Get Maximum Out Of Blogging’s Minimalist Style

There’s a new book out about home designer Darryl Carter’s “New Traditional” style of home decorating. Since professional ghost blogging’s my third professional career (teaching and then financial planning occupied a number of decades) Carter’s story is one that resonates with me – he started out a lawyer, then found himself in demand as a designer (after his D.C. apartment landed on the cover of Metropolitan Home magazine).
Indianapolis Star reviewer Claire Whitcomb describes Darryl Carter as “an accidental – and successful decorator, who has risen to the top of his profession.”

A number of the things written about Carter’s style are especially apropos for business blogging.  “In his hands, a little does a lot, partly because the furniture that he chooses does double duty.” In my earlier blog, Get Tammy Dancing With Elvis In Your Blog, I advised including unusual combinations of things in your blog posts, offering readers a new, fresh perspective on your topic. At the same time, offering readers a taste of the history behind your field or behind your own business helps personalize the message (Carter likes to include worn vintage rugs when furnishing a room).

Carter “has no patience” for elaborate crown moldings, preferring simple moldings that “enhance ceiling heights without overwhelming a room.” Keep in mind that your blog is not either your brochure or your website.  The purpose in each blog post is to highlight just one aspect of your company’s products and services, inviting the visitor to click on to your website to learn more. 

Like a subtly designed room, a well written blog will be easy on the eye, with information that is relevant yet easy to understand.  As Claire Whitcomb writes of Carter, “In his hands, less is not just more.  It’s comfortable and livable.”  One of the reasons that’s so, she explains, is that the designer uses colors that progress imperceptibly from room to room.

The maximum marketing effect from blogs, (almost by definition minimalist in both size and style), stems from the flow of consistent, regular posting of relevant information.  When potential customers come to your blog and find just what they’ve been looking for, that could prove as pleasing as the flow of colors in a Darryl Carter room!