Messaging, or why I’m posting
One of the benefits of blogging is that I’ve had the opportunity to be self-reflective. I’ve taken the opportunity to post some things my personal life (ok, they’re mostly rants because I don’t have folks local to me yet that I can rant to all the time, my co-workers might call the men in white coats). And more interestingly, I’m using this site to document and share some of the work-related topics, tools and techniques I find interesting.
I’ve also complained complained before about how most of the posts I find that I want to write take more than an hour.
Recently I was reading an article in Fast Company and it brought together many of the things I think about when I write posts. Their original topic was viral messages, I think the elements they describe work for my blog posts in general. And their article helps to explain why I’m taking the time to write about the things I do. The authors, Dan & Chip Heath, contend that there are “three secrets”:
- Emotional: Good (viral) messages are emotional.
- Public Service: Good messages are also a “public service”, they help the user do something easier, they help the user solve a problem, and so on.
- Trigger: Good messages have a trigger, “an environmental reminder to talk about an idea.”
Source: Heath, D. & Heath, C. (2009). Three Secrets to Make a Message Go Viral. Fast Company, May 2009, 49-50. Retrieved June 10, 2009 from Fast Company Web site: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/135/made-to-stick-getting-your-ideas-to-fly.html
I think I’m writing many of my professional posts as a service–I’m trying to share the information, and I’m also trying to model a process. When I write many posts, I’m trying to include a trigger, where I can to stimulate involvement (ok that’s not working so well). And certainly my “rant on” posts have an emotional component.
Anyway that’s my 6-month-ish update on posting.
