Us and them.
I was recently asked two excellent blogging questions:
How personal should a business blog be?
In my view, the more personal the better.
People love reading stories.
People love observing other people.
Give them stories about people and you can’t go wrong!
So, if you’re launching a new pfoofer valve, don’t crap on about its features and benefits.
Tell us about Norm, who nearly blew his head off during your exhaustive testing process (but is now enjoying a full recovery).
Readers will be transfixed.
Should businesses write in the first person?
Consider these versions:
A. Dirt Cheap Pfoofer Valves are pleased to announce the return of their injured employee.
B. We’re rapt to have Norm back!
Not only does B use the first person (I, we, us, our) it also has a swag of other devices to make the tone reader friendly. (More about these in other posts.)
If you want readers, you must be friendly.
First person is heaps friendlier than third person (it, they, them, their).
It’s shorter too.
Three’s a crowd, so I give third person the boot!
How about you?
