Think before you post
5 Steps to a Great Post
We’ve all done it. Woken up at 3 am with the most brilliant idea for a blog or post ever! So we hop online and puke it out without another thought. And why shouldn’t we? Because we are brilliant! But once it’s out there, it’s out there. So as to not regret your impulse posting, here are a few steps one might want to consider before hitting the enter key.
Step1: Feel it.
Just because, at some particular time, we feel something is hysterically funny, irritating, ridiculous, or you have gravel stuck in your craw does not necessarily mean we will think the same later. So curb your emotions for a bit and revisit it in a while. If you still can’t get over it, then move to step 2.
Step 2: Think It.
So now, if you stop to ponder what it is that has you so wound up, does it really make sense in your brain? Is it logical? Super exciting? Relevant? Justified? Hurtful or mean spirited? Legal?! Will other people ‘get it?’ Will it do you any favors, other than to get your inkling said in a public forum? And, other than your opinion, is there RESEARCH to back it up? Posting half-cocked will not do you any favors. Reflect and think on what you might find. Be very aware that YOUR NAME will ultimately be associated with whatever you put online publicly. If you can clarify these types of questions and you still are raring to post, then it’s on to step 3.
Step 3: Write it.
Sometimes all we need to stop a notion from haunting us is to write it down. If we get it on ‘paper’ it’s no longer rocking and rolling around in our heads. It can also help, if you are now regretting your thought process, to put it in written form on actual paper and literally throw it away. Then it’s gone for good. If you are thorough with this purging of the idea and it continues to seem like an adequate enough plan, then we move to step 4.
Step 4: Read it Out Loud.
You, or someone you know and trust should read your words out loud. This will accomplish a number of things. First, it will determine if what you’re saying makes any sense, to you, or others. Maybe it sounds like gibberish, or what you thought was important to say really isn’t that important to anyone else. The last thing we want it to feel misunderstood or stupid. Secondly, this is the time to check for grammar, punctuation, and syntax. If it doesn’t sound right when you speak it, chances are it won’t sound right when it’s read, either. Now is a chance to revise, and start over from step one. All good? Then it’s step 5...here we come.
Step 5: POST IT!
If you’ve gotten all the other steps completed to your satisfaction, then your post should be ready for human consumption. Another quick review, just to make sure, and you’re off to the proverbial races! You will know if what you’ve said was appropriate or well received based on feedback, because everyone will have an opinion. That’s why it’s important to be confident and have no doubts about what you are trying to convey, or how you are expressing it.
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