Some Thoughts & Observations on Authenticity, Being Judgmental and Making Things Right

When a blog is used for professional marketing and networking, one of the big questions is always how much of the blogger's personal views to include and how much of his or her personal life to reference.

Great question, and there's no consensus. For example, some of my online PR and social media colleagues openly weave personal events from their lives into their blog posts, frequently to illustrate some point, but sometimes just to share with readers and others in the profession. But another colleague has a policy not to mention anything personal, whether in online or offline conversations, unless it's on a superficial and inconsequential "small talk" level. These are, of course, vastly different approaches.

I've often wondered what the right balance is, given that blogging and other social media, is, well, social in nature. When readers who are perhaps not very familiar with the culture of social media, as well as readers from traditional corporate environments (where the belief in message control still exists and is desperately hung on to), come across a post that's more personal in nature, how will they respond? Will they assume the blogger is not "being professional" in that instance?   

I've been thinking about this more in the past few days after the conversations I had with several of the session leaders and attendees at BlogOrlando. Those immersed in blogging and social media were more comfortable with the inevitable intertwining of the "purely" professional (although I'd argue that there is no such thing) with the personal, while those individuals who came from more traditional and corporate environments were still wary about it all.   

The fact is, however, that even the most closely guarded people leave impressions behind, if not in their actual blog posts, then in such public venues as the comments on other blogs, in podcasts, on MySpace and other similar sites, in Flickr pictures (those they upload, those they appear in and the manner in which they appear, and those they choose as favorites), on message boards or business review sites.

Since individuals inevitably reveal more about ourselves than they usually realize, perhaps the answer is in being authentic (yeah, "authenticity" is one of those words that's been horribly overused lately) instead of posed, plastic or uni-dimensional. This does not mean letting it all hang out. But it does mean not trying to uphold some artificial appearance.

Perhaps it also means being less judgmental about certain things (see Scott Baradell's post about the attacks on public figures who show human fallibility); recognizing the richness, as Lee Hopkins described, that online communications, despite their limitations and risks, provide us -- and our responsibility in this process; and the need to try to make amends when we've made mistakes or wronged someone (see Gary Goldhammer's humorously-written, but with a serious message, Yom Kippur: A Post of Atonement -- L’shanah Tova, Gary). 

(Image from My Little Sheba)

Comments

[Kami Huyse]

I thnk personality is part fo the package, but I am careful to keep it light. For instance, most people could care less what I had for breakfast, but what I read during breakfast, and what I think of it. That is another matter altogether.

[Sam Smith]

That's a good way to put it Kami.

I've thought a lot about this recently. As someone who uses his blog/site for professional and personal blogging I did worry that there may be some readers who are put off by reading posts that are professional/personal in content. I've got round it by splitting off the content on my blog into categories so that the reader can choose to read the lot or just the stream that interests them.

I do think that the impression that Andrea mentions is very important, at least to me. I think that allowing a certain amount of personality or humanity to seep into my online presence inevitably helps me out when it comes to face-to-face dealings professionally and it also means that the my non-professional readers get a bit of an insight into what it is I do which makes explaining my job a whole lot easier.

[Jack Yan]

One solution is to have a separate blog for personal-themed posts, or at least a place to which one can cross-post. Eventually, I discovered, the two blogs develop characters of their own: one professional, one personal.

[Serge]

Andrea, I suppose your thoughts and observations are something most bloggers struggle with at some point. I, for one, do tend to reveal a lot of personal stuff on my blog. But no more than I would do to 'strangers' in 'the real world'. I guess it boils down to what you're comfortable with and/or who your audience is (or who you would like it to be), as well as to what extent you take them into consideration. In any case, the moment you let it hang out too much, we'll let you know... ;-) Oh: and please do the same in return!

[makethelogobigger]

Both have advantages. But, are we really talking about someone’s personality coming out rather than their personal info?

Going personal means at some point you do open yourself up to having to reveal things about your personality.

Not saying anything deep needs to come out, but as a person writes more and becomes comfortable with blogging, you naturally tend to loosen up and share more.

As for going pro, I think it's possible to reveal a little personality without giving away the farm and still remain professional.

[Andrea Weckerle]

Creating different blogs for different purposes (e.g. professional vs. personal) doesn't eliminate the ability of readers to access both and is simply an artificial demarcation. Everything's searcheable now, regardless of location. Based on online content and behavior, one can learn a lot about someone on a personal level, whether or not that person tends to talk about the family dog or how they voted in the last election.

[Philip Young]

I am very interested in the way a blogger's personality shows through in their postings. We each make calls personal calls on where to strike a balance between professional and private (although in my case it an fluctuate depending on mood and topic) and I think simply being aware of making this distinction is useful.

It occurs to meet that I 'use' New Millennium PR for two reasons connected reasons. Firstly, you write about things that interest me in an appealling way (which if we were meeting face-to-face would mean I like you) but I have just realised that I seldom leave without looking at your photographs, and photography is a fairly form of self-expression. So in a way there are two 'discourses' going on here, and for me at least, they are complementary - I somehow value your thoughts on PR rather mor because I have insight through your photography into the way you see the world.

[Andrea Weckerle]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. You're reading the blog AND looking at the photos to try to get a more complete view of the person behind it all. Everyone online leaves behind a "personality profile" that, while it may not be comprehensive, certainly is revealing.

[makethelogobigger]

"the ability of readers to access both and is simply an artificial demarcation."

Yes, but is it? Isn't there only so much a reader can get out of a post if the blogger doesn’t want to reveal much beyond superficial content?

Granted, we read blogs for the different personalities each has, but I don’t see how we can pretend to know the real blogger behind the post anymore than I can the know the real-life actor behind the character in a film I just saw.

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I think Kami has a point in controlling the tone. Something we all try to do I imagine.

The other problem with blogging in this regard is that it eliminates the sublte inflections/details of voice that can make the difference between sarcasm and serious.