What kind of blogging is right for your personality type? One of the most widely used personality tests is the Jungian model. This test uses four scales of traits—called cognitive learning styles—which the Prelude Character Analysis personality tool has distilled into 16 character types. These types each consist of
- Extraversion (E)/Introversion (I): this scale refers to how people focus their attention and re-energize themselves.
- Sensing (S)/Intuition (N): this scale refers to how people take in information (sequential processing versus “big picture” thinking).
- Thinking (T)/Feeling (F): this scale refers to how people make decisions, objectively (T) or empathetically (F).
- Judging (J)/Perceiving (P): this scale refers to the way people deal with the outside world. Judging types plan and schedule, while perceiving types are more spontaneous.
When someone takes the Personality Test, they receive a score for each of these four scales that, when combined, indicate a particular character type. So, someone could be ENFP, INTJ, etc. For example, a person who falls into the INTJ type is apt to be introverted, take a broad view of events, make calculated, logical choices, and prefer to adhere to predetermined plans or schedules.
How does knowing your personality type affect your blogging habits? Analyzing each cognitive learning style can reveal what sort of method or content works best for people in any given type.
Extraverts versus Introverts
Blogging by extraverts focuses on people and connections, as well as things happening out in the real world. Extravert bloggers will particularly enjoy social media services, especially Tumblr or Twitter, which allow users to share others’ posts and connect with other bloggers. These bloggers might also focus on profiles of well-known people, or human interest stories.
Introvert bloggers are more likely to blog about their emotions or personal experiences. While they may connect with other bloggers or participate in social media, it is not their primary focus. Introverted bloggers are more likely to focus on a subject for a long period of time or to write about products or abstract concepts rather than people.
Sensing versus Intuition
Bloggers who are more sensing than intuitive are likely to take things on a step-by-step basis. They might share how-to or instructional guides in written or video format, or they may enjoy teaching readers about their industry or expertise in general. Sensing bloggers will be reporting things as they happen: live tweeting, sharing pieces of a story as it happens, and so on.
Intuition-based bloggers like to see the whole picture, so rather than reporting on things in real-time, these bloggers are more likely to wait for more information and then post a thorough analysis of the situation after synthesizing data from many sources. Think about individuals who blog about books: someone who leans toward intuition will likely write book reviews after reading the whole book, but a sensing person will more likely do chapter summaries.
Thinking versus Feeling
Thinking-type bloggers (this doesn’t mean that “feeling” types, don’t think, or vice versa!) are likely to try to make objective decisions. They may focus on gathering information from several sources in order to get a fuller picture, or interviewing people from more than one side of a debate.
Feeling-type bloggers are likely to take an empathetic or subjective view of events. When interviewing or chatting with subjects, they are likely to ask how an individual felt during a major event, rather than what they did. These bloggers might also write about their own emotional connection to issues.
Judging versus Perceiving
People who are judging-types want to create schedules and stick to deadlines, so these bloggers will probably post at predictable times or have recurring features on certain days or times of the month.
Perceiving-type bloggers are less likely to keep a schedule, and will probably post whenever they feel like it, or if they have deadlines, will post as close to them as possible.
There is no one best way to blog, but knowing what personality type you are can help you identify the methods and styles that work for you. Furthermore, these cognitive learning styles all exist on a spectrum and people are not typically all one type or another. Someone might be around two-thirds Thinking and one-third Feeling. Understanding how you can work with your personality type – instead of fighting it – can help you to become a better blogger and connect more fully with your audience.