Reading a handful of blog posts recently about the blogging "voice" I thought I would throw my two cents in on the subject, in particular
Reinventing Your Blogging Voice.
I feel comfortable talking about this cause one I don't feel as guilty as some do about changing things and two, I have a very low worry about things as much as the rest of the world index. A blogging voice is your style, theme, or dominant thing you tend to wirte about. Some writers are controversial and deal in politics, religion and sex, others are strictly business with their real estate, staging, etc. focus, some are more human interest, current interest, personal interest, or even humorous, inspirational, or downright quirky. It is changing that style at some point that bothers some.
Say you have written 50 blog posts on farm and ranch as your specialty and now you are switching to historical homes or moved to another area of the country. Say you changed professions from REALTOR to Stager or perhaps photography. All well and good but now all your former blogs are not the current YOU that you want to talk about.
I would suggest a few things. First off for NOW and going forward be the real YOU, and write what you WANT to write about, and that you have a comfort level with that focus and that message and to that target audience that will be attracted to that. Second, bounce this new IDEA off with your trusted colleagues first before you launch ahead with it to get some initial feedback plus some encouragement. Write a transistion blog saying hey you used to be a REALTOR, you moved to Colorado from another state and now you are doing photography full time. Many have discussed should they edit all the former blogs saying they are now this new photographer person? I recommend no. They had value for who you were then, just leave those alone.
Three things if I can emphasize about this REINVENTING the new YOU to give you some solace in this upheaval with your writing:
- Don't worry about your new voice so much, as giving up the old you and that others won't understand this shift. It is refreshing as a reader to tell you the truth.
- QUIT feeling guilty that they won't like the new you, or that it is NOT RIGHT to change from that former you to this NEW PERSON. They'll get over it and if anything else they are GROWING right alongside you as you present this NEW VOICE. Don't be so full of yourself to think all these people are thinking about you 24/7 and YOUR life. They have their own issues to deal with.
- Now that those easy WORRY and GUILT issues are blasted aside, EMBRACE THE COMFORT OF YOU and just express this NEW YOU VOICE. We, your readers are actually looking forward to exploring the world WITH YOU in this new phase, whether it just be a new style, a new location, a new profession, your single now with before you were married or vice versa, you're an empty nester now..... blah blah blah
A new voice is a good thing. Fresh you know. Variety is the spice of life.
Comments(24)