Below, you’ll find a video of Jim and Pam’s wedding. Allow me to explain.
There’s a lot of pressure on writers and producers and gurus and execs when it comes to events like Jim and Pam’s wedding. YEARS of sexual tension, flirting, playful comments, dating, a pregnancy – and it all comes down to this. I’m happy to report that NBC hit it out of the park.
How?
Consistency.
Everyone acted the way we expected them to act. No part of the event went as planned. Jim and Pam had to elope from their own wedding to have a magic moment. Kevin wore kleenex boxes instead of shoes. Dwight kicked the woman he’d just slept with in the face during the ceremony. (Accidentally, of course.)
The Office features characters so convincing that we believe they are real — and we believe they are real because they are consistent.
Are YOU being consistent with your writing voice in your web copy, your blog, and your marketing materials?
Words are a HUGE part of your brand, and are capable of conveying just how formal, posh, quirky, funny, casual, or feisty you are in your business. If your e-mails are laden with ‘OMG’s and ‘lol’s but your website copy is stiff and rigid, potential clients won’t know which one is the ‘real’ you.
Likewise, if your marketing materials are soft, sweet, and sappy, but you’re actually sarcastic and given to profanity, I guarantee you’re not attracting the right clients with those postcards.
Your identity needs to be CONSISTENTLY conveyed in your words. All your words, from web copy to your latest brochure to a quickie blog post to Twitter.
What’s that you say? You’re awful at writing?
Not so, my friend. Not so. If you have mastered the grammar skills taught in the fourth grade, you can write. You have a voice. The hallmark of ‘good’ writing is generally determined by the distinctive voice of the writer. Find that voice, and use it.
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