First-Take And Second-Thought Messages In Your Blog

"We know life isn’t like the movies," says July’s O Magazine, reviewing four "chick flicks".  Still, "O" apparently thought there might be lessons to be learned at the movies after all, going on to ask Philadelphia-based psychologist and author Dr. Judith Sills for her opinion on how the films’ messages hold up in real life.

After a quick summary of the plot of each movie, Dr. Sills offers three types of comments on each:

• First- take message – What’s the main piece of life wisdom the flick offers?

• On second thought…What other ideas come to mind after seeing the movie?

• We wonder… What are some areas we want to explore further after viewing the film?

As a professional ghost blogger for business, I especially liked Sills’ idea that, as people absorb material presented to them, they do it in three stages. It occurred to me that when searchers read blogs, those readers might unconsciously be using the same three steps.   Business blog posts, then, should be aimed at helping potential customers move through all three stages, clicking through to the business’ website and becoming increasingly engaged, eventually becoming users of the products and services the blogger’s business offers.

For blogs, the first-take message is crucial. Key words and phrases need to have lead spots in blog post titles, and be used early in the text of the blog posts, so that searchers will receive a first-take impression that they’ve come to exactly the right spot to find the information they need.

According to blogging mavens Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos, while “entire books can be written on search engine optimization, using key words and phrases is a simple technique that words and should not change quickly.”

On second thought, as fellow blogger Erik Deckers points out, “there aren’t that many good writers out there…The best writers are trained professionals who understand language and the written word.”  A good blogger, Deckers explains, must be able to put your business
message  into simple language customers can understand.  To that I’d add that the content needs to warrant “second thoughts” – besides being informative, it’s got to be engaging, varied, and interesting!

We Wonder…In blogging for business, your goal is to induce “wonder” in searchers who find their way to your blog. Your post has served up just enough food for thought to make them wonder if, after all, there are even more ways in which what you have to offer is exactly what they have to have!