Conversational Media Marketing

Jane Genova
Jane, a long-time personal friend and mentor, can say more in a few words than I could using an entire lexicon. It's a hallmark of one whose craft is finely-honed. Take for example this quote from a recent post...

"The greatest ah-ah sensation in human history:  I was fed the biggest fattest fish.  And as long as I kept up the flippers going, the fish kept coming.

"Advice:  Get to the point in our game where we attract geniuses.  That First Wonder of the Professional World will lift us out of our own paltry need for any seal to do his/her flippers for our own talent."

The words drip from her pen (well, computer keyboard) like honey. Each one worth savoring, lingering over, relishing until every last morsel has been consumed. But then, what should I expect from someone who wrote speeches for Lee Iacocca in his heyday.

In a recent email exchange I complimented Jane on her skill, saying, "There are only a handful of bloggers/writers that I classify as artisans. You, Jane, are at the top of the list. My best work pales in comparison. Envy is a sin of which I'm guilty."

Her reply: "Your sins are your strengths."

See what I mean.

Ann Handley
Ann and I have become friends via Twitter. She is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. She is also a skilled writer.

Take, as a case-in-point, the post Off-Color Commentary from Ann's personal blog, A N N A R C H Y: 

"As a rule, I tend to avoid drive-by conversations—I find the public nature of them embarrassing. There is nothing more excruciating for me than small talk in, say, a grocery produce aisle—and this was no exception, particularly as she asked pointed questions (“What he in for? Is he sick, too?”), which I found irritating.

"So the woman was left to ply others. Mostly, she talked to the cat. I turned away and tried to ignore her.

"Until I couldn’t."

Need I say more? Whether you agree with Ann's conclusions or not, it's an example of great writing to be sure.

Michael Hyatt
I fawned over Michael Hyatt in the post previous to this, saying "Hyatt is a model other CEO bloggers should follow. His posts are more often than not warm, personable and, at times, very transparent."

Aside from those salient features, his writing is also very, very good.  Let me cite this example from his Leader's Heart post of which I'm so fond:

"The heart is incredibly important. When I thought mine wasn’t working properly, it had an enormous impact on my life, my routine, and my sense of well-being. I worried about it constantly. I couldn’t sleep. I literally was afraid I might die.

"But it’s not just our physical heart that is important. Especially as leaders, our spiritual heart is equally important. It is just as important to the life of our organizations as our physical heart is to the life of our body. When it doesn’t function well, it, too, has an impact."

Three great writers, each with their own style and ability to turn a phrase. The fact that they've committed to blogging their "prose" makes it all the better. We get to take a bite out of their apples on a regular basis. I've committed myself to that goal, for on my best day, I can't come close to the degree of excellence to which they've attained.

It's part gift or talent -- I understand that. And perhaps they've been given more than the average. If you imagine an empty container into which the giver of gifts pours a certain amount of talent, theirs is pretty full. But, it's also craft, and Jane, Ann and Michael have each honed theirs over the course of several years.

While none of us can arbitrate the amount of writing talent we possess, we can take whatever measure we've been given and craft it. Thanks to blogs, we can "learn at the feet" of these master craftsmen, then use our own as a vessel for training, apprenticeship and growth. For those who take the time to read our tomes deserve the best we have to give.

How about you? What are you doing to improve not only your blogging, but writing skills?