How To Write A Blog Post In An Hour: Martin Luther King Style
On August 28, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave the “I Have A Dream” Speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. As one of the most powerful orations in our nation’s history, the lessons extracted from this eleven minute speech are endless. The positive effects this speech has had on civil rights in our country are well-documented, but they are not the focus of this blog today. Rather, I am referencing certain communication jewels of this historic speech as they may be utilized in one of the more popular forms of communication today, blogging. While blogging has risen in popularity over the last few years, there are some people who are challenged with producing and publishing blogs in a timely manner. By simply keeping the core elements of the “I Had A Dream” speech in mind, writing a blog in less than an hour will be a breeze.
Know Your Audience – Dr. Martin Luther King’s message of hope was aimed at all Americans. The speech isolates Dr. King’s unique ability to address a diverse group of communities with one voice. By knowing his audience, Dr. Martin Luther King was able to stir emotion and action in all of his believers, regardless of race, nationality, or religion. The single most critical step in writing a blog is to know your audience. Knowing the persona of your audience will help determine the tone and style your blog should take. It will also eliminate any unnecessary research that would prolong the blog prep time, and it would certainly put you over the one hour mark.
Focus - Dr. King had a single and focused goal in mind. It was to create a vision of hope for all Americans. With the speech being less than eleven minutes long, he certainly did not stray off topic. An effective blog should have one main point. Blogs are read on computers, smart tablets, and mobile devices, so readers do not have a long attention span; therefore, it is crucial to focus on one main point. Sticking to one main point will increase your chances of staying under the one hour mark.
Common Language – Dr. King’s speech uses words like “dream” to appeal to his audience. He also used patriotic and traditional spiritual verbiage, so he would not alienate any of his listeners. The most effective blogs use common, everyday words. By taking this authentic approach, you are not alienating any potential readers, and you are supporting your efforts to keep your blog time under an hour.
Keep It Short – Over fifty years later, we are all influenced and moved by Dr. King’s speech. What many people fail to realize is the speech was less than eleven minutes long. For your blog, it is best to stay clear on what you want to accomplish and eliminate any waste. If it doesn’t help you make a point, take it out. All blogs would be better by using this simple rule. Also, by using this rule, most blogs would be written in less than an hour.
Visual Appeal – Although Dr. King did not have the visual aid of most speeches today, his speech and presence created persuasive and lasting images. If a blog is filled with nothing but words, there will be nothing to attract the reader to it. The use of compelling images will attract readers to your blog because images tend to make a blog inviting. By subscribing to a photo service like Shutterstock, you are cutting out the timely hassle of digging for an image that is suitable for use. Having a library of photos to reference will eliminate the bulk of search time and will keep you under the hour limit.
By simply remembering the main communication strategies of Dr. Martin Luther King, you can eliminate many of the wasteful practices of writing a blog. While the aforementioned elements are not the only tips for writing a blog in under an hour, it certainly will put you in the right frame of mind and will inspire you to accomplish your goal of producing a blog in under an hour. Before you waste another minute, make it a goal to write your next blog in under an hour. You can do it!
