Much has been made recently here in the US about the change in personal style that’s occurred with the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Whereas George W. Bush operated in a more formal mode -insisting on a coat and tie in the oval office and even locking Secretary of State Colin Powell out of the Cabinet Room when Powell showed up 3 minutes late to a meeting- President Obama operates in a less formal manner.
Obama often is seen in a shirt and tie, allows for late arrivals at meetings, and doesn’t have to have a script in front of him when facing the cameras.
Aloha Zen Some have called Obama’s style more of an ‘Aloha Zen.’ I liked that term as soon as I read it. And it brought to mind some thoughts about blogging. (How’s that for a segue?) Is your blog written in a more formal style making it more like Dubya? Or is it less formal and more Obama-like?
Is there a definitive style that’s best? In a word, no. It depends on a few factors:
- Your target audience - If you’re writing a finance blog for MBAs at Ivy League firms on the East Coast, a formal style is probably best for your audience. If your blog is about iPods or the latest Macs and your readers are Silicon Valley Mac purists, I’m guessing a formal style probably won’t work that well. Shed the tie and roll up your sleeves and get jiggy wit’ it!
- Your own personality - Just as each President adopted the style that best suited his personality, so too, should you adopt the blog style that best suits your personality. I tend to be less formal as a rule because that’s my personality. I abhor wearing a tie (hated every minute I had to wear one as a college Dean and President). I much prefer ‘Baz’ than Barry and humor over a lack thereof.
Is your blog written in a certain style?
Does it support the overall theme of your religion? Are you more formal or somewhat less? If you’d like to leave a comment about what works best for your blog, I’d love to hear from you. 