Content is Still King
Your organization has decided to launch a blog, and you’re the lucky blogger. You need to learn the available tools, think about how you want to position the blog so it is asthetically pleasing, and so much more.
All to often what gets lost in the shuffle is content. Two links to take a look at.
One of the cornerstones of powerful writing is the use of concrete details that can tell your story for you:
- They have to be vivid.
- They have to be compelling.
- And they have to matter to your reader.
“Show, don’t tell” is one of the most important rules of effective writing. Instead of telling readers “the car chase was exciting,” the writer finds the perfect details to put the reader right into the action, with the gear shift vibrating under her hand and muddy grit splattering the windshield.
Remember, Details about most problems (or organizations) are boring. Details about people and how they’re solving their problems are much more interesting.
Here’s a strange paradox: now that we have infinite shelf space, free or cheap media making capabilities, and free storage and distribution, it’s more important than ever that we adopt a practice of brevity. Why? Because it’s the new black, that’s why. Here’s more.
- Brevity means people can take your ideas with them, chew on them, and do something with them.
- Structuring your information into chunks means that you can reconfigure them in lots of ways. You can mix and match them to people’s needs. People will only chew off what they need.
- Brevity tells people that you’ve distilled the essence of what you’re telling them.
Make sense?