Should you talk about your family, share their pictures and home movies on your blog? Obviously, if you have a personal website that exists mainly to communicate with friends or family the answer is a resounding yes. (And don??™t forget more footage of the new baby!) However, if you??™re a professional who is promoting a product, whether an artist or a businessperson, this is a question that deserves more consideration. Consider the pros and cons of posting more ???personal??? glimpses into your life, besides just news related to the product.
First the pros. If you are an artist of any sort (actor, musician, director, writer) then the more you share of yourself, the more you may attract a targeted audience. However, even in this scenario you have to make sure that content is interesting and possibly a little more dramatic than real life. Some personal blogs have catapulted to virtual stardom, and the good news is that personal bloggers will usually retain that audience.
Other advantages to personal blogging are that you can brand yourself well and you have total freedom of speech. You are free to be controversial and can share your views on a wide variety of matters, which is great potential for welcoming huge traffic. You also never run out of information when blogging, because ???you??? are always the most fascinating subject!
However, there are some disadvantages to consider. If you are selling a product and have a targeted audience, revealing your personal life and views could challenge the beliefs and sensibilities of some customers. Running a controversial blog under your own name may even invite hostility or stalking!
You also have to consider the quality of writing before you embark on an ultra-personal campaign. Some individuals have a natural talent at writing and can make even the most mundane detail seem compelling to a wide readership. Others cannot and will risk boring their audience quickly. Also, if you plan on having a personal blog then you have to update it frequently, since audiences tend to lose interest when nothing seems to be happening in the blogger??™s life.
Lastly, and most importantly, if you have a blog full of personal commentary, then it will be far more difficult to sell that blog in the future. Someone who takes over writing the blog obviously doesn??™t know your life, nor can he or she easily take over the same style of writing.
There are pros and cons to starting a more personal blog. Remember to consider the market before making any major changes in direction.