How Your Voice Can Positively or Negatively Impact Your Business

Yell (Photo credit: Clover_1)

We all have a voice.
I don’t just mean the one that comes out of our mouth through our vocal cords but our VOICE. What is the message that your business tells the world? Is it educational? helpful? all about business? biased or unbiased? well rounded or very narrow on topics?

Each and every business has such a powerful voice and we need to know that it can be an incredibly valuable weapon. What is your voice saying about you? I could go to your website and Facebook page right now and get a “feel” for you just simply based on what you are saying. How far does your voice reach? Does it touch lot of people? Is it only in your immediate community or does it stretch beyond your city lines?

Why Is Your Voice Important?

People are listening. They want to hear what you have to say. If you aren’t the one putting it out there, then someone else will be talking and they will be listening. How many times have we seen ill information out there about topics like pet food? Your potential and existing clients will be listening to whoever is doing the talking. Potential clients would be impressed to see that the company they are considering trusting is one that is a thought leader and well respected.

When you have a voice, people will reach out to you. They will want to work with you or hire your services. They will write stories on how you are moving and shaking like Copyblogger did on Bella’s House & Pet Sitting. Networking partners will see you as an even more valuable connection because of all the people that you can reach on your own accord through your blogs of videos. Your voice is important and can heavily help or fade your business!

Your voice makes you an expert on your topic!

How Is Your Voice Different?

Are you changing the way things are done? For instance, not charging by time or paying your staff in a unique way? Are you taking a stand on certain topics like rescue, pet food, or elderly pet care? I want you to keep in mind that just because you write about something once, doesn’t mean you can’t write about it again and again and also post it again and again.

Not everyone sees or hears things the first time you say it!

Think about what you are posting on Facebook. It is a bunch of material that is borrowed from other sources? If so, you are helping their voice, not your own. Maybe it is one that is constantly talking about the negative like, “Another pet sitter doesn’t do X, well we do and it is for your safety because XYZ” That sounds so horrible!

Or is your FB filled with a bunch of funny pictures? That is great that you are making people laugh but what about the engagement part? Maybe you can create your own funny captions?

What does your website say? Could I read what is on your front page and literally copy and paste it to any other pet sitting website, or are you unique? What do your advertisements say? “Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Bonded and Insured and your phone number?” To me, that is BORING and when you have a page with other advertisements, it will not be memorable.

Take a look at this upside down advertisement I just ran in a local community magazine. Check out page 9. It gets a lot of attention.

What Do I Do Now?

Great question! Grab three of your friends and have them READ your website and facebook page. When they are done, ask them what they are feeling and WHO they think your business is. When you find out how they FEEL that is when you will find out what your voice is saying. Your voice might be saying exactly what you want it to say… although it may not. Just understand that you have your initial voice of your website and Facebook and then there is a whole new and higher level that you can take it too.

Ideas:
Videos with Veterinarians
Videos with Groomers
Videos with Pet Store Owners featuring different products
You on camera showing different games to play with your pet.
A interview series on your blog where you get everyone in your town to fill out the same questions and then you feature them on your blog, and then social media.