Tag: blogging

Content Creation in the Time of Disinformation: A Pathway to Trust

Content Creation in the Time of Disinformation: A Pathway to Trust

Debra W Kahn (@debrawk.bsky.social)

“Easy to process equates to easy to believe.” These words leaped off the page as I was rereading David Dylan Thomas’ book Design for Cognitive Bias recently. They apply to the gamut of modern deliberative information-making (short- and long-form) from ad slogans to instruction manuals. They also inform deliberately deceptive content—manipulative and fact-free social media posts, press releases, and political speeches—or disinformation.

As my mind began to grasp the far-reaching implications of this quotation, I realized that it also speaks indirectly to the central construct in successful product communication: trust.

As professional communicators, how can we earn our audience’s trust? How can we appeal to readers who are potentially adrift in a disinformation-polluted social environment?

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The Art of the Unsaid: How Negative Space in Writing Boosts Engagement

The Art of the Unsaid: How Negative Space in Writing Boosts Engagement

Debra W Kahn (@debrawk.bsky.social)

What if your writing could be more powerful precisely because of what you don’t say? I’m not talking about redacted content, though that seems to be a popular topic these days. I’m talking about methods to inform and engage without drowning our readers in excess. I’m talking about leveraging negative space—not in the sense of page layout or white space, but rather in the sense of what’s implied, unsaid, or suggested rather than explicitly stated.

When used judiciously, negative space invites your readers to leverage their own expertise and imagination, ultimately deepening their connection to your message. The tricky part is to allow your audience to apply their experiences to your conceptual piece without causing them confusion or frustration.

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The 4 Cs of Successful Blog Content

The 4 Cs of Successful Blog Content

Debra W Kahn (@debrawk.bsky.social)

Yes, SEO and promotion are important to your blog’s success. I won’t deny it. But more and more research shows that the quality of content matters just as much as your marketing effort. So how do you ensure that your blogsite offers quality content?

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Punctuation Rules for Blogging

Debra W Kahn (@debrawk.bsky.social)

Really appreciate a punctuation infographic, especially the one cited below, originally from Darin L. Hammond, blogger, and now available through various resources.

I think his comma rules need a bit more explanation, which I will provide in a later blog. And I disagree with one of his comments on parentheses (punctuation doesn’t always have to follow – unless it’s the end of the sentence as in this example). But, otherwise, this is pretty useful.

Of course, the challenge is that he assumes you already know what subject, verbs, clauses and prepositions are. Soooo let me know what your questions are!

Infographic:   https://i0.wp.com/ebookfriendly.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/The-69-rules-of-punctuation-infographic.jpg?ssl=1

Here is another, more recent, blog about punctuation from Grammarly (from author Lindsay Kramer), which you also might find useful: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/punctuation/.

Author’s Note on April 12, 2024 update: The infographic inserted in my original blog post is now unavailable. I hope the updated references I’ve provided will be useful.