Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You're only a stranger once.

July 9, 2009

Toeing the Line

Liz wrote this at 8:03 am

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“If you are asked to toe the line the you are expected to conform to the rules of the situation.” from James Briggs

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

We all have certain roles and responsibilities we are committed to upholding. Some of these commitments are made by choice, others we as a result of that choice. (Ex: you chose to marry someone: choice; you have a relationship with their family as well: acquistion).

528447370_1ffc43878c_m Some of these choices mean supressing certain aspects of our personalities. Some choices we make definitely require us to toe the line and I’m okay with that.

When we have a blog we have responsibilities to ourselves to be true in our writing but then we start to find an audience and often that audience comes with expectations. Those expectations can be seen in the comments and in the reactions to certain content. It does seem tempting to just stick with what’s been working.

“Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken.”

But I wonder if we all toe the line a little too much.

Do you blog like you’re expected to in a “certain situation”, maybe according to what your readers expect? Do you write according to how you have always written? Do you write about the same things you have always written about?

When I meet someone offline that I read regularly online I’m always surprised by something about them. A crazy way they dress, an interest they have never expressed through their blog or an amazing sense of humor that I didn’t pick up in their writing.

I’d like to think I can write about all the things I am interested in and not hold anything back . I’d like to provide content a little outside the box from time to time. Something to get people thinking and hopefully provide some value. This could work as an advantage by attracting new readers and that’s always good! New conversation and opinions are always worthwhile.

The disadvantage may come from throwing off some of your regular readers and making them feel a little alienated. Hopefully we can think of ourselves as accepting and patient enough with those we read to allow them room to change, grow and try new things.

I’d like to think I’m adventurous enough. Are you?

from Kathryn Jennex aka @northernchick

photo darkmatter





Filed under Successful Blog | 9 Comments »




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9 Comments to “Toeing the Line”

  1. July 9th, 2009 at 8:25 am
    Richard Reeve said

    I like the idea you are toying here with Kathryn. Each week I try to create at least one post that pushes off in a different direction that I’m sure makes my readers go “huh?”

    I think its important to mix it up so that we do not get stale and also so we keep each other “on our toes” as they say when teaching defense to the basketball player…not so we toe the line.

  2. July 9th, 2009 at 9:05 am
    kathryn said

    Good Morning Richard -It’s one of the things I like about your blog – gets me thinking! I think it’s important. Thanks!

  3. July 9th, 2009 at 9:35 am
    Todd Smith said

    You know, Kathryn, you are a good writer! Every time I read your posts I get hooked from the start and I love where you take me each time.

  4. July 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
    D. said

    By the way, I enjoyed your post. I often see similar patterns on flickr where a successful photographer builds up a following that, for whatever reasons, responds more strongly to certain types of images. The photographer, in turn, then starts to steer their future postings in that direction in order to garner more comments and faves. It seems to be a mixed blessing: positive feedback is encouraging, but it can narrow your development if you pay too much attention to it – D

  5. July 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
    Naomi said

    Pointed to you via a Twitter tweet. What a great post and so true. I think that I first, write my blog based on what I need to get out of my system, but secondary to that is what I *think* my readers want/need to read.

    Hard to find that balance, for sure.

  6. July 10th, 2009 at 6:17 am
    Joanne Maly said

    Kathryn,
    Thank you for the blog post on the 9th. I have a two-week old blog myself (Simply Said) and while I have a momentum going – and feedback has been good – there has already been an ‘itch’ to post a piece that isn’t in the same ‘voice’, ‘tone’, or ‘message.’

    You just gave me that little extra courage I had been seeking.

    Thanks very much.
    Joanne Maly, Lincoln Maly Marketing, Cincinnati, Ohio

  7. July 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am
    Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach said

    The only line I toe is my own. I sing my own song when blogging.

  8. July 11th, 2009 at 7:57 am
    Henie said

    Kathryn, thank you for always sharing and expressing your thoughts!

    I think that ultimately, no matter the subject matter, as long as we speak through our own authenticity, it will always garner an audience accordingly.

    What makes it fun and interesting is changing the tenor just a bit.

    As always, it’s good to be here!

  9. July 12th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
    Lisa Jenkins said

    Kathryn, this a great post!

    I am a strong proponent for authenticity of identity in social media. As a beginning blogger, I have made a conscious decision to be myself and, like most people, my personality and interests shift a little from day to day. I live in social media, am an avid reader of all genres, listen to all types of music, love to cook, watch an unbelievable amount of film, dig history, and proclaimed myself Pirate Queen on my 40th birthday (no relation to the Brogan/Levy crew). I am certain that my blog will reflect all of these subjects and more as time goes on. In fact, I won’t be me if it doesn’t.

    My goal in writing a blog post is to share useful information with my community, but I want my readers, followers and prospective clients to be comfortable with who I am, not who they want me to be.

    Here’s to not tripping ourselves on that line we so often aim to toe!

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