When I started this blog, I used it as a place to vent about leaving the library world, looking for a new job, and the many frustrations of life at the time. The posts often felt more like a journal entry. After I began to narrow my niche, I realized that I wanted to add value to my posts. I didn’t want the blogs to only be a learning and venting experience for me. Instead, I wanted people to find a sympathetic (or empathetic) ear and handy information.
I began to sort through my old blog posts and weed out subjects that didn’t fit my goal. I also learned that I wanted to improve the quality of the posts as I went along. I wanted people to read a post and think, “Yes, that’s happened to me,” or “I know how that feels,” or “I’m so glad she shared her experience so I know ahead of time.” I wanted people to find a friendly voice, and I also wanted to share resources and my library skills. If people came to my blog, I wanted them to find value there.
Quality is subjective and dependent upon your goal. I’m not a formal person. I’m a relaxed, friendly Southerner who likes to help people, and that’s how I want my blog posts to come across. It took me a while to find my writing “voice.” Did I want to be formal and make it look extremely professional? No, that isn’t my style. I’m more laid-back and personal. I want my posts to feel like a conversation with tips, advice, experience, and resources thrown in to help readers.
Whether you are a writer, artist, accountant, or janitor, you can offer quality in service, action, or product. Quality speaks for itself and finds its own audience. People who appreciate your brand of quality will want to do business with you. However, it’s okay if your style of quality doesn’t fit with a client. Someone else’s style will.
A key to quality is to figure out how you want to be “seen” and fit your quality to that. If you want to be seen as professional, then you present professional quality. If you want to be seen as casual, you present casual quality. Creative? Quirky? Entertaining? Figure out your particular style of quality and work from there. Just be sure to always bring consistent quality each time.
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Inspirational Verse for the Day:
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10, CSB)
All Things Subject to Change 