I spent last weekend dealing with my blog as my blog layout got all scattered and all over the place. After I finished redesigning the theme and all that, the redirection from my old permalink has gone wrong. November wasn't an excellent start for The BeauTraveler, I figure.
Initially, I wanted to continue my Indochina trip post last weekend, but since I had to deal with all the back-end stuff for my blog, I decided to do it later. And instead, I want to write about blogging again this time.
And today, I want to share the tips to find your signature brand voice for your blog, because I think your brand voice is essential as this will make you stand out among others no matter how saturated you think your niche is.
I know for sure that not everyone likes the way I write or the brand voice I have for this blog. I've been criticized a lot for the way I deliver stories or information. Or guess what? The incorrect grammar I use in the post. As if English isn't my third language!
Brand is just a perception, and perception will match reality over time.
When you decide to start a blog, especially when you start monetizing it, whether you like it or not, you're building your own brand. Yes, even if you blog anonymously!
The only difference is that either you develop a self-brand or build a whole new brand from scratch. And it all depends on how you want to represent the blog itself. Do you want it to be seen as the platform where you point out your own opinion? Or do you want it to grow as a community-based platform?
I always thought finding a brand voice was quite easy. Until I hired a friend of mine to be my assistant, I asked him to help me write some of the collab post submission, and that's when I realized that brand voice is not just a way to deliver messages to your readers. More than that, brand voice is sometimes more personal than just about the brand.
As I mentioned before, brand voice is also the thing that sets you apart from other blogs within your niche. Say if you're a travel blogger, you know for sure there's a million more bloggers out there in the travel niche. Still, your blog voice and your sass within the article are the things that make you unique.
And as a reader, sometimes the way a blogger delivers their message is also the reason why I connect with them on a personal level. I may not know them in person, but just by reading their piece, I somehow know that we'd get along if we did.
That, my friends, is why brand voice is important for your blog.
Source: Pexels.
5 Ways to Find Your Blog Voice
Finding your own brand voice isn't easy, but neither is it impossible to find your own style in a way that it's relatable for your readers.
In this section, I will share with you some things I've done to decide the kind of brand voice I want to have in my blog and why it benefits me. Again, this is all based on my own experience. There's nothing solid in the blogging world; you just do what works for you.
But these worked for me.
1. Get to know your (target) audience.
First and foremost, you need to know your target audience. This could differ, as it depends on your personal preference. Or sometimes, it's easier to identify if you see yourself as your own target market.
Even before my blog started getting organic traffic, I already know my ideal audience. And it's the people in the same demography as I am. I'd like my content to be relatable for those in their 20s or 30s, probably single but also adventurous too. I speak with sarcasm, so hopefully, people who can relate to that too.
I started my blog as a sweet escape from my rat race when I worked my corporate job a couple of years ago. And that's what I wanted it to be. I don't wanna sound professional here, because I'm tired of forcing myself to be the one I'm not.
At the time, I had a vision for my blog, and I want to deliver messages like I do when I hang out with my friends. I want to sound chill, with no big words and a little swearing here and there. I want it to be my comfort zone, and I want the people who read it will feel comfortable too because I'm relatable on a personal level.
It's my safety net, and I wanted to keep it that way. I'm not saying I've reached success through it, but it definitely got me to where I am, which is a good thing.
2. Write how you speak.
As I mentioned, I write as if I hang out with someone I'm comfortable with. And the way I write is also the way I speak to them, and that's for sure. It all really depends on your target audience, and that's why the latter became number one on this list.
I mean, you could also target people in the other demography, and I suppose you would easily adjust accordingly on how to speak with them.
For example, suppose I target the potential in-laws who would see me as an ideal daughter-in-law. In that case, I'd speak politely and put on my best behavior. Imagine the adult men around the rich, the way they speak is different from when they talk to you, right? 😛
Yep, do it accordingly!
Source: Pexels.
3. Don't kill the vibes by overthinking.
Do you know how many times I've been criticized for the way I write and/or the incorrect grammar I use in my writing piece? Plenty of times!
Some people suggest hiring a proofreader so my posts will be more relatable with better English whatsoever. But what's the point? I don't have enough budget to hire a professional proofreader, and I simply like to write.
Besides, many people are not native English speakers, and those people are the ones that I'm targeting to read my blog. The people who speak English well enough, without having to burden me as a grammar Nazi.
I write for the sake of writing. Sometimes I go back to the piece I wrote and edit it when I find some mistakes. But even when I don't, I think as long as the message is delivered, it shouldn't be a big problem.
4. Be the authentic version of yourself.
Yes, brand image is important, especially when you treat it like a business.
I know it sounds cliche, but the point of having a brand voice is to show your audience a piece of yourself in a world where everything comes with filters.
But before you take it the wrong way, there's a fine line between being authentic and being an asshole. Be the first, and not the latter. You may go far with a bad reputation, but nothing beats decency no matter what you do.
Source: Pexels.
5. Avoid impostor syndrome.
What's importor syndrome, you said? See, the idea of this term only came up as I did Instagram engagement for a client. She's a coach, and the term comes up a lot to the point that I started doing my own research about it.
To keep it short, impostor syndrome is the idea that you've only succeeded due to luck and not because of your talent or qualifications. And while reading it, I wonder how it feels like to be Kim Kardashian, where people think that her family only gained their success because of her leaked sex tape.
If you ask me about the Kardashians… I think apart from the sex tape, their ability to embrace the momentum that makes them succeed also plays a big part in their success. They could choose to either see it as a failure or lead them to get to the top. They chose the latter, and they deserve it.
Same as your brand voice. You may have not the best English skills as your blogger counterparts, but maybe that makes you unique and stand out among others.
That's the fact that you're being unapologetically you that makes you deserve the attention of your audience, and you should not be ashamed for that.
So, those are the things I've done to decide my own signature brand voice for this blog. How about you? What kind of brand voice do you determine for yours, and what makes you choose to have it that way?
