A spectrogram (0-5000 Hz) of the sentence “it’s all Greek to me” spoken by a female voice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You have an untold number of things that make you different from the next person. Just ask your roommate, significant other, or neighbor! You may feel, like I do sometimes, that you don’t have something truly unique to say. Don’t get hung up on that. Just say it better and say it your way.
I have touted a Real, Authentic Voice on my behalf and the behalf of my clients, colleagues and friends since the beginning (hence the name of this blog!). Your voice is the expression of your personality and point of view. It’s expressed in how your words sound when they’re read and it’s a key differentiator for you and for your company…..AND it takes time to develop! (a “Hat Tip” to Ann Handley for the great definition of voice from her book Everybody Writes.) It comes from knowing who you are AND who you are not…how you set yourself apart. Are you:
- Fun?
- Cynical?
- Academic?
- Reliable?
- “Green”?
- Helpful?
- Geeky?
- Hipster?
- Zen?
Pick 3 or 4 adjectives that best define you and write in a way that reflects them.
Remember that your voice remains Your Voice, but your tone may change according to circumstance. You’ll have different feelings to convey at different times, and your tone should reflect that. So, if a couple of your attributes are fun and a bit off-beat, assuming that tone in a mail or post to a customer who’s upset with you may only make things worse.
One thing many customers look for in figuring out how “real” and authentic you are is your consistency across channels. Like I mentioned, while your tone across, say, your web site, LinkedIn and Facebook may be appropriate to each channel, your voice should be the same. This can be a bigger challenge when you have someone managing your presence online, but it’s not impossible. Be sure you are working with mature, vetted social media and community managers who understand you, your business, your voice, and with whom you feel comfortable representing you. Realize that these professionals come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Do Not Assume that Wisdom comes with age, or that Digital Agility comes with youth. Neither one is guaranteed. Work closely with your trusted digital marketing advisor/consultant/manager to ensure you get the right person on board, and you won’t regret it.
You will regret it if you don’t!
Authentic Voice 