What to Do When Your Inner Critic Gets Nasty
“Your writing isn’t good enough and will never be as good as Amy’s. Might as well give up, because your business will never be a success.”
At least that’s the story I used to tell myself when I first started studying online marketing.
At the time, I desperately wished I could write like Amy Porterfield.
And also that she and I could have the occasional pyjama party.
Because she’s so friendly, relatable, and kind.
If you’re anything like I was (and still am, sometimes), you can get discouraged when you compare your copy to that of your favourite online marketers.
But that nasty inner voice is lying to you.
Because the truth is that trying to sound like anyone but YOU isn’t going to build an authentic personal brand...
One that attracts your ideal clients and ardent fans.
It’ll only make you blend into the online crowd, which is the last thing you want.
So the next time that inner voice pipes up, actively deal with your inner by remembering these 3 things...
3 Things to Remember When Your Inner Critic Gets Nasty
1. Your voice IS enough, just as it is
Sure, you might not feel confident in your message or in how you say it quite yet, and that’s okay.
But that doesn’t mean that you need to sound like someone else, or that you need to make yourself sound fancier than you are.
Focus on being yourself and being clear, and your voice and message will get stronger.
2. Finding and refining your unique voice can take time and practice, and that’s normal⠀
When you start writing, it’s common to feel awkward and stilted. The lessons we learn in high school English and our corporate jobs stick with us for a while.
Give yourself grace and spend time writing (emails, IG captions, blog posts, in your journal) and you will find that writing gets easier and your voice feels more natural.
3. Your brand and audience need YOUR voice, not the imitation of someone else’s writing⠀
No matter how amazing the voices of Rachel Rodgers, Amy Porterfield, and Tyler J. McCall are, they’re not you.
Their voices are already taken and being used to build their businesses.
The people who are destined to become your ardent fans need to hear your message your way, and trying to sound like someone else not only won’t cut it, but it’ll make writing your content that much harder.
The Biggest Takeaways
Actively shut down your inner critic
Believe in the value of your unique voice
Developing your brand voice takes time and writing practice
Be yourself in your copy.