Ending ‘on point’ is so anti-social.
All my classes, books and bosses have always instructed to end a scribe or a speech on a key point. “Close strong.”, “End on a high note.”, “Don't leave them hanging!", "Wrap it up for your audience with a nice tight bow.” While many traditional marketing principles still very much apply in this web-ified world, this one has seen its best days.
When we’re talking social media, the operative word is social. And when we’re socializing, be it online or off, a discussion is happening, an exchange of questions and answers…which beg more questions, and further the discussion. So if we’re not asking questions--and not furthering the discussion--then we’re not leveraging the social part of this great new medium. Why keep the 2-way web on a 1-way street?
Having just seen the extraordinary film, An Inconvenient Truth, in which Al Gore outlays the very real environmental crisis due to Global Warming, there were many key points that struck a chord. But what really resonated with me is one of the questions Al asked, namely: Is it possible that we should prepare against other disasters, besides terrorism?
Up until that point I was so busy soaking up information on ice caps, greenhouse gasses and fatality rates, my mind had not focused on an action point. But when served a question my mind when into action and I started engaging in a discussion with Al (a discussion in which I vehemently agree with him, btw).
Questions, even rather benign ones like “Do you agree?” or “What are your thoughts?” transform lifeless monologues into lively dialogues. Even if users don’t reply by posting a comment, they’ve replied in their minds—or are thinking it over. That’s just what questions do to our socially wired brains.
So here's the key point: involve your readers by involving the part of their brain that’s activated by questions. Don't "hit it home", hit the ball into their court. Get social by ending on a key question (instead of a key point). And here's the key question:
Are you leveraging the social aspect of social media?
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