Wait.... My Voice Matters?

Why Personalized Content is the key to Fostering a Community

I know... I know.. we have heard it all before. We have heard the notion that our voice matters and that we all have a story to tell. So, let me add to this narrative, because it’s true. 

Your voice does matter and it holds power. 

Did it take me about 20 years to come to this conclusion? Yes! So now that I know the importance of our own voice, let me share it with you. Now sit back, relax and I'm going to tell you why your voice matters and why personalized content is the key to fostering a community.  

As part of the new technological age, we as a collective want to be able to relate. We long to be part of the innermost circle. So, inherently we like to see ourselves and representations of ourselves on TV, media and the content that we consume on a daily basis.

We understand the value of being authentic. We want to see ourselves in an organic, raw and digestible way.

Thanks to social media, we are able to access information about the celebrities that we put on top of a pedestal. It can be a good thing and it can be bad. On one hand we are seeing the highlight reels of these multi-millionaires living their day-to-day lives and on the other, we are bombarded with tragic stories about the deaths and people going hungry and corruption. This juxtaposition is crazy! And the fact that we just absorb it unconsciously is something that has to be discussed. So here's how you can help. Use your voice.

When we are looking from a marketing or personal standpoint, it is clear that we all crave authenticity. Authenticity can only be derived from our own personal life experiences which are spread through our voice. When we share personalized content that reflects ourselves, we begin to foster communities. These communities are made up of like minded individuals, those with differing opinions and interests and those who stand in the middle. As we build these communities, conversations begin to start in areas where they wouldn't exist.  

I used to believe that my voice only mattered if thousands of people were listening.

You might be surprised to know that it only takes one person. Your parent, teacher, sibling, colleague or boss to be a part of your audience and hear your voice. You don't need thousands of followers. You only need to believe in yourself and the stories that you tell.

When it comes to your life and sharing your experiences, you can help other people who have similar experiences to yourself. Not everyone is brave enough to voice their opinions but if you just take that chance to do so, you'll be able to connect with others that, I guarantee you, feel the same way. Once again, truly fostering that community of trust which only comes from using your voice.

Now from a marketing standpoint, those we have faith in are the ones we trust with recommendations. Take your mom for an example. If your mom says to use this detergent, we're more likely to use it because we trust our mom. We have respect for our mom. This is because we know that she would not steer us wrong because we have that community built on trust and authenticity.

In marketing, you need to realize that if you are being authentic and you have a community that's based on your authenticity, values and what you stand for, you will unconsciously be able to share things that you believe in. That's why it's important to be authentic and create content that means something to you and that comes from your voice.

I know it can be hard. I know your impostor syndrome is probably telling you your voice doesn't matter, that you're not worth it. But I am telling  you that you are.

And your voice matters.

It will take time to truly believe this notion. But once you do, once you realize the power you have in your voice and the impact you have on those around you, you will start changing lives.

There are people that have the same experiences and or aspirations as you and all they need is a push or a nudge in the right direction from someone they relate to.

There are over seven billion of us out there and I guarantee your experience and your voice will impact someone in a positive way.

The life you live is important.

You are worthy because you exist and I guarantee you that once you believe this it will manifest itself into how you treat others, your actions, and how you perceive life and others around you.

I encourage you to start looking into branding yourself and branding the content that you wish to create. Even if you don't want to create personalized content, apply this to your job. If you work in marketing specifically, you should be voicing the idea that the brand you work for should make content that is personal, authentic and relatable. Discuss that by doing so the brand will be able to foster a community of like-minded people that are sharing experiences, products, services, your brand and most importantly a voice.

I hope I have explained to you the importance of your voice and authenticity in the World. You have the power to create a community through your voice and shared experiences. Take that first step, have conversations with those you surround yourself with. Spread your ideas, stories and things that are of value to you. Let’s take this step together as we pledge to be authentic.

After all, since we want to see authentic content, we have to start with what we create.

Let me know your thoughts. Feel free to email me or connect with me on social media(links found on Home page).

Let’s start this conversation on the power of our voice!