What is a blog writing style?
In short, a blog writing style is exactly that. The style in which you write a blog. It is uniquely YOU! While there are some “rules” when it comes to writing blogs, your specific writing style takes those “rules” and molds them into a manner that is distinctive to you. I’ll be nice and let you in on a few of those rules…
- Keep your writing short and to the point.
- You’re not writing an essay, write your blog in a more relaxed tone.
- Use headlines and formatting to your advantage! People skim, catch their attention with big, bold letters and different fonts and colors.
Okay, now that you know some of the blogging rules, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of why I am really writing this: Why finding your writing style is important AND how to find that writing style (BONUS quiz to find your unique blog style)!
Why is finding your blog writing style so important?
You want to connect with your readers, right?
You want them to read till the very end, right?
How about keep them coming back for more?
Well, it all starts with finding your unique writing style. No one wants to click on an interesting blog topic and then find themselves reading a boring, mundane article. When you establish your unique blog writing style you begin to communicate more consistently, build the readers’ trust and ensure your readers keep reading until the very end all while building an aesthetically pleasing blog. So, how do you find your killer blog writing style? Let’s find out!
How to find YOUR irresistible blog writing style…
Whether you are writing a personal / lifestyle blog or writing a blog for your company, you must start with the foundation and that is your brand values. Brand values are what you want people to think of you. Say you have a special event venue and you want your audience to think of your venue as high-end and stylish. Your brand value would be luxury (a combination of high-end and stylish). If you already have solid brand values, then you can skip all the way down to step 5. If you DON’T have solid brand values, let’s start from the top:
Step 1
Write down at least 30 words that you would like people to describe you as while you are not in a room. I want you to be creative. Think outside of the box. Got those 30 words? Good, let’s move on to step 2.
Step 2
Now take those 30 words and cross out all of your basic words, or baseline values. Baseline values consist of words that EVERYONE says in your industry. For example: “Hard-Working,” “Friendly,” “Professional.” Duh, we all want to be hard-working, friendly and professional. Cross those words OUT!
Step 3
Now that you have whittled down your list of values, we are going to organize them into like three categories. Draw yourself a 2×3 table and group your values the best that you can.
Step 4
Okay, you’ve got your values grouped, now you have to give those values an overarching name. This part can be hard if you are not the most creative person in the world. But I encourage you to follow through to the end of this exercise. I promise, it will make your blog writing a whole lot easier!
You’ve named your three categories of values… Those are your 3 brand values! Congratulations, you have laid your foundation. Now let’s find your blog writing style or “lingo.”
Step 5
Okay, we are still being creative. I want you to come up with three voice characteristics that complement your brand values. In other words, how would you describe the way you communicate? Informal? Funny? Clever? Make sure they favor your brand values (very important)! Here is an example to help you:
Brand Value = “Ray Of Sunshine”
Voice Characteristic = “Cheerful.”
To get your voice characteristic across to the reader you lift your readers spirit with happy thoughts and positive words. You want to avoid negative words and feelings as this would contradict your cheerful voice characteristic.
Yay! You made it to the end of the exercise. I know, that was tough. But now you have three solid brand values and three solid voice characteristics that get your brand values across to your audience. Take your brand values and complementary voice characteristics and combine that with the “formatting rules” of blogging and you have found yourself an IRRESISTIBLE blog writing style!
Okay, for those of you that didn’t follow my exercise (seriously go back and do it), here is a FREE quiz to find out your blog writing style: