When 'just the facts' blogging works just fine

by Bryan Person on January 29, 2010

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to social media.

From the kind of updates brands publish on their Facebook Pages to how often small businesses or media companies promote their own projects on Twitter, there’s no single, definitive “rulebook“‘ for creating engaging social content. There are some generally accepted best practices, to be sure, but even a social media project that follows all the so-called “to-dos” can fail.

That’s why a retweet from Sharon Mostyn arguing definitively against blogs that “just share facts” caught my attention earlier this week. The notion that blog posts must be personality-driven to be compelling is far too sweeping for my taste, and I make my counter-argument in this month’s audio commentary.

Click here to listen/download.

Bryan Person is the social media evangelist for LiveWorld and the founder of the Social Media Breakfast. He blogs at BryanPerson.com and tweets from @BryanPerson.

About Bryan Person

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  • http://www.sharonmostyn.com Sharon Mostyn

    Thanks for including me in your post Bryan! I appreciate your contention that facts-only posts have their place and agree that the iPad (or other breaking news) example is valid.

    However, my point is that if you’re just stating the facts, why should I go to your blog as opposed to any other website? By adding your “story” and/or analysis of the facts, it presents you as a subject matter expert and gives authority to your posts.

    So let’s poll your readers – leave your comment below supporting “just the facts” or “facts/stories/analysis” blog post style – if the majority of readers want just the facts, maybe I’ll be convinced to change the way I write my blog!

    Thanks for bringing to light such an intriguing topic,
    Sharon

  • http://www.bryanperson.com Bryan Person

    Thanks for the comment, Sharon, and for the inspiration for my commentary. I don’t think has to be an either/or question, actually. Fact-based blogs have their place, as do opinion/analysis-based blogs. And so, too, do those that mix it up.

    As I noted in my audio commentary, most of the bloggers I choose to follow added their personality and opinions (sometimes strong ones) into their writing most of the time, and I do appreciate them for that. I just don’t we can be dogmatic about what works and work doesn’t.

    Loving the discussion!

  • http://socialmediaedge.com/?p=51 Bryan Person – April 6, 2010

    [...] When ‘just the facts’ blogging works just fine (mediabullseye.com) Posted in Guests | Tags: Austin Texas, Bryan Person, Business, Ken Cook, Podcast, Social media, Social Media Breakfast [...]

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