Stop Writing to Be Liked

So many entrepreneurs struggle with the concept of writing for their websites, so this week I’m addressing some of the most common reasons why.

For many of us, we’ve broken out of the corporate mold but the messages that we learned growing up are still there. They may come from a grandparent insisting that “children should be seen, not heard,” or another adult who told you to “wait your turn” which never came around.

When we did take our turns to share, at school, church, social events, with friends or simply at home, there were dozens of rules to remember.

When we were angry about an injustice (perceived or real) it was “calm down.”

When we were frustrated and tired you might have heard “forgive and forget” or “be the bigger man.”

At times we were ready to call out a company, politician or other entity on their bad behavior we heard “don’t go on the attack and offend them.”

We also write for audiences that may not even be reading, for our impossible to please parent, for editors of that magazine you want to contribute to, for the client you don’t have yet, for the writer of your someday biography… all of these audiences hamper our creativity and joy when it comes to writing, for if you continually ask “what will they think?” then you’re not focused on what you think.

And then there are all those rules to be politically correct, remember to use the right “their”, don’t misspell, use correct punctuation… and the list goes on.

It’s amazing anyone shares at all!

Here’s what I know:

My writing will never win technical awards and I’m at peace with that. I’d rather inspire 1 entrepreneur than hang a plaque on my wall.

My writing isn’t designed “for” anyone except the person who needs to hear the message. Whether or not you ever become a client, supporter, collaborator or fan – these posts are designed for you here and now.

If you find yourself struggling to write then I encourage you to strip away all of the voices, all of the external factors and ask yourself this one question:

“If I could tell my audience just one thing, what would it be?”

That. Go write that. Tell them what you believe, share your dreams and teach in faith that the right people will hear.

Instead of writing in the voice or tone or style that you’ve been told others will like, that would get you clients, that endears you to editors or publicists, just write as who you are. The right people will read and love you just the way you are now, and not for the facade that you’ve created.

Blogging isn’t about trying to be liked, or even creating a persona for your brand. Authenticity will always shine through much brighter than anything you manufacture.

One of the greatest compliments I’ve received from a client was hearing “talking in person is just like hearing your videos – you’re the same!” That’s how I know that my voice is consistent.

If you’re asking yourself ‘how do I write a blog’ or if you’re stuck writing, then remember that your voice comes first. Then, if you’re struggling with the how and getting started, check out our course in the Systems Academy on building a blog from the ground up.