a peek inside the fishbowl

Watch out! I’m feeling introspective today!

I was in a meeting last week, sort of a consulting thing. There were five of us around the table. We were talking about blogging, and reaching blog readers, when one of the people in the meeting turned to me and asked: “Why do you think people read YOUR blog?”

It was a good question, and it came a bit out of left field, which is why the first two words out of my mouth were probably something like “OH GEEZ.”

I didn’t see it coming, and to be honest, it’s not something I really spend a lot of time thinking about. I write about the things that are on my mind in that moment. If I only wrote about the things people wanted to read, about I would post cat videos and Vines of people falling on their faces. But I don’t. :)

I can only guess why people read along, but to answer this fellow’s question, I told him I thought people liked to read the blog because (a) they have found some connection, or something appealing in my voice, (b) they see something of value in my content, (c) they’ve gotten to know my family over time, so they come back, just to see what’s new.

He zeroed in on the voice part, or maybe I did, because it’s important part of the “how many people are reading” equation. What is it about someone’s voice that can be so engaging? What is voice anyway?

Obviously, it refers to a person’s written voice, the tone that a writer takes with his or her written work. It means a writer chooses some words over others. Or is brief. Or uses a lot of exclamation points!! Or perhaps is particularly loquacious when pontificating about the magnificence of their existence. Voice is unique to the individual who’s doing the talking (or writing, in this case).

Sidebar: I was participating in a Twitter chat that happens on Monday mornings (#blogchatca) and one of the discussion points had to do with grammar. Is good grammar necessary for a professional blog? Most people said yes, of course it is. And for the most part, I agree. If I was hiring a freelance writer for the paper I’d certainly think twice if their spelling was atrocious. If I was a TV producer looking for someone to provide a commentary on current events, I would check their blog and look for intelligence there, and spelling and grammar are a part of that. But here’s the thing: blogging allows us the freedom to embrace certain quirks in type, quirks that makes our voice unique. Whether it’s double exclamation marks or ALL CAPS or dramatic pauses created with the help of … punctuation. Grammar is becoming less important in a blog. It’s important in a resume, but less so in the social media sphere.

But getting back to the idea of the authentic voice, I think it comes down to this: readers will follow bloggers who are authentic and like-minded. If they like what you’re writing and how you write it, they’ll probably (a) come back (b) share your site with friends (c) trust your recommendations.

The last point is a big deal. This is influence, and it’s what marketers and public relations people have pounced on in order to sell ideas, products, and all kinds of things.

But there’s that word, authentic. It’s been rolling around in my brain ever since that meeting and I wanted to jot down a few things about blogger authenticity, and what it actually means, because it’s become bloggy jargon that I don’t think is very well understood or appreciated.

So why is it important to be an authentic blogger? If you’re reading this, and you’re a blogger, it might be helpful to backtrack a moment and think about WHY you are blogging, and what your goals are.

• Do you want to work with brands and get free stuff?
• Do you want to make a living?
• Do you want to become an expert in your field?
• Do you want to chronicle your life for your family?
• Do you want a book deal?
• Do you want it to lead to a job?

There is no wrong answer here, but your goal will help inform the kind of writing you might do, and the voice you might want use, and get you thinking about what it means to be an authentic blogger.

So… what are the habits of authentic bloggers?

Authentic bloggers are open and honest about the topics they write about. If they are reviewing a product they received from a brand, they inform their readers at the beginning of the post as well as at the end. Authentic bloggers disclose business relationships and also give credit where credit is due. That means giving proper photo credit, or linking to a source, or acknowledging that someone else inspired you to bake that cake or make that craft.

Authentic bloggers mention the good AND the bad, pros and cons, as fairly and objectively as possible. This is how they earn reader trust.

Authentic bloggers think carefully about which brands with which they align themselves. I see bloggers proclaim their love for one business, and then do the same for the exact opposite kind of business. It doesn’t make sense to write gushing prose in praise of The Totally Green Natural Cleaning Product (I’m making this scenario up) and then do the exact same for Giant Multinational Chemical Burn Anti-bacterial Spray. I can’t understand people who do this. It doesn’t make sense. Perhaps those bloggers are too close to the marketing machine and aren’t thinking about the optics of it. I suppose, in theory, one CAN be a consumer of both products, but when the person is extolling the virtues of both he/she just looks like someone who will sell themselves to the highest bidder. (Sorry, but there it is.)

And how honest is honest? Honesty certainly doesn’t have to mean that you spill your guts, or display all of the ugly. Perhaps this one might be up for debate, but I don’t think a blogger needs to be SO honest that he or she is sharing every seedy detail. For example, you stubbed your toe. Do you need to upload a photo of your bashed in toe, with your toenail falling off? You do not. But perhaps, if you’re a baker who writes a baking blog and your soufflé collapses, posting about your latest mishap will probably add to your appeal. There IS a line in there. You know what I mean? Perhaps this leads to my next point:

An authentic blogger knows that it’s important to be yourself, but your most professional self, because you don’t know who’s reading and what opportunities you might be missing by someone passing over the blog because of a photo of a bloody toe.

A good reputation takes years to build. If we are are using our blogs as a stepping stone to achieve higher goals, we need to think about authenticity and whether our bloggy habits are building our reputation up, or tearing it down.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, whether you’re a blogger or a blog reader. What does authenticity mean to you?