Throughout the development of a blog, it’s oftentimes found that unique idiosyncrasies may occur. Some bloggers will not maintain a blogroll, others use caps and exclamation marks in writing, and some – don’t like the use of photos within text. Each, an example of a blog finding its voice.
In my own blog, I have a unique rule that must be followed. I will never use profanity. It’s important for myself and my blog to maintain a clean image, as I want my blog to be kid friendly and open to readers of all ages. This rule doesn’t only keep my blog “clean,” but it also helps to set me apart – and find my blog voice.
As a blog slowly starts to find it’s voice, and separate itself from others – the small quirks and eccentricities will become recognized amongst a highly competitive field. Take for example the image of celebrities. Bono won’t be seen without a pair of sunglasses, and through this branding you’ve come to recognize Bono by this small quirk.
I’d like to take the time now to pinpoint a few ways in which we can develop our blogging voices.
Develop Your Blog Voice
1. Social Media – Begin developing habits and rules for your social media procedures. Do you automatically follow-back Twitter followers? Will you accept strangers as friends on Facebook?
2. Blog Comments – Set some specific rules for your blog commenting policies. Identify for your readers what you’ll accept as a comment, how many links may be posted in-text, and other quirks which may contribute to your blog’s commenting identity.
3. Email – In what ways do you answer your emails? Do you reply within one business day? Should mailers expect an instant response? The reason for maintaining an email routine is that you want to develop consistency for those who regularly email you. It’s important that they understand what to expect.
4. Writing Style – The writing style within your blog will quickly become recognized throughout the blogging community, if you work towards a consistent approach within all your blogs posts. Some bloggers like to use emoticons, some enjoy many dashes, and others write their blog posts like college essays. Please note that I do not recommend writing exactly the same for every post though – as this will become boring for your readers. Be sure to mix up your post formats and language use.
Keep Singing…
As we’ve seen here – developing a blog voice is an important step in becoming a recognized leader in your blog niche. It’s important for readers to identify with the style and way in which you present your content, in order to further connect with the message you’re trying to share with the online world.
Working towards your blog voice is a worthy task – but all it takes is a little vocal chord stretching.
