What is “Voice” in Content Marketing?

When you read your company’s blog, do you hear the personality of your company in your head? Is the tone consistent? Do you get a sense of the author behind the words? Does the writing evoke emotion?

If the answers are no, then you may be missing out on a key element of your content marketing—you may be missing a voice.

What Is Voice?

Voice is a combination of what words you choose and the tone you say those words in. These are the two determining factors in what emotions the reader is left with after they’ve finished your blog. Voice can be a difficult thing to capture in writing, especially when you’re marketing a service or a product, not a specific person. 

But every brand has a personality, a specific way of connecting with their audience. Harnessing this connection through voice is another way to build rapport with potential and existing customers. In the same way that you might hear a character’s voice in your head when reading the dialogue in a novel, readers of your blog or visitors on your website should be able to hear a distinct humanness behind the writing. This “person” (a.k.a. your voice) understands your clients’ needs and wants. 

Why Care About Voice?

Customers are no longer swayed in buying decisions with pure facts. Even if your product is demonstrably superior to the competition, it takes more than quality and value to make the sale. In the Edelman Trust Barometer 2019 Special Report: In Brands We Trust?, two-thirds of the 16,000 respondents surveyed said they may be willing to try a brand with a good reputation, but trusting the company and people behind the brand would be a deciding factor in whether to continue service or buy again.

Where better to build that trust than through your content marketing? Blogging is a great way to address topics that are important to your audience and reach them on a personal level. This is especially true when we do so in a genuine way. Again, this all comes down to the voice.

How Do I Find My Voice?

Truth is, you probably already have a voice of some kind. The question is whether that’s the right voice to reach your consumers and whether that voice is strong enough to make that human connection of trust necessary in today’s consumer buying trends.

One way to discover whether you have a voice is to read your blog out loud (or better yet, have someone else read it to you). If you’re bored or are left with only facts and no real connection, then that’s likely how your readers will feel. This can indicate that you need to build a stronger voice. If you hear a voice, but it isn’t the one you were wanting, this can indicate you need to pivot your tone or topics to better match your company’s real personality.

Another way to find your company’s voice is to use a professional writer. Content marketing specialists and expert bloggers are well versed in analyzing your audience and crafting content to reach them, content that still has your authentic voice behind it. If you prefer to write the company blogs yourself, consider hiring an editor who can provide the final polish to amplify your voice.

Having a strong voice in your blogging and taking the time to develop that voice to connect with more consumers, are both critical steps to building brand trust and growing your company. Before you post that next blog, ask yourself—does this have a voice?