Warning: This Blog Contains Me

Who are you? – Roger Daltrey

When it comes to blogging, there are two fundamental things that must be known:

1. We must know who you are; and,
2. YOU must know who you are.

Whereas the first one in the list is very important (SEO, content marketing and all that jazz), I’d like to focus on the second item for this post.

Socrates Ain’t Just What You Wear At The World Cup

“Know Thyself” is attributed to Socrates from centuries ago.  How could he know it would hold so much weight in blogging?

It’s a pretty basic principle: if you don’t know who you are and what you represent, how the hell are we supposed to figure it out?  Some people call it an elevator pitch, others call it a statement of purpose, but whatever you call it, here’s a good exercise for you.  Take the next 30 seconds and answer Roger Daughtry’s initial question: Who are you?

And……….begin. [30 seconds of dead air]

Okay, stop.  Was it difficult to spontaneously define yourself in 30 seconds?  Most people think so.  There’s a great post from LDS Employment Services with tips and suggestion for what to include in your “Me in 30 Seconds” statement.

You Like Me, You Really Like Me

Another great tactic to answering the “Who am I” quandary is to simply ask someone close to you that you trust to give you an honest answer.  Many times perception is reality (I should know, I write about perceptual lenses all day) so you can get really good insights into how people see you by simply asking.

Social Media Identity Crisis

Online self-awareness is so important that I cannot think of a single “successful” blog where the author waivers on the issue.  Do you think Chris Brogan or Gary Vaynerchuk or Jay Baer ever wonder who they are going to be in their blog posts?  What about Perez Hilton or Adrianna Huffington?  Think again, Mistoffelees.

Do I Know You?

The reason it is imperative that you fully understand who you are as you write is so you can form emotional connections with your audience.  If you know yourself and convey that through your writing, people will learn your story and connect with you.

It’s not magic, it’s how all relationships are created and maintained.  They are reading your work, they want to know you.  Give the people what they want.  But first you have to know what that is and be honest with everyone about it.

What do you think, how important is a good self-awareness to blogging?