How To Use Voice Typing To Write Enticing Website Content

Remember those old movies where there was an office scene and the boss wanted to write a letter? All he had to do was say “Take this down!” and his secretary would take shorthand while the boss simply blurbed out what he wanted to say. 

I always wanted to be that boss, especially a few months ago. After a marathon day of writing I really needed to give my hands a break. My fingers were really hurting and I still had a bunch of pages to complete. I thought, “maybe there’s a way to dictate right into my computer.”

So I went on Google and did some searching around. I was fully expecting to find a paid transcription platform that would enable to me speak right into my computer. What I found was much better (and free!).

That’s when I discovered Voice Typing. It is available through Google Docs! All you have to do is open a Google docs document, click on Tools, click Voice Typing, and hit the mic. It’s almost like having your own personal secretary (who types!)

Voice Typing Is Excellent

Excessive keyboarding is a reason thousands of people develop arthritis in their hands. (See Study – Millenials Have Weak Hands.) The overuse of your phone, your keyboard, and your mouse is putting a tremendous amount of stress on the delicate joints in your hands. This is a great way to give your digits a little vacation.

And, I discovered this very cool and unexpected bonus. [clickToTweet tweet=”Voice Typing makes writing feel more conversational, authentic & compelling. ” quote=”Voice Typing makes writing feel more conversational, authentic & compelling. “]

Do you ever feel that your website and blog content just doesn’t feel authentic? It’s because when you write, there’s a distance between what’s going on in your brain and what’s going on the page. But when you just talk to someone, it’s a different story.

When you use Voice Typing, you can pretend that your ideal client is sitting right in front of you and you’re just having a conversation. Dull content be gone!

When Should You Use Voice Typing?

Voice Typing is a great way to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page without having to worry about structure or form. You can clean it up later. Or try to write your first draft the normal way and then read it out loud into Voice Typing. Try both methods to see what works best for you.

Power Tip: Print out a photo of your ideal client and tape to your computer monitor while you write. (Check out: Can A Headshot Write A Blog Post?)

The Drawback Of Voice Typing

You’re going to have to do a lot of editing, especially if you began writing your piece using Voice Typing. You have to verbally add punctuation, new lines, etc. And there will be quite a few misspellings. But with practice, you’ll get better at the process and there will be fewer things to correct.

I think it’s worth it to use Voice Typing so I can create more heartfelt content that connects on a more emotional and authentic way with my readers.

Power Tip: You may find yourself going off topic while you’re Voice Typing because that’s how a real conversation goes. If you do go off topic, rein yourself in, but don’t throw away those drafts. There could be some juicy blog content ideas in there for later on.

One caution: Don’t use Voice Typing when you’re on a tight deadline and don’t have time for careful editing.

How To Do Voice Typing

Here are some how-tos for you:

1. Diagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Video

https://vimeo.com/168684397

Gonna try Voice Typing? Come back and let me if know the content contains more energy and sparkle than when you simply type.