I have had a couple of conversations over the past week pertaining to my use of correct (or lack of) punctuation in my blog posts. There are many that have lectured me over the correct use of punctuation and grammar when writing my blog… (there it goes) simply because of my so-called lack of professionalism.
To that I say… (there it is again) So what?
There is a method to my madness and I have felt the sudden urge to try and explain myself to the masses that may not appreciate my writing technique. Because there is a personal branding technique built into this entire discussion. I would like to call this technique: the pause affect. Notice… look closely… I used the word affect instead of effect. There is reasoning behind the use of the word that we will discuss later.
I write as though I am speaking to a group or an individual. I tend to use three periods to show a pause in my mode of speaking or an influx of emotion pertaining to a specific topic or thought. The three periods exemplify the art of a pause when speaking… because it shows a pause in a person’s thought process.
There are many that would say that the use of correct punctuation has a positive influence on your personal brand. I would say that is absolutely correct. I may not use correct punctuation but isn’t the value in the overall content provided? Did the post or article help you in your quest to alleviate a certain pain in your business? We try not to judge a book by the cover and the same concept applies to blog writing. Is the content valuable?
I use the pause affect to show emotion in my posts. If you were to talk to me on the street… I pretty much speak the same way as I write.
Remember…
Content is king and if the point is being portrayed with pause and affect… isn’t there still substance?
What do you think?
Author:
Kyle writes a regular blog at KyleLacy.com and is founder and CEO of Brandswag, a social media strategy and training company. His blog has been featured on Wall Street Journal’s website and Read Write Web’s daily blog journal. Recently, Kyle was voted as one of the top 150 social media blogs in the world (on two websites), and produces regular keynote speeches across the Midwest. He also just finished writing Twitter Marketing for Dummies by Wiley Publishing.
