30 Oct Finding your voice

With a background in public relations and corporate communications, I’m very accustomed to writing in a voice that is not my own. I’ve written a lot about products, features and services, but less about my own thoughts, opinions and experiences. It’s a safe place to write from. And, it’s given me fantastic skills in writing across a diverse range of topics and has created the opportunity for me to research and learn about many things. As a naturally curious person and a born researcher, this has been brilliant.

But recently, through my work with Babes with Babes Fitness, I’ve had to step out from the safety of writing from a different perspective. Writing about your own experiences, from the gut, is raw, it is confronting and it can be painful. In some ways it is easier, as there’s no research, but it’s also harder, as there is nothing to hide behind.

By writing about my daughter’s comments about body image, I revealed my own insecurities, I disclosed my (substantial!) weight to the world wide web, and I opened myself up to the potential world of trolls and negativity (thankfully, this hasn’t happened and all feedback I’ve received through social media and personal comments has been very positive). It gave me an insight into how brave many bloggers and other writers are who regularly write about their own experiences.

So, will I continue to write in my own voice? The work I am doing for Babes with Babes is particularly suited to a personal narrative and by being braver about the topics I am exploring, it is creating more of a platform for discussion around that brand. It is definitely the right approach for that client, as the more personal and revealing topics are resonating more with the Babes audience. For other clients, my own voice is completely irrelevant and my personal experience of a topic is of no value to the audience. Ultimately, in considering whether to use my own voice or an entirely different tone, I will continue to determine the needs of the audience first and foremost.

For any piece of writing, the audience is all that matters and as a professional writer, it is my job to know what that audience needs and determine how best to reach them. I can help you to find your voice or find a completely different voice that reflects your business and suits your audience. Get in touch if you’d like to chat about how I could help you.