Stage presence, overperformance, and writing in your true voice.
Maintaining a business blog is one of the easiest ways small buisness owners can help thier business get discovered without having to fight for attention on platforms like Instagram. As we know, people use search engines (like Google) to find what they’re looking for, and your blog helps bring them to your website.
When it comes to business blogging, the issue with overperformance isn’t how frequently you show up—it’s when you fall out of character. I’m talking about the real you versus the “professional” you. You might wonder, What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with letting my hair down once I get home? But I want to know: why did you pull your hair back in the first place?
Your site and blog page are your stage—one you don’t have to share with anyone else. Readers come to your blog to hear you, and every post you publish builds trust that can lead to immediate or future clients.
Sometimes, riding the wave of trends and hot topics because “that’s what my audience wants right now” might not be in the best interest of your blog. Does your content reflect the quality, skills, and services your business actually delivers? Or do you become someone else after spending hours researching industry innovations just to make your small-town shop appear like an industry leader?
Perhaps this sounds more like branding advice, but to attract an organic audience, your blog has to stay in true character. Give your readers a true sense of what they’ll actually encounter when they call or stop in. Write in a way that honors your real role what you’re best suited to talk about without relying on a script.
The Difference Between True Character and “Professional” Character
Stage presence and true character matter more than putting on appearances with an ill-fitted mask. If you’ve ever felt pressure to sound overly professional or polished, consider this a nudge to remove the mask. It’s hard to keep a blog going if you aren’t writing about your strengths with your natural voice. Overperformance will have you questioning: Do I sound knowledgeable? Is this topic impressive enough? What else should I say to get discovered?
Here’s my best advice: stick with what you know well and fully exhaust those topics before moving on. Also, be careful to avoid sounding like an expert on subjects you’re not, so you don’t inadvertently disappoint people.
From a copy editor’s perspective, this is a real issue with AI-generated web copy. If you’re not careful or honest, ChatGPT will dress you up in star-studded high heels you can’t even walk in. It’s better to wear the shoe that fits and find your people.
Here’s a simple rule to follow when writing your posts:
Write your blog post as if you’re explaining something to a client or customer. Focus on:
- something you already know well (without having to research)
- conversational tone
- plain language
- clarity over cleverness
A Practical Way to Stop Overperforming
Another tip I have for people wanting to write conversationally is to begin their brainstorming by speaking about life experience. Yes, I’m suggesting that you actually record a voice memo by using any of the prompts below. Allow yourself to speak freely, have a real conversation, then turn the transcript into your blog outline.
Write a post explaining one thing you often repeat to clients or customers.
“One thing people misunderstand about _”
“What I wish more people knew before they _”
“If I could explain this once and for all…”
Google Docs has a voice dictation feature on supported browsers that you might find helpful. Click here to learn more. I personally use the Apple Voice Memos app, which includes a built-in transcription feature. Simply select “Copy Transcript” and paste it into your document.
However you choose to do it, rehearsing a blog idea by talking to your audience is one of the best ways to keep your writing natural and grounded in what you actually know. Plus, when your blog sounds like you, it becomes much easier to keep showing up on a consistent basis.
Blogging with natural stage presence is the most sustainable way to maintain your blog.
This post was written as a blog revival series to help small business blogs get back on track. If you’re struggling to write posts, checkout this post:
How to Choose a Role for Your Blog So You’ll Never Run Out of Ideas Again
And once your voice feels natural, you’ll want to be sure people can actually find what you’re writing: The Missing Link post
If you’d like assistance with content direction, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can find my services here.