Be Yourself On Your Blog

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Not long ago, I attended a video-conference about blogging where one of the speakers made a point that I’d intuitively known but never really given much thought. There are, he said two reasons why people read blogs: to gain information and to be entertained.

That’s it. Just those two.

So how do you give readers what they’re looking for without boring or alienating them? Follow your mother’s advice: Be yourself.

Let’s assume you’re not an expert. Let’s assume that, even when do you have information to share with your readers you want them to actually enjoy the experience, preferably while also leaving insightful comments and maybe even linking your entries. The fastest route to accomplishing that is entertaining readers.

I’m not suggesting that you start posting knock-knock jokes or pictures of kittens with funny captions. In fact, please don’t. Just write about what you know best: you — your experiences, your opinions and your reactions to the world around you both on- and offline. And don’t be afraid to use the word I in your writing.

Anyone who has done anything personally has the authority to write on that topic. Even if you tried something and failed at it, you have the authority to write on that topic. There is a lot that can be learned from a failed attempt. A post titled “10 Marketing Ideas I Tried That Got Absolutely No Results,” would definitely capture my attention and could be incredibly useful.

Furthermore, speaking from a personal perspective makes your content more linkable. Bloggers, news sources, and other content publishers are more likely to link to the source of the information.

Which is not to say that your blog should be all “me, me, me” all the time. There’s a fine line between imbuing your writing with your personality and being a pompous, arrogant windbag.

A good test: if you are trying to show readers how witty, special, unique, fascinating or smart you are, the chances are you’re coming across the opposite way.

So next time you sit down to write a blog entry, think about your Mom’s advice and just be yourself, flaws and all.

Believe it or not, people prefer discovering that you’re just as normal as they are.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Blog Better (Blogging 401). Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Tagged in: blog | bloggers | blogging | writing

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