In homage to Angus Woodbury, pictured at right is my latest tech gadget (the crutches, not the model). Unlike Angus, I did not covet my new tech toy before purchasing, though I did request an upgrade in the accessory that came with: a black surgical boot. I asked if they had purple. The doctor laughed, but not too much. Black is all they carry.
As a result of some 'help' from my precocious three year old, I spent most of the afternoon Sunday in the emergency room being X-rayed and diagnosed with a broken bone in my foot. "Ouch," proclaimed the x-ray technician, when the image popped up on her screen. I am a klutz on the crutches, having never broken any bone until today. Dmitry didn't like it when I made a "POP" noise as I re-enacted the accident for him. The "POP" grossed him out.
But there is more to this post than discussion of my relatively insignificant medical woes that are little more than an inconvenience.
This week I was thinking about the voices I hear when I read some bloggers posts. Don't call in the little men in white lab coats to get me. I don't need to go back to the hospital today. We've just got some good writers whose blogs have voices. They speak to me.
Everyone will have a different set of bloggers on their list of "blogs that have voices." I tend to gravitate toward the technology bloggers and those that that use humor to spread their message. And this list is by no means all inclusive. There are many of you who have very loud blogs. And many more blogs here that speak to me, so please don’t feel slighted if you don’t find your name here.
Lenn Harley is new to many of you, but I've been tuning into another forum for a couple of years for her words of wisdom on SEO and just about anything else related to real estate. I hear 'thorough, competent, and authoritative’ when I read something written by Lenn. I was so excited when Lenn accepted my invitation to join AR. She has a wealth of experience to share.
Speaking of SEO, somehow Mark Flanders had been flying under my radar until a few days ago when he posted a big red triangle on top of a web page, demonstrating where the important stuff should be placed to catch the visitor’s attention. That grabbed my attention! Now Mark is carefully dissecting my web page with the precision of a surgeon. Uh-oh, I guess I have hospital brain today.
Amber Riviere, the Louisiana virtual assistant, is determined to be 'discovered' and beat the 'Page 5 Rule' that most of us have to plunk out before finding our own voice on Active Rain. She's already been discovered by the Lion King of Poinciana and his Lioness, The Lovely Wife. ROAR!
Those pick axes, semi-retired handymen Merton & Ambrose make me feel as if I am sitting in a small town diner with them passing the morning away. With great titles like "Whine & Complain #3" the guys have a way with words that I love.
From Kristal Kraft I hear the voice of a Jersey girl with a heart of gold. Kristal tells it like she sees it, but in a nice way. She's a motivator and she leads by example.
I've found a few voices here that I can't get enough of, so I've followed them off of ActiveRain to their "Real" blogs, searching for more of their wisdom: Jay Thompson, The Tomato, Rudy from Sellsius, and Greg from Bloodhound Blog. They've forced me to get with the times and start using an RSS reader so I don't have to miss a drop of "juicy news."
The Sellsius 101 blog off was brought to life for me by Jon Ernest. His quick sense of humor guided me through all 204 posts. I don't think I would have been so interested if Jon hadn't been there.
My friend Sara Lipnitz writes exactly like she is. Passionate about whatever she does, Sara is a uniter. Being around Sara makes people happy. Reading Sara makes people happy. I miss her when she doesn’t post, even though I talk to her a couple of times every day.
There is a reason I started off this post talking about Angus. In the last few weeks his blog has emerged as a favorite, not just because of those big cows. Moo.
The blogger with the infectious smile, Rich Jacobson, entices me to a life of crabbing in Kitsap. And Eric Bouler reminds me that I’ve never taken a trip to New Orleans. What great pictures.
I've already mentioned two of the voices I hear most clearly when I read, Broker Bryant and The Lovely Wife. The Lovely Wife really is lovely, and I don't mean the way she looks. She'll protect her cubs. Her Sunday series is something we look forward to each week.
Probably nobody speaks more clearly here to me than Broker Bryant. His voice is consistent and strong. From the first day I "met" him he has written in the same creative style. There's a formula to his posts that an English class might study, and his formula is what helps his voice to resonate. I've said before, he wraps his message in humor. His illustrations enhance his message.
So, why am I writing about all of these people and their blogs? Because a blog with a voice will bring readers back. I feel comfortable reading many of these writers because their writing is helping me to feel like I know them. I imagine that potential clients will feel the same way.
If you strive for more from your blog, look at its voice. Ask someone you trust for their opinion. Are you conveying the voice you want your audience to hear?
My list of blogs with voices is by no means complete. I've left off some great bloggers. But if you would like to add the name of the bloggers who speak to you, I welcome all comments.
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