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Finding Your Blog Voice:

Have you visited a blog that looks fantastic and incorporates a stellar design, complete with technical gimmicks, only to find the content lacking?

Great writing styles trump technology the majority of the time. Remember, content is king, and in the blogosphere, style is one of the most important elements.  Writing about one’s self is viewed by many as the one task that I "hate or "fear." This kind of writing is difficult to master and in the process, is very easy to become stiff, unnatural and unnecessarily verbose.

Suggestions and Points to Remember:

• A blog is a conversation
• Attempt to write exactly the way you speak
• Avoid gibberish, clichés

Use the thesaurus sparingly, not for finding "big" words, but for finding better or different words.

• Speak your blog out loud prior to typing it, and read it aloud again after you have written it
• Always consider how you would speak to a friend and then apply that concept to your writing

Familiarity:

Comfort levels tend to be best when you are in the presence of a specific friend or family member.  When you write, use that specific friend or family member as your targeted reader, and this process will help relax your writing style.  Dear Diary has become a popular entry point for people to start a personal journal and helps transition writers to write in the style that sounds more like themselves, and not so “essayish.” (Yes, that’s the new word for the day!)

If you are not comfortable with keeping an online journal, then start your own daily journal using Microsoft Word, or another desktop publishing application, and stay consistent! Write something every day!

Audience:

Your audience should be the main focal point before you write a single word!  Example: It is unnecessary to keep repeating that George is your 16 year old son if your target reader is only close friends and family.  In the instance your blog is targeting a much wider audience, then you may want to create references and glossaries to aid new readers in following the story line.

Observe Other Bloggers:

MatterMax Media recommends that you visit and read other blogs similar to the type of blog you are considering. Discipline yourself to read a couple blogs for several weeks to get a feel for writing style and flow. It is critical to note several areas of these blogs such as:

• Length of posts (word count)
• Frequency (daily, specific day(s), weekly, etc.)
• Type of writing style
• Subject matter

The interesting or compelling points you observe when reading other people’s blogs will provide a source of inspiration and new ideas for your blog.

Frequency, Frequency, Frequency:

In the marketing world, the two most important components necessary when placing a media buy, are Reach and Frequency. The frequency (i.e., the number of times a TV ad runs in an ad schedule) aspect of blogging offers a distinct advantage over other mediums such as TV, Print, Flyers, Radio, etc.. Blogs can be updated at any moment and pushed out to the web, as opposed to the limited update restrictions seen in traditional media.

You will find that frequently updated blogs attract the most readers.  Be prepared to spend time daily working on your blog. By definition, Bloggers, Blog!

MatterMax Media recommends a good way to improve your writing discipline is to keep your blog in the back of your mind throughout the day.  It would also be wise to carry a notepad, notebook, or some device that will allow you to enter reminders of blog subjects you want to explore.

Whatever you find that is most interesting in your daily life will probably appeal to your friends and family.  Write about daily activities; shopping experiences, night life, commutes, the gym, car maintenance visits, etc.. Jot down exactly what you are thinking and feeling and these topics will provide subject matter for you to update frequently.

If you are a regular blog visitor on MatterMax Media, you are probably aware that we update our blog weekly, every Tuesday and Thursday. Therefore, we recommend that you attempt to update your blogs at the same time of your choosing; every day, two days a week, a particular day of the week, etc..   Case in point, you may choose to update your blog every Monday morning.

Next week, Today’s Marketing Blog will present part 3 of the “Blog Creation” series, “Getting Blog Traction.”

As we blog about those subjects that matter to all of us, we will continue to demonstrate the “Maximize What Matters™” concept and hope you are enjoying this series offerings. See you here next week for “MatterMax Media’s Today’s Marketing Blog – Thursday Edition.”

MatterMax Media is a full service integrated marketing agency located in Stone Mountain, Georgia. MatterMax Media provides strategy, technology, marketing and training for individuals, businesses and government. Today’s Marketing Blog focuses on Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Web Matters. When you require assistance with your branding/marketing strategy, feel free to contact us.