How to Hone Your Writing Voice as a Thought Leader

By Amanda Reseburg, Writer — Otter PR  

Take a quick peek online, and you’ll find the thought leadership field is extremely crowded. With the rise of social media, it seems like everyone these days is an expert in something and is creating content to lead others within that niche. To stand out amid such heavy competition, burgeoning thought leaders must hone a unique writing voice that highlights their uniqueness. 

Being an effective and engaging thought leader doesn’t require perfect grammar or academic-sounding essay writing. People are drawn to authenticity, expertise, and an enticing personality most of all. 

Learning how to infuse your writing with a particular voice allows you to better engage with your audience and establish themselves within your chosen niche. Here are some valuable tips on how to find and refine one’s writing voice as a thought leader.

Write the same way you naturally speak

When you’re trying to prove your expertise in a subject, it’s tempting to sound authoritative (or even clinical) in your content, but a voice that’s too formal runs the risk of alienating everyday readers who would otherwise be interested in that content. Although it can feel awkward at first, writing how you speak infuses your content with more authenticity and personality. 

Many outlets you’ll contribute to — especially blogs or news outlets centered around a younger readership — allow for a more relaxed tone. While you should always tailor your voice to the outlet, you can still use a more natural and accessible way of explaining concepts or ideas. For example, using interjections, popular slang, or asides allows the reader to feel they are having a conversation with the writer — not just reading facts and figures. 

Read and write constantly 

In his book “On Writing,” Stephen King’s best advice to aspiring writers is, “...read a lot and write a lot.” Reading other people’s content, especially within your chosen niche, lets you see what is being said about the topic and how others are putting ideas together. If anything, it gives you a bird’s eye view of the industry and highlights gaps that one could fill in the space with your unique voice. 

Writing constantly is akin to exercising consistently if you want to get physically fit. With each essay or op-ed you pen, you’ll get better at tapping into your own voice. It also helps to go back and re-read what you’ve written in the past to identify places where you could improve or see where a particular voice really stood out.

Consider your target audience and readers

Every thought leader has a target audience who engages with and absorbs your content. Tailoring your voice and content to that audience will ensure further engagement and, ultimately, your success as a thought leader. 

Your voice may pivot slightly depending on who you are writing for and their particular audience. For instance, the audience for Forbes is going to differ wildly from the audience for Buzzfeed. This isn’t to say you have to squash your unique voice entirely, but tailoring your unique perspective and tone to particular audiences and outlets will allow you to reach and resonate with more people.

Focus your engagement points 

Without a clearly defined niche, thought leaders may end up bouncing from topic to topic, which confuses their audience, and a confused audience who cannot connect with your content will eventually look elsewhere for inspiration. There are thought leaders in every industry and interest space, from art to movies to healthcare. Taking a good look at your expertise and how your voice fits within that niche ensures that your content comes across as focused and strategic. 

For centuries, thought leaders have inspired everyone from poets to politicians. While it may seem like the landscape for thought leadership is wildly overcrowded, there is still a place for unique voices with something to say. 

By refining your voice and focusing on a target audience that will be highly engaged with your content, you can establish yourself as an effective thought leader and make a strong impact.