Inject Voice Into Your Marketing Materials

Writing with voice used to be something only novelists, journalists, and ad people had to figure out. With social media, now everyone is a writer. If you want to stand out, you have to learn how to be interesting. Period. You have to market smarter.

There’s a deluge of competing businesses out there happy to get in on your market. They sell what you are selling, and might even have a higher profile social media presence. It’s the truth. So how do you stand out? What do you need to do to ensure that your business is receiving the attention it deserves?

That’s where finding your voice comes into play. Don’t just tell me that you own a coffee shop in Chicago. Tell me why your cup of Joe is better than Caribou or Starbucks—and do it in an entertaining and engaging way. Otherwise I’m going to the big guys to get my caffeine fix.

If you are in business, it’s only fair to assume that you are passionate about whatever it is that you sell. That passion needs to ooze out from the material. It needs to be contagious to all who consume it.

How do you get there?

Pretend like you’re talking with someone in person about the benefits of what you sell. You’ll want to be persuasive about the importance of your industry without being obnoxious on a hard sell. There’s a line there.

Find your unique selling point. Tell me why people should buy from you rather than your competition.

You want to be conversational, yet professional at the same time. That means minding your grammar and spelling. Look something up if you have to. Have someone proof what you’re writing if you have to. Just make sure it’s right!

Watch your abbreviations. I know tweets are only 140 characters long, but that doesn’t mean that u r right to abb. everything. It grates on your readers. A little may be OK. Too much can make you seem lazy. Be careful.

Don’t be an ass. There, I said it. You wouldn’t walk up with someone at an in person networking event and pick a fight. So don’t be rude online, and practice patience with people where required. It should go without saying, but when you get a group of “experts” gathering in one spot, there’s a tendency by some to look down on the common folk. It’s just not necessary.

Funny how? It’s easier to deliver a one liner in person. Facial expression and your voice all play a part in delivery. There’s no font that depicts sarcasm. Believe me, I wish there was. It’s much harder to convey humor via written word. If you can carry it off, go for it. Otherwise, revise. 

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