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Having Multiple (Blogging) Personalities

Having Multiple (Blogging) Personalities

I’m a nice guy. I believe in peace, love and harmony. But I also want to be a successful blogger. It’s no secret that controversial posts that take an unabashed stance on a hot-button issue generate serious traffic. If we’re going to be completely honest, sometimes being a pr*ck, is the best thing you can do for your blog. Since nice guys finish last, here are two ideas on how you can blog out of character.

Create Personas. Latin for “mask,” a persona can give the flexibility and creative license you need to take a stance that you might normally avoid. Like an actor on stage you get to ‘ham’ it up, and at the end of the day, return to your normal self. There’s no guilt about what you did or said on stage, because you know what your true morals and beliefs are.

Write as an Inanimate Object. One of my more popular posts had me pretending I was a keyboard.

Writing from a different perspective can open your mind to thoughts you would not otherwise have. It’s an interesting way to tackle a topic you’d like to cover – and you might be surprised by the results.

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If you do decide to blog as a character, I would recommend considering a second or third pen name. There are often things we’d like to write about, but understand that everything we publish can come back to bite us. This is where using a different blogging name can come in handy. You still get the authentic, real-life experiences that make blogs great – but without endorsing any ideas with your “real” name.

Do you ever blog as someone else? Is it something you would consider doing?

View Comments (11)
  • Great Idea I was thinking as Writing as MyEviltwin when I wish to Promote a Product on My blog.I could write an Introduction that explains the Authors ways so I do not get the Blame Personally,I also find that when you give Information on How to Do Things that you never get a Thank you

  • As I like to write clear-cut stuff in my blog, I´m using a nickname right away. Not because I couldn´t stand up for what I write in person, but because I don´t want to be confronted with it in inappropriate situations: As a teacher I´m aware that colleagues, parents or pupils might (and will) google my name on the Internet. I want the conversation to take place where I initiated it, not somewhere else. But I would not be surprised either: Since my first criterion for blogging is authenticity, I would not post stuff that I could not stand up for in a discussion.

  • Because my blog is me out there in public, I hit the wall when sensitive, personal things starting happening to me and my family. I chose not to write about these topics, as not to upset my family, but I realize that writing about “safer topics” feels dishonest and unsatisfying. As a result, I have stopped writing completely.

    In the past, I have blogged anonymously on various sensitive topics. The downside to that was I didn’t feel like I made any real connection with readers. It was more of a stage show than dialogue.

  • Actually I do so for my clients who don’t have time to run their blogs. It’s not easy to have never been in a location and write about how it feels let alone getting into a different personality.

    I totally agree with you that each character should have its own name and take responsibility for what he/she says, BUT when you do this for your clients, you have to be very careful to keep the tone of your content pleasant as it represents them. They TRUST you to write instead of them.

  • Writing different posts using different personas is perfectly normal. If they start commenting on each other’s posts is it’s time to worry.

  • hm, contemplating Stuarts comment I may have to worry since my alter ego sometimes responds to blog posts I wrote using the commentary function – but recently I got him to stop doing that :-)

  • There are often things we’d like to write about, but understand that everything we publish can come back to bite us.

    Exactly. Like when your pen name is uncovered and revealed to be you. Have to be careful what you say in this day and age. Free speech is long gone.

  • Making personality of our blog is one of the most profound difficulties! I have repeatedly expressed the force into the blog, it does not have a balance.

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