Can you Define your Online Style and Still have an Authentic Voice?

It is time to figure my style out. I have a parenting style, a personal style, and a sense of style. I also have an online style made up of things like my netiquette, my likes and reposts, my updates, and my picture posts. I am pretty guarded about the long tail of my online persona, but I do allow a certain amount of genuineness to show through.

Blog posts, like the one you are reading now, are the basis of my professional online style. They inform, educate, entertain and provide value without asking anything in return. They forward me as a thought leader in my field and indicate that I am professional in my pursuits and that I am trustworthy.

The text of my blog postings are just part of my online style, which includes my choice of colour, selection of graphical elements, use of photography and video, and the way that information is conveyed. My style is also affected by my tone of voice, word and grammatical choices, as well as the frequency of my posts and the number of typos that slip through.

How do I want to come across? As intellectual or accessible? How will I know what you think of my posts? Do I ask people what they think after the fact or should I run focus groups ahead of time? Am I hip?

Am I funny? Well, am I?

Do I acknowledge my audience with asides like that one just there? Do I bring personal references into my writing? Do I make obscure cultural references and leave them for you to find like buried treasure?

Well, let me tell you what my style is and hopefully you can ask yourself these questions and figure out an answer for yourself.

My style, and therefore PUBLICITA’s style, is a professional one where I let more than a little of my personality show through. I believe in our business offerings and will assume an educated reader and clientele that understands online media, but doesn’t utilize its full potential. My style is for a local and global audience and is one that will nurture relationships through frequent, valuable and relevant blog posts, shares and ebooks. PUBLICITA will never ask for anything in return, except perhaps an email address. I will target my messages to individuals and never spam you with unwanted information. I will be upfront with my requests and leave little room for ambiguity and misunderstanding.

I will create my own elements where I can instead of buying them. I will never steal anyone else’s work and claim it as my own. I will use my authentic voice as best as I am able and I will always try to entertain and inform at the same time.

I will try to keep my posts short and employ an editor to help keep my writing crisp and clear. I will use plenty of white space. I will listen to your feedback.

I will know when to stop talking.