something to say.
Thanks for the great reminder!
Elmar Sandyck recently posted..Writing Articles For A Living
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Hi Elmar,
Thank you for your feedback and for affirming how important it is that we listen and learn from others instead of always wanting to have the loudest voice ourselves.
Our readers are giving us clues all the time about what they like and don’t like but it’s up to us to take notice and make changes.
~Marcus
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Marcus,
Great points here. I have heard the term your “blogging voice” but wasn’t sure exactly what that meant or if I needed to get one.
I am just “me” and your right about the way we interact with our readers via comments is a good gauge of who we are and the level of our commitment to our readers.
The writing “us” and the responding “us” are like to sides on the same coin.
Justin recently posted..Cultivating A Real Relationship With Yourself
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 10:29 am
Hi Justin,
I love how you say,
“The writing “us” and the responding “us” are like to sides on the same coin.”
Totally agree.
Having your own blogging voice really is as you say simply about being you.
It’s about being tuned in to who you are and the contribution you can make to others, via blogging in this instance.
Sometimes when people start blogging and they have not yet internalised the importance of the relationship they have with themselves, they tend to think this voice is something they have to manufacture.
In fact it’s there all the time. Observing how we interact with others in this process helps us confirm this when we observe it carefully enough.
Thanks for adding value here.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
I like that thake: Don’t worry about what to tell, just put quality content out there, get feedback, listen to it and process it. As you quote Gary Vaynerchuk, have you read his Crush it-book. I loved it.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..Relationship Building Through Networking With Bloggers And Leaving Quality Comments
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Hi Oliver,
I believe if you are yourself, putting quality content out there that you feel passionate about and promote your blog posts as we do then you have to attract a following and they will determine how you proceed.
I have not yet read his Crush it book Oliver. What about it did you love? Think I might have to add it to my list!
Always great to have your support here.
~Marcus
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Oliver Tausend Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Hi Marcus,
thanks for your reply. I loved about the Crush-it book that it is written in plain English and it encourages to monetize one’s passion with all tools available online today.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..The Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar – Undo The Brainwashing To Poverty Pt 6
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Thanks for adding this Oliver. Sounds like it is a book I must read and so I will certainly do so as I trust your recommendations implicitly.
~Marcus
Marcus,
This article makes me think of the way I look at content publishing as a vehicle. The readers/listeners are the ones who steer; you provide the car.
I’ve said it before but it’s incredible how things can change. You may enter this digital realm with one set of intentions but find your audience leads you in a completely different direction.
Naturally you should consider going where they advice since you’re doing it all for them anyway.
Using analytics and comments are perfect mediums to highlight what people want or like from you the most. Great read, my friend.
-Jon
Jon recently posted..Enjoy Mother’s Day and Learn to Say “No” Like Mom
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Hi Jon,
Absolutely we would be foolish not to take note of what our supporters want from us. This is what every marketer has to try and figure out in order to be successful.
Thanks for highlighting this important point Jon.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
This is great stuff here, and i love the topic! My main focus right now is to just get my voice heard. All I want is to build my traffic so that people can see what I have to offer them. Many times people want that so bad they try to replicate another person to have some success in that area. Little do they know that it’ll be much harder to get your blogging voice heard be a copy. I have learn that the best way for me to get my voice heard is just by doing what inspires me. If it inspires me it might inspire the next person. We must always take what we get and build off of it.
God bless,
William Veasley
William Tha Great recently posted..5 Distractions You Should Look Out For
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 8:00 am
Hi William,
Thank you fro adding more value to the discussion here.
I think your line, “I have learnt that the best way for me to get my voice heard is just by doing what inspires me.” is the best lesson to learn ever.
When we do this we are being true to ourselves and we will naturally attract people to us and what we are doing.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
It just goes to show that we learn more when we listen more.
Currently re-reading ‘How to win friends and influence people’ and I’m on the chapter that talks about asking intelligent questions and really listening to get what it is the other person is talking about.
Sometimes the problem with our questions is that we already anticipate the other person’s answers and while the other person is speaking we’re busy thinking of our next reply instead of being attentive.
Like Noah said in his book, we cant look inwards to get what we want cos we have no clue. We need others to do so.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Marcus!
Tosin
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Marcus Baker Reply:
May 7th, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Hi Tosin,
Really appreciate your comment because what you bring up is so important.
Often we also ask the questions in a way that we will get the answers we want rather than what we should be hearing.
When we look to others and listen carefully we will hear reflected back to us what they want to know from us.
Thanks Tosin.
~Marcus
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HI Marcus, I loved this post. so common sense. It’s funny, as you say, sometimes we do start out with a certain voice, but as we evolve it changes… and we have to listen to our audience… and allow them to be the ones to guide us.
I really feel however, that by providing good content and being ourselves, we will attract people who like us the way we are… and will just ‘tweak’ here and there.
Lovely post Marcus.
talk soon!
Jayne
Jayne Kopp recently posted..Don’t be Nosey Mind Your Own Business
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 7:41 am
Hi Jayne,
I agree with you. When we are who we are then we will attract people to us then it’s just a matter of interacting with them to confirm and refine the relationship.
Thanks for your feedback here Jayne.
~Marcus
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Food for thoughts! That’s what came up straight away when I went through this excelent crafted post. Finding a way people like to follow is the optimum we can achieve in our blogging work. Using various ways how to find out what people like is the main task of evey marketer. Myself I made the experience that people start expressing through my comment section about my writting style, by the way only great positive comment
… and that gives a great uplift to carry on sharing the message and engage with many more people to find out their view on my work.
Thx for the message and I like your new branding… Together with Marcus on the bench!!! LOVE it…
All the best,
Alex
Alexander Paul recently posted..Business Planning Process With A Lesson From Evan Almighty
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Hi Alex,
Absolutely the comments section is one of the best places to guage who is coming to read you posts and what they like about them.
Thank you for your great feedback Alex. Appreciate it.
~Marcus
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Hey Marcus,
That is a beautiful insight. As you say, many people try very hard to find their voice, but they look in the wrong places. Blogging, as such should be two way traffic of information exchange. That should not be a monologue but dialog, which means that we should also listen to what our readers, followers and friends are saying.
Great post.
Cheers,
Jane.
Jane recently posted..Blokube Sensationalizing the Blog Social Network
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Hi Jane,
Often when bloggers start out they are unaware of how much the activity is actually a two way process and that it is much easier to embrace blogging this way.
Thank you for your comment here.
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Marcus, aloha. What a terrific post on a very important topic. When we first begin blogging, we may think we know our voice and that we are communicating our message clearly,however, is anybody listening?
Far too often we find that while we busy being “brilliant,” people passed us by. Then when we finally stopped to visit with our readers, we connected, built a relationship and a wonderful thing happened. We could hear them, they could hear us and we found our voice. Marcus, it’s a process.
Asking questions, listening and observing comments made is, in my opinion, the best way to find your blogging voice. On more than one occasion I have been surprised, both by comments received and a lack thereof, on various blog posts. Quite honestly, I am enjoying my evolution.
Marcus, thx so much for your insights which were right on the mark.
Best wishes for a terrific weekend. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..Blogging is Personal Development on Steroids by Janet Callaway The Natural Networker
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Aloha Janet,
That is an excellent question to ask, “Is anybody listening?”
As you say if we just pause long enough to hear, we surely will.
Sometimes people say to me that they can’t go to their followers or observe commenters as they don’t have any. To them I always say that this is in itself an answer.
Then I tell them to mix and mingle in their specific niche circles, to interact and give to others first and people will visit their blog and give them feedback. Like you say it is a process.
Participating in valuable communities like the Clever Marketers one is an ideal place to get people’s feedback.
Like you Janet I am evolving too and enjoying it as I go.
Always appreciate your insightful comments.
~Marcus
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I absolutely love this post, Marcus! I’ve tried asking for feedback once, but it was kind of in passing and no one took my seriously.
I *do* still feel like I’m new to this whole blogging world though! It makes so much more sense to observe first before asking questions. You’re so right that I can learn so much from how people interact with me and after commenting, I’m going to head over to my stats and look more closely at where people are leaving more thorough comments. I imagine that it’s not just about how popular a post is, but also which posts people can relate to more and therefore have more to say.
I’ve continually been surprised by what posts touch people. I had an awesome response to the shortest post I had ever written about a newspaper article! It turns out, I was able to pack meaning into only a few short paragraphs. =)
Thanks so much for having me think about this, Marcus! Even though I’m a newbie blogger, this is something that I want to be conscious of along the way!
Samantha Bangayan recently posted..The Legend of Sarah Ellen Roberts and Your Legend
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Hi Samantha,
Even though I have only known you (via your blog) for a very short time I always feel I experience a unique perspective when I visit so it’s an activity I always look forward to doing.
In my experience when I manage ‘to move’ my readers in some way then they feel connected to me and are far more likely to express ‘meaningful’ thoughts in the comments section.
I can tell straight away from reading these whether I have been successful or not.
Over time one becomes better at identifying exactly what it is that is common to these successful posts.
The key then is to write more of the type of posts that impact on our readers and less of those that don’t.
It is an evolutionary process which if we will allow to happen and be mindful of I believe can help all of us to develop as bloggers.
Pleased to have made you think about this Samantha! Always a pleasure to have you visit and share your thoughts.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
You nailed it. So true – many people try very hard to find their voice, but they look in the wrong places.
It’s very important to listen more and talk less in order to establish what your audience wants. It’s all about your readers.
Thanks for sharing your insights. Loved your post.
All the best,
Mavis
Mavis Nong recently posted..Social Media Marketing – How to be Ahead of the Pack- Fast!
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Hi Marcus,
What a ‘super’ post! I believe that your advice to “Just be” goes so well with Heather’s tips for getting rid of the impostor syndrome. It is especially tough for beginners to identify their authentic blogging voice because they do compare themselves with so-called ‘gurus’, which stop them from producing contents.
I know this feeling very well, and I must say that my blog until now is still a work in progress. I had so many times allowed my belief that “I am NO writer” , stop me from consistently creating content which will actually help people who can identify with the information I’m sharing.
One advice which I took was from Eric Walker. He said that the best content to write is to share your own struggles or difficulties, after you tried different solutions. From there, you are now in a position to offer help and encouragement.
I love all the methods you stated so we can easily track what our audience wants. Listening carefully, is of course always the most crucial step. Thank you Marcus for sharing such a valuable post.
- Rowena
Rowena Bolo recently posted..Lessons from Think and Grow Rich Joining The 30-Day Mental Cleanse
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Hi Rowena,
I think we all tend to want to compare ourselves with others and often we want to be like them but I believe what we really long for is not to be like them but to feel the same way they feel as a result of their success.
We want the same feeling and we make the mistake of thinking if we are like them then we will experience this.
In fact the only way to achieve this is by revealing ourselves so that others can relate to us. When we connect with them and help them is when we feel the success we want.
This is why what Eric Walker suggests is very good advice.
I think you are doing a great job Rowena with your blog and like all of us you will continue to develop and grow into your unique voice.
Thank you for adding to the comments here.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus, this is an excellent post. I only started my blog in October last year but feel I’m now beginning to find my own voice.
I think once you know where you’re coming from and what people are interested in reading, guest blogging is a great way to get your ‘voice’ known to a wider audience.
I recently got an article published on Danny Brown’s blog which was great.
Jamie Fairbairn recently posted..Hop on Board Google’s Wonder wheel
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 6:07 am
Hi Jamie,
Guest blogging is an excellent way of getting your voice heard.
Congratulations on your own success on Danny Brown’s blog. Well done.
Thanks for adding your comment here Jamie.
~Marcus
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Hi Marcus,
My blog is 2.5 months old and I think I’ve found my authentic blogging voice. You’re right, when I first started I spent a lot of time trying to locate my voice and blogging image. I updated my design numerous times and worked hard to make the words jump off the page. Then I realized that I sould just write the way I know how. I try to position my content as if we’re sitting outside a coffee shop talking, hangin’ out and sharing information.
I asked some of my viewers and they kindly shared with me that I am definitely achieving this image. That was exciting to hear especially being new to the blogging community!
Thanks for this!
Chelsea Thomas recently posted..Blogging Frequency
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 11th, 2011 at 1:34 am
Hi Chelsea,
Welcome to my blog!
I have just headed over to yours and I would definitely say that your style fits the “sitting outside a coffee shop talking, hangin’ out and sharing information. ” positioning. Well done!
Great to hear that you go the feedback you required from your readers too. When we are ourselves we automatically attract our perfect audience.
I appreciate your comment.
~Marcus
[Reply]
Hi Marcus,
Great question you are posing. When you are just starting out as a blogger, it is hard to find your voice. I know in my experience, choosing what to write about is the hardest thing for me.
It takes time to find your blogging voice, and I think I finally have found mine.
My advice to other new bloggers would be; Find a subject that you are passionate about and write about it, then follow Marcus’s steps and do your research. Your blogging voice will come to you in time.
Thanks for posing this question Marcus and have a great day!
Ian Belanger recently posted..Googles Keyword Tools How To Use Them For Free Keyword Research
[Reply]
Marcus Baker Reply:
May 11th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
Hi Ian,
Great to have you endorse my advice form your own experience. I think writing about what you think you’d like to write about even if it is on more than one topic is fine.
With time one of those areas is bound to feel more comfortable and people will generally relate to one area more.
Even if they relate to more than one and that is working then that’s fine too. I know of many multi-niche blogs that do really well.
~Marcus
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Listen carefully and reading comment of your fans can help you know the reality of your success and popularity among the online folks.
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