How Much Me Is Too Much Me?

Note: This article was orginally written for my newsletter subscribers.

When I first started writing my blog, it was all for me. I didn’t even know that people used blogs for any other reason than to document their thoughts or lives. Businesses weren’t looking for content marketers, brands weren’t that interested in working with bloggers, and Pinterest, Instagram, and the iPhone 3G didn’t even exist yet.

Fast forward 4.5 years later. My blog is still for me in a sense. I still share personal stories, photographs, and stuff I’m obsessed with, it’s just not all that I do. Now I also share stories about the work I’ve been doing and business lessons that I’ve learned along the way. My offline and online life has changed so much since Inward Facing Girl began. Now I have a consulting business, work with sponsors, and use my blog as part of my freelance writing portfolio. I’ve published a workbook, taught a creative writing workshop, and have spoken at conferences and events.

Since I’ve started my blog, people have read the stories and experiences that I’ve shared there and have asked me to help them.

From a blog, people. It’s kind of crazy when you think about it that way, right?

When you have a service-based business and you frequently interact with others one-on-one, it’s even more important that you connect with your clients on a personal level. So-and-so may offer the same types of services you offer and may have a similar professional background, but only YOU can integrate your unique point-of-view, personal experiences, and creative vision.

When people tell me that they’re not sure about sharing personal stories on their business blog or how/how much of themselves to share, here’s what I say.

• I buy plenty of things from companies and people I don’t know that much about, but I’m much more likely to be a loyal customer and share my love for the business and enthusiasm for their products if I have an some sort of emotional connection to the company.
• Creating an emotional connection with your clients or customers by sharing personal stories doesn’t have to mean sharing intimate details of your personal life - not that there’s anything wrong with that if you’re a you-based business and you feel comfortable and compelled to do so. It could be as simple as thinking about the behind-the-scenes part of your business or product development and sharing some of the hurdles that you went through to get where you are today.
• Sharing your stories means being willing to be vulnerable and put yourself out there. Maybe you invested in developing a product or service that wasn’t nearly as profitable or awesome as you thought it would be. Rather than burying it in your “failure” file, turn it into a positive story that can help your customers or clients by sharing what the experience taught you.
• Stories are not always big, shocking revelations or lessons. Sometimes you just want to snap a photo of that awesome jar of Nutella you just dug your spoon into or tweet that song that you’re playing on repeat. If I’m also obsessed with Nutella (I am) or that song you love (I might be), some level of an emotional bond has just been formed.

Of course your blog or social media feeds shouldn’t be overrun with stories of, “DUDE, I screwed that up” or “OMG, I just ate an AH-MAZ-ING sandwich,” but there’s nothing wrong with a healthy dose of real life intermixed with your business stories. Companies and businesses are run by people. People screw up and eat sandwiches. There’s life in business. And hopefully there’s Nutella.