How much personality should you show on your blog without becoming an ego-blogger? Apparently you can share a lot of personal stories and anecdotes, even become a little outrageous and contrarian, according to Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek and now The 4-Hour Body.
I recommend listening to his short video about sharing your personality on your blog, an interview done by Rohit Bhargava, author of Personality Not Included. I was at this Blog World conference when Rohit interviewed Tim, in 2008. While it’s not a new interview, there are several nuggets that are timeless.
I don’t know if you’ve read Tim or not, but he’s a master at blogging and marketing his books. While he could come across as Mr. Big Ego (his accomplishments are many), he does not.
Tim masters two things that make him credible and trustworthy:
- Research, data and analytics: he backs up what he says with numbers and facts
- Authenticity with a little dash of self-effacing humor
If you’ve got a blog, you need to share more than facts. People don’t want to read theory or numbers; they want to read stories about real people. If you are a blog author, write about your opinions and experiences, and back up with data and theory.
And, what better way to show personality than short video clips like this one here.
By the way, love your new 4-Hour Body, Tim! What an inspiration for physical fitness freaks and geeks… and for the rest of us.
If you haven’t checked out these two books, do so now. Although the titles may seem ridiculous, don’t be put off. Both are full of good advice, backed up by solid facts. Even if you follow only a fraction of his suggestions, you will be better for it.
Since reading the first 1/3 of his book on fitness in 3 days, I’ve lost those 3 lbs. of Holiday flab, and lifted heavier weights than I thought possible. … so just don’t mess with me. Lean and mean as they come…