2016, right?
Such a strange, difficult year. Lots of us are thinking about the artists we lost — poets, musicians, cultural icons.
Of course, famous people die every year — but this one had a nasty streak. Bowie, Prince, Ali, Cohen, Fisher, and so many more. People who went far beyond entertaining us.
We never met them, but they changed everything.
Because they found the courage to speak, and sing, and cry out with real voices. Screwed up, weird, flawed, masterful. Sometimes broken, sometimes triumphant, but real.
Truth and courage
Every year, the first week of January inspires us to look ahead, to resolve to be better.
This year is not normal.
This year, it’s not “lose five pounds (again)” or “finally get the junk drawer organized.”
This year, our challenge is to be honest enough and brave enough to change the world.
You have something to say — whether it’s with your blog, with a podcast, with video, with your art or your music. You have something to contribute that no one else can.
We need that now.
You have a voice that’s irreplaceable. It can’t be turned into a clever algorithm. It can’t be duplicated and it can’t be churned out for a penny a word.
We need that now.
It’s about you
As we progress (if progress is the right word), one thing is clear: any time communication can be automated, it will be.
Sports scores, statistics, facts and figures. Anything that can be charted and analyzed by a machine can be turned into some form of automated content.
You will never find success writing like a machine. If your work can be done by a bot, it will be.
Individual, fresh, genuine human voices have always been what worked. They connect us with one another. They present ideas in ways we haven’t thought about before. They make us laugh and they make us angry, and they make us think.
We don’t need any more cynical, mass-produced content.
In 2017, as automation takes over so much routine communication, real human voices become more important, not less.
It’s not about you
If you run a business, you’re changing the world.
If you write content for a business, you’re changing the world.
Not by selling more “best-of-breed solutions for disruptive excellence.”
But by making art that builds the connections between human beings who want things and human beings who make things.
I know there are plenty of people who will think I’m nuts for saying that the content we craft for our businesses can be art.
I don’t care.
Business matters. Making a living matters. Supporting your family matters. And I am never going to tell you to be complacent about those things.
But don’t do it at the expense of your human voice. It doesn’t work, and it’s not what the world needs from you. Sing the song only you can sing.
2017 needs you
We need people who are not afraid of hard work and big ideas.
We need people who understand that the web is made of real human beings, with problems and feelings and complicated lives.
We need people who will resist the epidemic of unkindness.
If you ever thought that this abstract thing called “content” was more important than connection to your audience, you were misreading the situation — badly. Content works because it builds a connection to real people.
2017 needs your voice — your unique expression and humanity.
Of all the “back to basics” advice we give, this one (in my excruciatingly humble opinion) is the most important.
Be strategic, for sure. But don’t let that erase or diminish your genuine and courageous human voice.
Reader Comments (37)
Hi Sonia,
Thank you for your smart and warm voice. I always find it refreshing.
Couldn’t agree more with the premise of this article: that a strong human voice will become even more important in an age of automated content.
Copyblogger readers would benefit from doing a “my 3 words for the year” exercise, courtesy of Chris Brogan. You choose three words that will guide your actions and efforts throughout the year. I’ve been doing it for the past five years, and I’ve seen some great results from it. This year I consulted James Clear’s excellent list of common core values. That’s a great place to start in case you’re unsure about what to pick.
Let the words you choose guide your writing AND your daily actions. Your voice will become stronger for it.
(If you’re curious, my three words for 2017 are “growth, self-respect, and contribution”. Hence the blog comment!)
Hey Sonia,
Thanks for sharing this post! It’s very important for people, especially marketers, to speak their opinion. Often times, we try to silence ourselves for the comfort of others; however, our unique perspectives is what creates innovative brands, products, and services.
Thanks Olle!
I think if I had three words for this year they’d be Courage, Truth, and maybe Beauty. We need some refreshment from all the hard stuff. 🙂
This might be my favorite article you’ve ever written.
It’s difficult to stay true to yourself and to human connection when there are so many “softer and easier” ways to create. I was talking with my team about it yesterday and we realized that all the blogs we follow and videos we watch and people we are enamored by are all just people talking to us about their experience and truth.
That enough was an “oh yeah duh” moment. Chris Ducker, Brian Clark, Rami Sethi, Gary Vee. Casey Neistat… none of them automate their content because they all speak from their authentic selves.
So why would I think to do any different?
Thank you, Tim!
The great sea of me-too, ordinary content keeps getting deeper and deeper. Adding to it just doesn’t do much good for anyone.
Thank you so much Sonia!
I was just talking earlier today with another copywriter about the rise of automation and how it is going to affect the content creation world…your article is a beautiful response to that.
Thank you for this clarion call, Sonia.
I will be me in 2017.
I love that!
2016 was terrible year especially in my country ( Turkey ) . We had lots of trouble. I hope 2017 will be good. We need this. Thanks for the article Sonia.
I’ve been following the news in Turkey with such a heavy heart. I hope this year brings better things. I fear 2017 will continue to be very tough.
Thank you for this post, Sonia. I wholeheartedly agree with this: “Business matters…but don’t do it at the expense of your human voice.”
But what if you’re writing for someone else? Can you copy your clients’ voice so that the content you’ve written blends well with theirs? Or is it okay to let your personality shine through the content no matter whose byline appears on it?
It’s a delicate balance, but it’s so interesting to find it. It’s your role to be their scribe — to help the companies you write for find *their* true voice, to create material for them that won’t just get lost in all the white noise.
There’s a real art to learning to speak with your clients’ voice. I see it as something like being an actor, or writing a fictional character. You’re interpreting a role, which you can still infuse with “truth” (in an artistic sense) — and of course keep your commitment to be truthful in the literal sense also.
That means you need to work for companies courageous enough to say something worth saying.
“You’re interpreting a role, which you can still infuse with ‘truth’ (in an artistic sense) — and of course keep your commitment to be truthful in the literal sense also.”
Wow, I never thought of it that way! I will keep this in mind. Thank you so much for answering my questions, Simone! 🙂
Great Post Indeed!
I am really impressed by your line “Content works because it builds a connection to real people.”
I really appreciate this article. It’s worth a lot for me.
Sonia, you’ve been reading my mind. My theme for the year is thinking of content as art. If you are a content creator, you are making art – building something that lasts and will continue to move people. I have thought of my podcast as an art project for the last two years. Aside from its purpose in my business, it’s a record of my work. I’ve created something and every episode, even the oldest, is still relevant today.
So yes. Let’s use our voices to make the world better. We can help solve problems big and small with our “art”.
(cheering) Thanks Chris. 🙂
Next time someone asks why they’d spend money on copywriting when they can just plug in some keywords and get the robot to crank out copy, I’m referring them to this article. 😀
Ha! Totally do it. 🙂
Awesome advice as usual Sonia! Happy New Year to you, and I am loving your “confessions” podcast…. =)
Thanks David!
I have a resolution to restart “Confessions” — working on juggling my schedule to make it make sense. 😀
Sonia! This is a FANTASTIC article! So inspiring and spot on. I could gush further… but I’ll refrain. Thank you for walking your talk and helping to set a positive tone for the new year.
Warm hugs,
Sydni
Hi Sydni! Nice to see your name and face again. 🙂
I thank you for this post and the importance of relevant content in 2017. It takes courage to write honest, relate-able and empowering content. It takes courage to write authentically for others. It will take more encouraging posts like yours to help writers, creatives and other people, in and out of business, to step outside of their comfort zones and make life better through their platforms, voices and advocacy for positive change.
Thank you Sonia! That was beautifully written. From the heart. Real. Inspiring without over exciting… well I could go on… but perhaps if I just take your lead and write.
Thank you!!
Sonia
I enjoyed this article very much. Thank you.
But I have to admit I feel that its smooth caramel topping is hiding something much less smooth – something the spaces between your words are really saying.
The people I’ve met who speak using their authentic voice can silence a room. And that silence opens a chasm. Not saying it’s a bad thing but I suspect you’re ready for revolution. I’m going to be reading you closely in2017. I’d hate for you to start the revolution without me.
Best wishes for the chasm you’re opening.
The way I see it, the most important revolution right now is the one that lets people take care of themselves and their families … things are changing so quickly, and it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
I agree completely. That kind of back-to-basics revolution rings true. It’s on my mind these days, much more so that it was 5 years ago.
That and legacy. As my own retirement approaches, I spend my time wondering if I’ve created anything of value to leave behind. I suspect drinking beer on the beach will not qualify.
It seems kind of selfish to just leave a cheque and says thanks for the fish.
I look forward to more of your writing in 2017.
Amen!
I’m printing this out and giving it to all my staff to kick off the year. Thank you!
Cool! 😀
This article is very good. I like it.Interesting post. Thanks for posting this.Please share more information.
Inspiring. Truthful. Thank you.
I love this post – thank you. While my own business is trying to automate many of the functions that are back office stuff, we still love the humble old phone for connecting with our customers. About one third of them make the first connection to us by phone – even though they have found us via the web. The human voice is such a comfort because it is real and hard to hide behind.
I want my world to remain alive and not succumb to the numb-dumb of the senses which the flat horizon of the machine leads us towards
Thank you, Sonia! This helps me reframe how I think about content. It’s art.
This is a wonderful intention for 2017–get back to basics of unique expression.
And, this:
“Content works because it builds a connection to real people.”
In 2017, I will create art to build connection.
I will add my voice to this, even though many smart, switched-on people have already left a comment! Look yes, absolutely it is about human voices, I always have a moan about the ‘generic’ nature of online content, and you touched on this with your remark about ‘automated, mass produced content’ – wow, there is just too much of it! And approaches to using social media, cynical sales-based NLP, obviously emotive posts to to illicit a response (because people tend to buy more readily if they are triggered) I agree, our content matters and we should be working towards refining it and building more connections.
I got chills, and then tears in my eyes, reading this one, Sonia.
Such a powerful reminder.
And so true.
Thank you.
Hi Sonia,
This is incredible. Thanks for writing.
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