Posts

Crafting the Bottom Line of a Blog Post

/0 Comments/in , , , /by


Earlier this month in our Say It For You blog, we noted how the editors of Harvard Business Review’s Special Issue use “Idea in Brief” inserts or “callouts” to summarize the main concepts discussed in each feature length article…..A similar technique (I noticed in a later issue of the magazine) is “The Bottom Line”, in which an insert at the bottom of a long article summarizes the primary concept emphasized in the text.

Why might you want to summarize any article in the first place? Virginia Kearney of owlcation.com poses that question and then offers several answers:

  • to show how the author’s ideas support your own argument
  • to argue against the author’s ideas
  • to condense a lot of information into a small space
  • to increase your own understanding of the article

Back in 2008, I explained in a Say It For You post that blogs, unlike client newsletters or online magazine articles, tend to be shorter and more concise, adopting a more conversational tone than other forms of printed and online communication. In that sense (as I found myself explaining fifteen years later), each blog post might be considered an “Idea in Brief”.

Still, within each blog post itself, the closing line assumes the function of an “Idea in Brief” or a “The Bottom Line”. While it’s extremely important in blogging for business to have great titles and strong openers, each post needs a catchy, memorable ending line to sum up and emphasize the importance of the content “takeaway”.

All of Virginia Kearney’s “reasons” for summarizing an article apply here, with the closing: statement serving to reinforce your stance (either pro or con an argument), and to enhance readers’ understanding of the material.

Over the years, I’ve often referred to the opening line in blog content writing as “the conductor’s downbeat”. Using that analogy of a musical performance, while the blog post itself may take the function of a a “Bottom Line” or “Idea in Brief” insert, the closing line of each blog post itself represents the final “Ta-dah!” notes of your “symphony”.

To achieve maximum impact, carefully craft the bottom line of each blog post.

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Blogging Pointers From a Sales Training Star

/0 Comments/in , , /by

“The introduction and body of your presentation might be in good shape, but don’t forget about your closing remarks,” famed sales trainer Brian Tracy cautions. “Often, your audience will remember your final words the longest.” Back when I was an investment sales professional, Brian Tracy’s tapes kept me on the right track whenever I felt discouraged. Today, I realize, many of Tracy’s tips about a speaker’s closing remarks can be applied to content marketing…

Tie up all the loose ends. Make sure you’ve hit all the points you said you would.
A big part of successful blog content writing involves getting the “pow opening line” right.. “Pow” endings tie back to the openers, bringing the post full-circle. If you’ve used a list to organize the information, use the concluding paragraph to help readers see the connection between the information you’ve provided and the products and services you have to offer.

Use inflection in your voice.
As your speech is drawing to an end, you can use your tone of voice, inflection, and pitch to signal that things are wrapping up, Tracy advises. While we are not using voice in blogging for business, we blog content writers can use typeface and bolding to draw readers’ special attention to parts of the message in each of our posts, including the closing sentence..

Summarize your main message.
The content of the opening sentence can be designed to grab readers’ attention. Two possible tactics include beginning with the conclusion, using the remainder of the blog post to “prove” the validity of the bold opening assertion. Or, if you’ve opened by posing a challenging question in the opening sentence, using the post to propose an answer, the ending can consist of restateing the question and then the answer.

Include a call to action. “Make it easy for your audience to take action by being clear and direct.”
Direct, but never abrupt, caution the authors of writtent.com caution. The CTA must be a logical extension of the blog post itself, they advise.

Around six years ago, BusinessWeek magazine had an article about corporate executives in demand as speakers, advising them to “Choose Your Podium Wisely”, accepting only those opportunities likely to result in business leads, attracting new talent to their firms, or building their company’s reputation. There, too, I found a parallel between speakers and blog content writers. I advised blog marketers to pinpoint their target customers and clients and focus the blog content on the needs of that audience.

Public speakers and content writers – we’re both out to bring the right message in the right way to the right audience!

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail