Finding your blog's "voice" is a concept that I've struggled with. It means a commitment to what your readers can come to expect of you. It's why they come to you, what they hope to always find.
A focus or a voice is your blog persona, it's who you are on your site.
I think of the famous Pioneer Woman's blog. When I click on to her website, I am hoping to find the fantasy of what a cowboy life would be like. I click over to read the humor and sweet charm I count on her delivering every day. I visit to see what a life different from mine would be like. I know she'll deliver with exquisite photos, short and sappy text, and always a bite of humor. I love the way she loves her children. That is her focus: it's what keeps me loyal - and she is consistent with it.
Finding an area of focus, of style, isn't necessary, of course. But, I think it will increase your readership loyalty. Readership will build through viral word of mouth. Your readers will come to know who you are, and will feel as if they truly would recognize you the instant they met you, in real life. A reader can tell another blog reader, "I know you like beautiful photography, you should go here," or "You really enjoy homeschooling blogs, hop over here." That's the handle of a focus, it's a grip that allows someone to identify who you are, and who would be attracted to your blog. It makes explaining who you are, possible.
I look back at my first week of blogging, and think of how I wanted to be all things. I have many, many interests, and I wanted to write on all of them. What I found, through all my assorted beginning postings, is how much easier it is to maintain a blog and commit to good content, if you have a focus of who you are, and what you want to sound like.
My first week's posts were: a book review, an exercise routine, the neighbor who was unkind, karate classes for boys, a homeschooling field trip to a pizza factory, and I topped the week off with a poem. I wanted to throw a recipe in there, too, but ran out of days. I still wanted to do more: I wanted to review a play that was in our town, a live music show I had gone to, and also to have a Wordless Wednesday with my son's artwork. I wanted to do a weekly "fashion" post. And beauty products that I really loved, I wanted to highlight those. I wanted to do gardening tips, cooking tips, and homeschooling tips. And, this was at the time of Vienna Sausage with Jake, the Bachelor, so I did a quick post on that, too.
But it all felt so disjointed to me. I wanted to talk about all of these things, but the thought of so many subjects, made me feel scattered. I knew I had to limit and determine a focus. But, I didn't want to. But, not having my subjects limited was stressing me out, I felt it. Why did I feel this way? I wanted to blog about all those things. I wanted to be all things to all people. My thinking? Well, I find it interesting, others will, too, right? Well, then, why did it make me feel so anxious and like I had just had a Costco tub sized amount of coffee? I think I felt the lack of a focus at my website. What was I about?
Finding a focus can be determined by sitting down and analyzing your blog. Look at your tags: what type of posts do you have the most of? What type of posts do you enjoy writing the most? What types of posts show your passion? Are they cooking, photos, parenting, humor, your struggles, music, TV show reviews, current events, politics, Hollywood gossip, relationship tips, crafts? Do you write mostly on overcoming struggles? Are your posts on family life? Do you really enjoy writing fiction?
I enjoy writing about all things: I truly do. However, I recognized that first week, that my blog posts looked unfocused. I could tell that, and I could really feel that.
I sat down and looked at what I enjoyed writing about the most: it was my children, the adventures of a stay-at-home homeschooling mother to 3 boys in a small town. I enjoyed the humorous posts the most. My passion? I love to make people laugh. I also love to teach and help and share resources. I like to talk about a life lesson I learned the hard way, in hopes that sharing it may save someone some pain. It's also important to me to lighten someone's burden, and help them feel understood, and less lonely. I like to do what I would like to have done for me. I always hope to post with a voice that is transparent, and sincere. And welcoming.
From that first month, I realized that I felt most settled and at peace with a focus that was primarily parent centered, humorous, and introspective. It's what came naturally. How did I know I was finally successful in getting my focus across? When I began receiving comments that began with "I can always count on coming here for a quick laugh," and "you always seem to understand me." Good things like that.
And, there it is: the beauty of your voice, your gift. Loyal readers, who return, to get what they expect. You can continue to write for just yourself, by all means, yes. For me, however, I needed to decide on a direction, and what felt most at home, for me. You don't have to give up all your other interests at all; you can continue to post the occasional lovestruck posts about your children, a difficult time if you're struggling, a travel week while you drive cross country, a childhood memory. All these side road meanderings are acceptable, but, I find, that even with posts like those, my "voice" continues to poke it's head in, through the words.
With the majority of my posts being about my family, my honesty about my life's struggles, the life lessons I've gone through, information that I've found and want to share, and some funny thrown in here and there, it has made blogging a much happier, more simple, experience for me.
It's also made me recognizable to my audience. They know my voice in a minute.
I love that.
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I like running these old posts. This blast from the past was an original post prepared for Lady Blogger's Society. I still agree with what I felt I needed to do, for me: to limit my subjects. I felt so out of breath with 30 different kinds of posts that first month. Whew. Happy Sunday!
