I Am The Controller

My daughter watching as I expend a LOT of energy, but still manage to keep missing most of the virtual balls thrown at me (sportsman I'm not)

Up until now, I haven’t really referred to myself as a “mommy blogger.”  I mean, my family usually usually ends up being mentioned in my blog posts at some point, but mostly in reference to a point I’m making about the particular topic I’m writing about.  And those topics are generally about personal growth and development or small business advice.  My kids have never really been the main topic of any of my posts (except once).

But last week, I was contacted by XBox 360 and asked to participate in the preview of their newest product Project Natal.  They invited my family and I to attend a VIP event where some other local “mommy bloggers” and I got to experience the game, ask questions about it’s  upcoming release to market and nosh on some delicious food and drinks.  My daughters had a ball, although I think my husband and I got more of a kick out of playing the game than even they did!

Anyway, I was flattered that they contacted me and I felt like I wanted to post about the experience, but at first I thought that it was a post that just didn’t make sense for my blog.  I write about self-improvement and empowerment for women…where does an XBox event fit into that?

Hubby fared much better than I did, but then again, it wasn't very difficult to beat me at this game.

So I was pretty much going to make a mention of the event in my Ezine and that’s it.  But then I looked in my Favorite Blogs folder and I was reminded of the wide variety of bloggers whose work I enjoy.  They certainly don’t fit into any one category.  I regularly read blogs by moms, “techie” guys, internet marketing gurus, entrepreneurs, young people, old people – you get the point.

And then I realized that I had put myself in a box.  Of my own making.  Because who says that I can’t write about personal experiences even if they’re not directly related to the main general topic of my blog.  Yes, I want to focus on my target market and yes, I know what my niche is…but does that mean I can’t write about what goes on in my life? After all it is MY blog and to steal a phrase from Project Natal’s tag line, I am the controller.

One of the great blogs I read, Problogger, talks a lot about being personal in your blog and really sharing who you are with your readers.  I agree that the whole point of maintaining a blog in the first place is creating a sense of accessibility and connection to the people who follow you.  And if Chris Brogan and Social Media have taught us anything, it’s about the importance of building strong relationships in order to make business work more effectively – which you can’t really do if you’re not putting yourself out there and getting personal.

When I create my info products and my coaching programs, I’m all about thinking in terms of what my target market needs and wants.  But when it comes to writing this blog and having a conversation with my readers, I’ve decided I’m keeping it personal.  And I like it that way.

By the way, if you want to find out more about Project Natal for XBox 360, check out their Tumblr page where they’ll be posting updates and collecting blog posts, videos and photos from their Destination Imagination Preview Events all around the world.

Tisha Berg is a wife, mom, blogger and freelance copywriter, among many other things. This blog is a personal journal of her journey as she balances family, work and school life. To keep in touch with Tisha, Follow Biz Mommy on Twitter, "Like" Biz Mommy on Facebook and/or get notified of new posts by subscribing.

Tisha

View all posts by Tisha
Tishas website

Tags: mommy bloggers, Project Natal, XBox 360