A Voice Brings a New Level to Your Words

February 20, 2013 By Jon 6 Comments

Regular visitors to this site will know that I’m an avid podcaster. I’ve had the smart and savvy Jamie Wallace on the show twice now and I’ve been encouraging her to try and do something with audio herself for a while now.

Yesterday, Jamie sent me a DM on Twitter inviting me to check out her most recent blog post on content marketing that also included an audio version. It’s embedded here for you to listen:

Now I was watching Arsenal lose to Bayern München in the Champions League at the time the tweet came through but it being Jamie I decided to check the audio out right away. Within seconds Jamie’s voice had taken over the moment and I was focusing solely on this.

Now Jamie is a fantastic writer; I’m a keen reader. However, I let the pace of the audio guide me, the personality of the delivery and content seize my attention and followed it carefully to the very end.

Hand on heart, Jamie, I don’t know if I would have read the same blog post with as much attention to the detail.

Show, Don’t Tell

I mailed Jamie afterwards and tweeted my appreciation to some friends but I wanted to share here just how important a tool voice is. I’ve said time and again how important audio (and video) is to small businesses as it gives us the opportunity to show who we are.

Make no mistake, I’m putting the emphasis on show and not tell here.

Now although Jamie didn’t use the geeky audiosnob gear like I do to record my podcast, simply speaking into the mic on her Mac, the quality is fine and brings a whole new dimension to her content marketing.

This is something that as business people we would be wise to remember.

I encourage you, if you are a small business owner, to try and overcome any hesitation, fear, embarrassment or lack of technological knowhow you might have to give audio, podcasting, internet radio, call it what you will a go.

In that way, visitors who stumble onto your site have a chance of learning about who you and what you can do for them.

This is not about being an awesome salesperson; this is about showing the unique qualities that make you who you are.

Sure, your voice might drive some folks away; but your voice will also resonate with others.

What do you think ?

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http://twitter.com/suddenlyjamie Jamie Wallace

Hello, Jon!
Thanks so much for sharing this. You, my friend, are the inspiration behind my little experiment. I’ve so enjoyed my conversations with you and believe firmly in the power of audio to encourage deeper engagement.

I never thought about it in the context of “show, don’t tell,” but you’re so right!

As for all the “geeky audiosnob gear” (love that), I’m not there yet, but I’m getting ready to explore further. As you said, though, for people who are interested in trying out audio in their content marketing, you don’t need anything fancy. “Just ship it!” as they say.

Onward and upward!
http://jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Just ship it! I heard that from someone else a few minutes ago
http://twitter.com/Soulati Jayme Soulati

Jamie sounds like she’s doing an op-ed, perspective peace, a reading from a book with a command of authority. Wow, Jamie, I am impressed with your work here! It’s the first step to ‘be like Jon already!’

I’m so happy you’re taking this path; it’s where I want to go, too!
http://jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

I know, I was so knocked out by this. Made me think of Alistair Cooke, Andy Rooney.
You next ?
http://www.honestmarketingrevolution.com/ Erica Holthausen

I have loved watching the way we all inspire each other. Jon, Jamie introduced me to you work just a little bit before your eBook on Podcasting was released and I got to hear her talking about wanting to explore podcasting a little bit. I thought she was crazy. Not because I didn’t believe in the power of podcasting, but because the very idea terrified me. So I kept listening. And then you had Jamie on the show a couple of months ago to talk about branding. Right after that, I was invited to be a guest on another podcast. Suddenly, I got it! Light dawns on marble head and it all clicks into place! The written word alone is quite powerful. But audio gives us a whole different dimension. Suddenly the words are there, but so is tone of voice. It’s an additional data point that allows us to get better acquainted and feel like we know you. It’s even more effective at building relationships than the traditional blog post. Nothing that I’m saying here is new to you, but it was a lightbulb moment for me and I was inspired to play around a bit with both audio and video for an online class. Now that Jamie’s published her first audio piece, I just might get up the nerve to do it too! Ah, the ripple effect!
http://jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

Oh, that’s awesome Erica !!! I’m so excited to hear that. Having got to know so many through Twitter and blogs it’s been great to put voices to words.
Video does that too, of course, as you know but there’s something special about listening to a podcast. It’s that in ears moment, or whilst you’re driving along in the car.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you need a bit of gentle support.

Very best wishes,
Jon