By Jayme Soulati–“The Bean”
Authenticity is at risk. There is too much pressure as a professional blogger to monetize, engage, develop a brand, be a leader with unique content, and utilize digital marketing for lead generation and search marketing. When you’re making the climb from newbie blogger to professional, there are many bloggers ahead of you to follow and heed their examples.
It’s not hard to see that all the tools of the trade to create the largest professional brand are right there for the plucking; but, at what expense?
Are you risking your own identity as a professional by changing it up too fast or too much? How do you feel as a blogger when you sit down to write?
These are questions that need asking on your path because there’s one thing about blogging I want to instill with you:
- Genuine and authentic persona as a blogger are traits that will always be critical to success; always.
- If or when you become mechanical about the journey, it’s time to take a break.
- If or when you put more strength on analytics to tell you what to write and determine your success, it’s time to re-visit your original goals.
- If or when you lose focus of your personality and are writing without verve, think about your core.
I have always written content from my circles of inspiration; rarely if ever have I written content based on analytics or key words. Perhaps that’s short-sighted; perhaps not.
I realize there are solid reasons to write more content based on how people come to visit; however, I also realize that’s not the goal of my writing, either. Even if I was to put up a ton of posts oriented to message mapping, for example, people would probably get tired of seeing the same thing, and I would get pretty bored with it, too.
When you write, be sure to keep your personality in the story. It doesn’t have to be written in the first person to do that; it has to have your spirited delivery.
The thing about analytics I’ve always pondered is whether it would pirate authenticity. We know Google continues to adjust its algorithm to wreak havoc on everyone’s crazy-ometer. If you depend on analytics every day to determine what to write, then you’re risking authenticity. That’s my view, any takers?
You always have a diverse line up of content here, Jayme… It keeps me coming back for more; I learn something new everytime I visit… Cheers to your work, miss!
Thanks for this reminder – IF I will be me, open and honest about this journey, then the rest has a way of falling into place. People will see when I am just trying to get into their wallets, gain their follow, or use them in some way – if not now then eventually.
Kathryn Lang Hi, Kathryn! Head down, plug away, be you, be real. Then, when the time is right, you’ll know when to change it up a bit. Hard selling on blogs doesn’t feel right to me, either. Thank you for coming by, Kathryn!
Mark_Harai Ahem, I think you know a heckuva lot more than you say! You’re the #RockHot bomb for being such a support here, Mark. Thank you.
I love your use of the phrase ‘spirited delivery’ Jayme. You nailed it in two words! Nice.
I have these thoughts.. esp. when I see people say and write one thing when they think, do another. I think authenticity and voice matter, as do goals and strategy. But when the goals are eyeballs and clicks to get social cred and vanity metrics that’ll somehow turn into a payday b/c that’s how the game is played – IDK, I think some tend to throw caution to the wind and go for it. It’s a job after all.
I don’t look at my GA that often — very bad of me. I also don’t worry so much about those referrers and keywords when in reality, I should. Doesn’t mean I’d change my voice or personality. I do that now in so much as when I do post, it’s out of obligation, it’s from thinking ‘hmm, what would a SMB owner be searching? would this get me the reader that connects me to my dream job?’ And my lack of ROI is why (as I was just telling CraigMcBreen) I’m on/off the blogging wagon these days.
Bringing it back to the GA– it’s not just authenticity you risk if you write ONLY for that; it’s reach, it’s audience, it’s opportunity. My problem has always been the battle of writing for the audience I have (insiders mostly, no one doing the hiring, a few tire kickers) vs. the ones I want (those outside the echoblogochambershere, those hiring, not so small budgeted SMBs, and esp. a few major brands looking to shake things up). So if you focus only on what’s already bringing clicks and eyeballs, don’t you risk losing everyone else? don’t you limit yourself to thinking that’s why and what got people there, when it could be something else? And so on. Like everything else, the tools and data are meant to support, to aid not to drive, not to lead; you manage the tools, you don’t let them manage you. FWIW.
3HatsComm CraigMcBreenYou and I? Same boat with one oar. I should also be doing more GA work, but it risks my authentic self. I’ve never been one to follow the pack, and that is the pack. At the end of the day, we who sustain the path must continue to be inspired by people, not data.
Craig, what are you finding on your digital journey? I know you’ve changed it up!
digitaljgo And, I saw your post reblogged over at BloggerBeat, too, John! You’re the epitome of authentic…like.
Soulati | Hybrid PR digitaljgo *blushing* Thanks for your kind words, Jayme. That reblog made my day!
Soulati | Hybrid PR 3HatsComm I agree with most of your points for sure! One of the reasons I’m starting a 2nd blog … quite a departure from my current property 🙂