What is “voice” when we’re talking about writing? Simply put, it’s what makes you, you. To use another medium for an example, it’s what happens when a classical musician covers a Metallica song. It’s what happens when Guns N Roses covers Bob Dylan. It’s what happens when you take someone else’s idea, concept, or artwork, and make it your own.

Back to business writing. Lets use a hypothetical refined entrepreneur, who has run their own business for 20 years as an example. Chances are when they go to a networking event and are asked for their elevator speech, they already know what they are going to say.

They’ll choose their words carefully. They will give you enough personal background to know how and why they are qualified for the work. Their personal mannerisms will indicate that they have done this sort of thing before.

Now, when it comes to “voice” in your writing, it’s this type of confidence that is great to exude. You want your personality to shine through, while at the same time holding to professional standards.

Letting your “voice” shine through in your writing is the equivalent of making your reader feel like you are explaining your point to them in person. It means showing them that they are doing business with a person, and not a faceless corporation.

Why Voice Matters in Website Content and Blogging

Voice matters because the field is crowded. Your competitor has already written that blog that looks like a Wikipedia entry. The industry news leaders have spoken. The stale article that may be highly factual, but deathly hard to read, is already out.

Whatever you do, chances are, you probably work in a highly competitive field. If you want to stand out from the competition, your readers need to know who you are. It’s OK to tell them.

Why not give the readers your take on things? Tell them who you are and how you are different. In a world where search engine results and social media campaigns are everything, a unique and likable appearance is crucial to doing business.

Tricks To Establishing Your Voice

• Let Your Interests Show Through-Are you a fan of sports, music or movies? Don’t be afraid to reference a game, or use your favorite quote. If you can drive your point home in a brand new way, it’s time to let your creativity shine.
• Tell Personal Stories-Tell readers about the interesting thing that happened with a client last week. Or tell them about something interesting that you did once, that will help illustrate the point that you are trying to make in your blog. People like stories.
• Choose Words That Fit-There’s a lot of times where I tell people to choose stronger words. Obtain is better than get. Possess is stronger than have, etc. But you can also take this philosophy too far. If you wouldn’t say it in real life, don’t use it in your blog. Also, if you choose every word out of a thesaurus, yes, people can tell.
• Be Yourself-Don’t try and force things. Just because your chief competitors wrote a certain type of blog does not mean that you have to as well. If it fits, write it. If not, do your own thing.

Matt Brennan is a Chicago-area marketing writer and copy editor. He is also the author of Write Right-Sell Now.