Michael Mackey

By: Michael Mackey

This week’s readings helped me notice something strange about the way I write depending on where I am online. On LinkedIn, I sound polished and professional. On Instagram, I’m casual, funny and most of all, myself. On Twitter, I’m not writing at all, and if I am, it’s just short casual sentences in the comment section of a post. The platforms on which I’m writing on matter.

It’s still me in all those places, but in different tones. Each depending on how much I care about being pursued by others. Almost like changing outfits for different occasions. For example, Linkedin, like an interview online, I’m dressed professionally, look sharp and polished. Whereas, Twitter isn’t really getting a good look at my outfit.

This is when I realized what Gary Vaynerchuk meant when he said, “Content is king, but context is God.” It’s not enough to create good content, it has to make sense for the space it lives in. A business style post on Instagram would feel forced, and emojis would look out of place on LinkedIn. 

Vaynerchuk’s idea of respecting the “psychology of the platform” reminded me a lot of William Zinsser’s advice in On Writing Well. Zinsser says that good writing depends on unity, keeping the tone, tense, and voice consistent from the beginning of the reading to the end. Whether you’re writing an interactive and engaging post or a for class essay, readers can sense when your voice feels scattered, insincere or awkward.

One thing all these readings have shown is that context and unity both come down to awareness. When I wrote my first “article” in undergrad, I was focused on sounding “smart.” I used long sentences and formal words, thinking it would impress my readers, and in turn, get a good grade. But instead, my writing felt stiff.  When I loosened up, kept paragraphs short, and added personal stories, the writing finally sounded like me. When the writing became fun to me, it would become and fun for the reader. Kayla Carmicheal’s article on long-form content echoed that point. She emphasized that strong writing keeps a conversational tone and connects with readers through clarity, not complexity.

This week’s readings taught me that writing isn’t just about just choosing the right words, it’s about meeting readers where they are. Every platform, differences in audience, and moment calls for its own, different kind of voice. When writers respect that, they create something more than content, they create connection with the reader.