The Art of Being Profoundly Simple
I once heard it said of a particular speaker that he presented “profundity wrapped in simplicity.” In other words, he was deep and profound, yet simple and straight to the point. Not every blog is the same in nature, but for most, this is a worthy goal. Be profound. Be simple.
How can you do that?
Think and Therefore Provoke Thought
Don’t spell everything out for your readers. Make them think just a bit. Present a scenario or principle shrouded in just a bit of mystery so that readers must come to conclusions on their own.
Say One Thing Well
In their book, Made to Stick, the Heath brothers assert that if you say three things, you’ve said nothing. Obviously this doesn’t universally mean that you can’t make a variety of points on a subject. It’s simply the assertion that if you try to get too many ideas across at the same time, your point gets lost.
Be Abrupt… !
Seth Godin is the master at this. Sometimes you can make people think all day long with a sentence or two.
Eliminate Jargon
Sometimes, jargon is essential. When it’s not, eliminate it. Realize that buzz words annoy people, especially when overused.
Go Minimalist
It may be good for SEO to stock a post with keywords, but it rarely makes for effective written communication. Strip away anything that may distract your readers from the message and then drive your point home.
What else? How can you be profoundly simple and improve your writing in the process?
In addition to serving as Editor of Fuel Your Blogging, Brandon is also a Pastor at Saddleback Church and Online Community Coordinator for Pastors.com. He’s also a web designer, blogger, and church communications consultant. Catch him on his own blog or on Twitter.
Crisp and to the point, I enjoyed your fun. thanks, clever use of meta tags I guess !
Why thanks!
As always, you’ve made me think. Hmmm…what can I even add to this list?
Here’s a tip: When giving advice, don’t overlook simple solutions – years ago, I watched SlingBlade and there was a lawnmower that no one could fix, but then Carl, the mentally challenged main character took a look, and fixed it within minutes – “It didn’t have any gas in it!” Sometimes we try so hard to give people the best blogging tips, that we often over look the simple things.
(Maybe I’ve gone on a tangent…?) :)
Not at all – an excellent tip. Sometimes the solutions are right under our noses!
I love this post! I’m one of those that tend to want to spill it out without providing much mystery for my readers. You’ve taught me a new technique to blogging!! The truth is people respond better to mysteries. They love to leave with questions that they have to try to find out the answers for themselves so this is true! Great post! Thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome, Jarrod. Not only do people like mysteries, they like to talk and add, so if you leave it unfinished, they may be more likely to chime in. Just a thought.
Excellent points. Especially about being concise. I tend to be rather didactic in my writing, even on my blog. Thanks for the advice. I will try to keep things short and sweet to create the impact I intend without boring my readers to death.
Haha, long isn’t always boring, sometimes it’s called for. But it isn’t necessarily required for impact.
Smart tips and very important for every blogger. I sometimes feel that writing simple posts is anything but simple.
However, the “profundity wrapped in simplicity” is really the core of successful blogging and what makes a post become a comment magnet. Thanks for a great post, Brandon
No problem, and thanks for stopping by Omer!