Archive for category: the Say It For You blog

“Strategically, the summary or conclusion whould come at the beginning of an expository piece, not at the end,” says Brandon Royal in The Little Red Writing Book.

The Pow-Opening-Line idea I teach in corporate blogging training sessions focuses on that very sort of descending writing structure, one in which, as Royal explains, “we move downhill from conclusion to details.”

Getting to the point straightaway is even more important in writing SEO marketing blogs than in writing books or academic essays, given the notoriously short attention span of online readers.  The sooner it becomes clear there’s a match between what the searcher wants and what’s to be found in our blog post, the more favorable our chances of having that prospect take some action.

In order for blog writing for business to actually turn into business, the well-known What’s-In-It-For-Me? question needs to be addressed in the blog title and in the opening lines of the blog post.

As a professional ghost blogger, I absolutely loved the two versions of a dialogue between co-workers offered by Brandon Royal:

Version A:  “Sheila, can you do something for me when you’re downtown? If you’re taking the subway to Main Street, get off and take the first exit out of the subway and walk down to Cross Street.  At the intersection of Cross Street and Vine, you’ll find Sandy’s Stationery store. Can you go in and pick up a couple of reams of A5 paper?”

Version B: “Sheila, can you do something for me when you’re downtown? I need a couple of reams of A5 paper.  The best place to get them is Sandy’s Stationery store. You can take the subway to main Street, get off and take the first exit out of the subway and walk down to Cross Street. The store is at the intersection of Cross Street and Vine.”

“Once you finally find out what the speaker’s point is,” comments Royal about Version A, you’ve forgotten all the necessary details. It’s just as frustrating,” he adds, “when you’re reading a piece of writing and you do not know where the discussion is going.”

If we freelance blog content writers frustrate our online visitors by being unclear about our point`, they’ll be gone in a click.  Unless we learn to “blog downhill”, it will be all uphill going in terms of engaging any interest in what we have to say!

“Educated minds usually see first what is wrong with a new idea,” points out Chic Thompson in his book Yes, But…. “’Yes-butters’ are geniuses at coming up with excuses for inaction.”

Thompson’s advice:” Imagine the expectations and needs of your target audience along with the top three Killer Phrases a naysayer would say.  Practice de-fusing the killer phrases.”  Thompson wasn’t specifically addressing the subject of corporate blogging for business, but his advice can be of great business blogging help. Here are some reasons why:

• “Yes, but..”, Thompson explains, can be seen as a request for more information and more “proof”. In corporate blogging training sessions, I encourage freelance blog writers to incorporate testimonials to “prove” that your business can satisfy online searchers’ need.
   
• “Yes, but…” might be the expression of a real concern.  Clarify that concern, says Thompson – image, cost, past failure – and address it. Addressing problems and misinformation in corporate blog writing goes a long way towards shedding light on your  expertise and of gaining readers’ trust.. Those real concerns might have been expressed in the form of negative comments on the blog, negative social media reviews. There might simply be widely held misinformation concerning some aspect of your industry or profession.
   

“Often the only thing not working is our old way of viewing the problem,” Chic Thompson observes. ”’Yes, but…’ ends the conversation; ‘Yes, and…’ allows a dialogue, “ he adds.

 SEO marketing blogs are actually perfect vehicles for defusing “Yes-but”s.  Each time you post content (or use a freelance blog content writer to post content), you’re adding to the overall power of the “and” in the “yes, and..”. The online searchers who found your blog may have concerns and may be incompletely informed, but the very fact they were directed to your blog means they had an interest in your subject and are looking for the very sort of products, services, and information you’re eager to provide!