Find Your Fresh Blog Voice
John Jakes once said, “Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”
Good advice for anyone embarking on a blog or aspiring to be a better blogger (like me).
In today’s increasingly transparent world, authenticity is a key component of creating meaningful relationships, both online and in person. I personally see so much “spinning” and “selling” that I wonder who is who and what is what. Finding your fresh voice and relevance in the blogosphere will help you develop a readership, increase traffic and support your desire to connect, communicate and call people to action for your cause and ministry. Here are some ideas to help you get off to a good start:
1) Read other blogs: Ask yourself if you like that style of writing. Does it sit well with you? Do your visitors, donors, congregation view you and your organization as formal or informal? For me, I tend to write what I think in a very conversational tone. I use some slang…inject ummms or hehs…just as I would if you were talking to me or listening to our podcast. Don’t misunderstand – grammar and spelling still count, but you can take some liberties if your voice is informal and conversational. Those liberties may not apply if your niche, audience and voice are more formal.
2) Don’t be a me-too blogger: Who was it that said that any idea we have isn’t an original one? Someone has probably already thought of it. Yep – that’s probably true, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t still apply it in a fresh context with renewed relevance. As a ministry, all you have to do is tap into the wealth of bubbling creativity that is your congregation, youth, volunteers, etc. You will not want for content or ideas and you can avoid the copycat trap.
3) Support your blog’s voice with an appropriate About Us page: When I visit other blogs, I notice that the About Us is often woefully undernourished (note to self: beef up About Us page). That page should tell the compelling story of your ministry or church and why people should care about what you say and post. Here are some great examples:
Kem Meyer: Any About Me that starts with this – “I used to think church was for weak, out-of-touch people who just needed to “get a life.” But, now I believe the local church is the hope of the world; it just needs some help.” – is A-Ok in my book.
Bob Kauflin: Bob’s About Us is factual and shares personal information about when he accepted Jesus Christ. I like that he’s out front with info about posts and comments. Great pics.
Nick Charalambous : Great that he explains his choice of blog name and also provides audio interviews about who he is and why he chooses to do what he does.
It might take some time for you to figure out what the feel and voice of your church or ministry blog is, and that’s ok. It will evolve over time. If it doesn’t, you’ve got bigger problems.
If you’d like additional tips, register for our upcoming workshop. See you soon.
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