Process Post #4
In my last process post, I covered who my audience is. I’m going to explore how this informs my editorial process. To begin, the main thing I want to ensure with my posts is consistency in tone, style, and formatting. Since it is diary style, it’s essential to create a personal, authentic, and intimate feel with my content. I’m using a conversational and friendly tone, which is very far from academic writing, but really resonates with readers. I’m aiming for my writing style to be very reflective, while also humurous, building a recognizable brand for my blog. I’ve been sharing my genuine thoughts, feelings, and experiences, allowing my personality to shine through. As a social media user myself, I want to follow people who are authentic and real, not just a fake highlight reel. Influencers such as Alix Earle are building their platform on the idea that they are humans too, and their life isn’t perfect. Alix recently started her own podcast called “Hot Mess”, which coincides with her brand. I’ve really resonated with her content and want to achieve a similar feeling with my own viewers.
I feel like my expressions, slang, and signature style are evident in my writing. This is important because since I’m Gen Z and the same as my audience, they will be able to relate and find comfort in the expressions I use.
Since I’m writing reviews, I haven’t been afraid to write about the good and the bad, sharing all the highs and lows of each experience. I feel like when people come to a page for reviews, they want to hear about all of it! They want to know what they are getting themselves into, and I’ve been executing that, sharing as much authentic content as I can.
I’m also using a simple and easy-to-read layout that resembles traditional diary entries!
I’ve also been selectively choosing my featured images, looking for something that will stand out for my targeted readers, and encourage them to click on it.
An interesting point was made in “Digital gardens let you cultivate your own little bit of the internet”. Basu claims that Tom Critchlow, a consultant who has been cultivating his digital garden for years, spells out the main difference between old-school blogging and digital gardening. “With blogging, you’re talking to a large audience,” he says. “With digital gardening, you’re talking to yourself. You focus on what you want to cultivate over time” (2020). This emphasizes the need to curate my blog content to my wide audience.
As well, Basu claims that “What they have in common is that they can be edited at any time to reflect evolution and change” (2020). The freedom to edit and adapt content over time aligns with the idea that these digital spaces are not static but dynamic reflections of each creators’ intellectual and creative growth. This approach encourages a more deliberate and intentional curation of content, emphasizing the value of my journey and evolving narrative on online.
