How to find your writing voice

advice | copywriting
notebook with glasses as beam of light falls across

You may have heard me mention ‘voice’ before. It’s a word that gets bandied around a lot when it comes to writing and content creation in small business circles. But what is your writing voice and how do you find it?

Your voice is you

Or, at least, it’s your personality in words on a screen (since we’re talking in a website and blog kind of capacity here). The thing is, when most people write, they take on an air of formality – in the words they choose and the way they put them together. Written words are always different from spoken ones.

When it comes to your business, your website and blog content are an extension of you. Injecting a little of your personality into your words should be one of your aims.

So, how do you find your writing voice?

The best way to begin is to write exactly as you would speak. If the words feel natural as you write them, then there’s a good chance you’re on the right path. Choose words you would use in your everyday speech. So, for example, if you say ‘yeah’ instead of ‘yes’ most of the time, then that’s what you should try and write. That’s a simple example but I’m sure you get what I am trying to say.

Once you’ve finished writing, read back what you’ve written. But don’t read it in your head… read it out loud! I promise you, I’m not trying to wind you up. By reading out loud you’ll hear if the words sound natural or stilted.

notebook with glasses as beam of light falls across

Consider your audience

There are two sides to every story. On the one side there is you, the storyteller and on the other is the person you are telling it to.

A good practice is to have that person in your mind while you’re writing. If you have a strong idea of who you are writing to, it will definitely help you to develop a clear voice in your writing. Think about how you speak to your mother and compare that to how you speak to your best friend, for example. I’m sure you use different words with each person. It’s the same when you’ve got a particular person in your mind when you’re writing.

Who should you have in your mind?

Well, you’re running a business. It should be your ideal client, of course! And if you’ve yet to figure out who that is, drop a comment below and I’ll write something just for you about figuring out who that person is another time 🙂