Blogidentity Crisis (That’s “Blog” + “Identity Crisis”)
Author: kinsley // Category: Blogs, Let's Be Honest
I’ve been having a bit of a blogidentity crisis.
I don’t use the past tense here because I’m not sure I’m really through it.
So, what’s a blogidentity? Simply put, I’m defining it as who you are in the realm of social media. Some might define it as your personal online brand. And as is quoted by so many books and blogs on branding, your brand isn’t who you say you are. It’s who they say you are.
But what if they aren’t saying anything about you? Or worse, what if they don’t really care at all?
That’s a bit overdramatic, I know. But it’s a harsh truth of the blogosphere. I watched some video somewhere at some point where Seth Godin (marketing guru) made the point that, with regards to your blog and social media presence, “I don’t care about you. I care about me.”
What that means is all of you readers of Enigmatic Meanderings, for the most part, don’t really care what I have to say simply because you like me or something. You only care in as much as what I have to say (what I write) matters to you.
To be honest, I haven’t gotten that.
I wrote a little while back about the best use of my blog ever. I had huge readership for a few days. Though I continued to post, this quickly trickled off because people didn’t care about the other stuff I was writing about. They cared about Sterling. And that’s great, except…
I interpreted their rejection of my content as a rejection of me.
And it doesn’t help that I’ve been away from this blog for basically a month and not one person has asked if or when I’d be back at it.
I don’t say all that to throw a pity party for myself. I write it to let you know that I (once again) am just having to re-evaluate this whole thing and try to decide what to do.
If I say I’m writing just for the sake of doing it, because I enjoy it, because it’s good to just create, because I’m an “artist” or whatever and making “art” is what I do… I’d just be lying.
I write to be read. Any writer who says they do otherwise is probably full of it, to be honest.
So, thank you for reading.
And every now and then, if you don’t mind and it’s not too much trouble, let me know you’re there.
How do you deal with/embrace/overcome/develop your blogidentity?
Tags: Blog Comic, Blog Comic Strip, Blog Identity, Blog Identity Crisis, Blogging Comic, Blogging Comic Strip, Blogidentity, Blogidentity Crisis, Blurgh, Blurgh Comic, Blurgh Comic Strip, Comic, Comic Strip, Dealing with Blog Rejection, Dealing with Rejection, Evauation, Identity Crisis, Personal Brand, Personal Online Brand, Pity Party, Rejection, Social Media Brand, Social Media Presence, Why I Write, Write to be Read
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Great thoughts Chris. I totally agree. Thanks for sharing and I hope you are well.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:39 am
I read your stuff. Good thoughts. Why does the cartoon character have a mustache?
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 am
I stopped blogging for about half a year because I was getting too emotionally wrapped up in it, wondering if anyone was reading it, and if so, who. It’s only recently that I’m considering picking it back up.
I read all of your posts and always enjoy them! It always helps me to know what in the world is going on in your realm of the office.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
I read your posts. Every one.
As to the last question, I do it by not caring about any other people, at all, ever.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I read your blog, Chris, and I enjoy your posts. I think you’re right about most people wanting to write to be read, but I think it’s good to have an outlet where you can express things anyway. I used to blog a lot, but when readership fell away, I stopped too. Now I’ve picked it up again, but mostly for myself. I know that not too many people read it, but it’s still enjoyable for me to post from time to time.
December 7th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Glad your’re back at it. Missed the insight. I guess I haven’t told you that, but it’s true. So count me in the frequent readership.