Which Blogger Archetype Are You?

When starting out with your blog, it’s important to understand your style of writing before finding that perfect niche.  We all blog for different reasons, and it’s likely you’ll fit into either of the following Blogging Archetypes.

Your Blogger Archetype Choices

The Educator Blogger

Everyone is an expert to someone. Yes, there is always someone who knows less than you and if you like to share your knowledge with others then perhaps you are best suited to the role of an Educator Blogger.

The Educator Blogger writes intentionally to teach, and either knows the subject matter or is a good researcher and conveyor of information. The goal of an educator is to provide valuable resources via video, images or writing. A good Educator Blogger will combine these mediums to form a comprehensive guide on the subject matter.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.quicksprout.com/

The Informer Blogger

The Informer Blogger has the traits of a journalist or news writer. They create and relay the news from around the world. When you subscribe to news blogs you are getting your information from Informer Bloggers. They might not break the news but sure do their best to make it seem like they did.

An Informer Blogger is the person you trust to keep you ahead of the traditional news sources.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/

The Persuader Blogger

The Persuader Blogger is a person that works to get people to take action. A persuader aims to change their readers mind about a belief, opinion or value. Persuader Bloggers may have a religious message or even a political one which they are passionate about.

A Persuader Blogger usually has just one message, and if you discover them you are already partially qualified to hear their message.

Archetype Blog Example: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog

The Analyst Blogger

This blogging archetype doesn’t create the news but rather dissects it. The Analyst Blogger is typically found digging deeper into news and current affairs looking for a hidden meaning or angle. What does this news mean to the rest of the world or how it impacts others.

If you like to dig a little deeper to find out what’s really going on then you’ll turn to the Analyst Blogger who will give you insights that the other bloggers won’t.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.fool.com/

The Observer Blogger

The Observer Blogger watches, learns and listens before sharing her message with the world. The Observer is happy to cite other people’s work and will not necessarily claim the work as their own. The Observer Blogger is usually first to pick up on new trends and aims to share this knowledge with her immediate followers.

An Observer Blogger is often seen on social media and is distinguishable by the large following she might command over time.

Archetype Blog Example: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

The Opinion Blogger

Who doesn’t have an opinion? Well, the Opinion Blogger earns trust and makes a living from giving their opinions. The Opinion Blogger only has two types of readers; lovers and haters . Their job isn’t to persuade it’s simply to tell it like it really is.

Critics usually fall into this archetype and more recently we’ve seen opinion blogging platforms are being introduced into mainstream services. Think Yelp.com, Booking.com and AirBNB.com as they all allow the users a real voice.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.insatiable-critic.com/

The Advocate Blogger

With pen in hand, the advocate blogger is ready to change the world, bringing attention to causes that would not normally have the global reach. They not only observe but speak for those without a voice to effect change. The advocate is passionate about their cause and will actively find opportunities to promote this cause.

If you’re sitting on the fence and need a little more convincing then the advocate blogger is surely going to put forward a strong argument.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog

The Merchant Blogger

The merchant blogger’s primary focus is to provide a product or service in return for money. The merchant blogger promotes their own products or spruiks products for other businesses. Affiliate marketer’s may live in this space.

Occasionally, it may appear that one of the other Blogger Archetypes is also a Merchant Blogger, but this is rarely the case. However, these other archetypes may sell products to supplement their income but this isn’t their primary focus.

A Merchant Blogger’s sole purpose is to make a sale and often uses product reviews to achieve this.

Archetype Blog Example: http://www.productreviewmom.com/

The Entertainer Blogger

This is a broad category and the Entertainer Blogger usually niches down into specific market segments, often becoming a go-to person in their niche. Their primary role is to provide entertainment and more recently YouTube vlogger’s may fall under this Archetype.

The Entertainer Blogger uses, prose, writing, music, audio or humor to ensure you are fully entertained and this Archetype has the potential to produce viral content if they’re able to fully connect with the audience.

People usually turn to the Entertainer Blogger, during periods of downtime or when boredom sets in.

Archetype Blog Example: http://perezhilton.com/

The Curator Blogger

The curator is a gatherer of things. Their aim is to group and collect relevant material from around the Internet and to share often with personal insight or opinions.  The curator is a good researcher and rarely publishes unique content, but rather is a conduit to other people work.

A good Curator Blogger knows what you like and edits the web for you. There are plenty of popular curator style websites popping up online.

Archetype Blog Example: http://boingboing.net/

So which Blogger Archetype are you?

It’s ok to be in more than one Blogger Archetype, but remember that each archetype you are in weakens your brand and your niche.

Can you imagine an analytical thinker having time for celebrity gossip? However, fans of celebrity gossip may be influenced by an advocate if delivered through a celebrity conduit.

Knowing your Blogger Archetype will help you to further understand the needs of your perfect audience. And to increase your online traffic, you’ll need to start blogging for them and not at them.

Do you want to build a blog? Here’s the no-fuss guide to building your own blog.

And let us know which Blogger Archetype you’ve chosen in the comments below.