Changing the Voice is More Like a Changing of the Guard

Recently, I have had some difficulty writing blog entries. My main concern is that the since my blog is directly linked to my company are the entries that I create and write can have a positive or negative impact on the company image? Since I have put so much energy and time into building a small business the image of the company means more to me and I the last thing I would want is to tarnish that image by not projecting a more professional tone of voice.

I have had many (thank you) individuals who continually remind me that I need to write more entries but I have struggled with the voice of the entries, so much so that I tend to sabotage my own contribution to the blog. I feel compelled to write in a professional voice to ensure that anyone who reads the entries will understand that I am a serious small business owner. On the other hand, I have written entries about Harriette (a.k.a. Pea Pod) using a much lighter voice than the otherwise serious tone of the small business owner who must project a professional manner.

I have also learned (thank you) that the tone of a blog is conversational as opposed to formal. This is a personal hurdle for me since most of what I write is targeted to a peer group (i.e., grants, contracts, manuscripts subjected to peer review) that better have citations and references to the literature that can be verified. After all, credibility can be checked don’t forget. I was trained that one never publishes an article unless it is grammatically or stylistically correct, is completely free of typographical errors and adheres to the rules of parallel construction. These rules apparently don’t apply to blog entries.

Lessons learned, 1) drop the formal voice and adopt a new informal tone to writing and 2) don’t be so concerned with writing an entry that is will obviously never pass for peer review. The formal voice creates inertia and a tendency to put off writing entries. In an informal voice I can write anything I want, in other words, anything goes.