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Finding Your Voice


Khemosabi

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Wondering what others think here....

I have a few new blogs that I've started.  However, one is for a client.  I keep finding that my writing is in my 'voice', my style.. etc.  My questions are:

1)  With MY blogs, while totally unrelated to each other, is it best to stick with my style?  One will be linked to the other, but not vice versa.

2) My client's blog.  If I even attempted to write in his voice/style, I'd end up staring at the keyboard all day.  He has a more technical site but I do like the fact that I write for the reader, the untechy person, to help them understand what's being said.  When he talks, jeez, it's like talking to BIG Mike... hahahahhahaaa.. oh God, he's gonna kill me for that.  He doesn't visit this section, right?  

Anyhow, I have been finding my voice as the blogs grow.  I really like just being myself, adding a little humor in things, and it makes it easier for me to write.  It really helps when I write about something I'm not really familiar with.  However.........

I'm catering to a professional crowd for the most part.  I'm a tad worried that humor in the mix may turn some away.  

Thoughts? 

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Humor in the mix is always touch and go unless you're an expert comedian.........even they miss the mark now and again, too, we take our chances with that any time we write it. 

As far as voice, though - you might want to keep it a little more formal on a technical site, however, unless the site is only of interests to the real professionals of the field, you might want to stick to layman's terminology.   

My site has a pretty strong example of change of voice - in the forums and on my blog, I am pretty much myself and write more as I would talk, but if you go into the Earth Watch or newsletter archives you'll see the articles are much more formal voice. 

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4 hours ago, HeySal said:

Humor in the mix is always touch and go unless you're an expert comedian.........even they miss the mark now and again, too, we take our chances with that any time we write it. 

As far as voice, though - you might want to keep it a little more formal on a technical site, however, unless the site is only of interests to the real professionals of the field, you might want to stick to layman's terminology.   

My site has a pretty strong example of change of voice - in the forums and on my blog, I am pretty much myself and write more as I would talk, but if you go into the Earth Watch or newsletter archives you'll see the articles are much more formal voice. 

Thanks Sal.

That's kind of a long the lines as to what I was thinking.  I think that my newsletter, which goes to more of the professional crowd, should be just that.  My blog on one site is more of my opinion.  My other is a blog designed for educational purposes, but it needs to be in my voice.  My client's site/blog can be fun, educational and his newsletter needs to be more professional, it's going to a different crowd.  However, I think now, I need to create an additional newsletter.  ??  *something to ponder on*

It's important to me that there is a 'voice', though.  All of these sites will, in some way, be connected will feature me as the author.  It's all about branding and I'm trying to simplify things.  I have enough personalities floating around in my head, I don't wanna add any more!  LOL.  

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1 hour ago, Khemosabi said:

Thanks Sal.

That's kind of a long the lines as to what I was thinking.  I think that my newsletter, which goes to more of the professional crowd, should be just that.  My blog on one site is more of my opinion.  My other is a blog designed for educational purposes, but it needs to be in my voice.  My client's site/blog can be fun, educational and his newsletter needs to be more professional, it's going to a different crowd.  However, I think now, I need to create an additional newsletter.  ??  *something to ponder on*

It's important to me that there is a 'voice', though.  All of these sites will, in some way, be connected will feature me as the author.  It's all about branding and I'm trying to simplify things.  I have enough personalities floating around in my head, I don't wanna add any more!  LOL.  

It can be a hard balance if you're writing to both pros and general public or laymen in the same article because pros tend to not take you seriously if you don't use the formal register (terminology) of the field.  On the other hand, writing that is too thick with terminology can be too strenuous for the general public to bother with. If you're established as a pro in the field from the get, it makes life a lot easier when writing. If you're established as an expert you can use a more natural voice no matter who you're talking to.  

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34 minutes ago, ShayB said:

You may have to add another voice in your head. :lol:

GAH!!!!!!!!!  "How many voices in your head does it take to screw in a light bulb?" 

I went back through my notes and stuffs<-- can't .. stop.. using... that... word....  And I noticed that with this particular group of professionals Shay, the more I was professional but human, the better responses I got.  

My take away is:

Whether you're talking to white collar, blue collar, the end result seems to be they want to 'hear' from a real person.  Both sides, professional and laymen, get a tone of coined emails, ads.. whatever and they tune a blind eye/ear to them.  

I also thought about the people I interact with, like customer service.  I get amazing results from them when I talk to them, get them to relax and actually have fun helping me.  The ones that stand by the 'script', means to me that I failed in making a connection.  However, when I hear a voice that is scripted, I also tend to not interact.  

I also went through some of the newsletters I subscribe to and they all have huge lists but it's their personality that keeps me on them.  

As for writing for clients, my one in particular, I decided to split his newsletter.  One for the crowd that needs help/answers and one for the more professional crowd he's looking to network with.  His new partner, is humorless... seriously.  Nice guy, but a total gear head with a micro soldering gun.  I've been practicing writing to people like him.  "Just the facts, ma'am!".  I run my articles by him and so far, so good.  :)  But I just know in my gut that late at night, he's sitting there with his micro solder-er and yelling out "She's had all she can take Captain, she can't take anymore!", in a Scottish style, Scotty voice!  

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