October 14, 2008
People Love Being Surprised in Comfortable Surroundings
Posted by Kevin | Print This Article
I have to admit it: Cynthia D’Amour has hypnotized me. It was not ever thus. When I first discovered her blog soon after she started posting, I crinkled my nose a little bit.
- What’s up with the three bullet point style of blogging?
- And the kooky pictures?
- And the little “moral” at the end of each of her posts?
So I wrote her off as kind of hokey, aiming for a target audience that didn’t include me. There’s nothing wrong with that, after all.
But then, as time went on …
- I found myself clicking on her posts in my feed reader first.
- I’d laugh a little more at each one.
- And I wanted to read the moral to see what lesson she derived for “chapter leaders,” and found many of them surprising and insightful.
Cynthia is unusual among bloggers in that she locked into a set pattern and style of blogging early on, and has been consistent ever since. The result is that with each of her posts, you know exactly what to expect, but that’s exactly what allows her to be surprising.
- Sure, she makes good points …
- But she does it in a way that’s fun and comfortable.
- She’s found the right balance between offering a consistent style that people look forward to reading, without being repetitive or boring.
Which, while I wouldn’t recommend her individual style to other bloggers (she’s cornered this particular market), is a great example for association communicators, whether they’re writing newsletters or websites or whatever. Find the tone and the pattern and the style that works for you and your audience, be consistent, and have fun, and you will be granted great freedom over what content you are allowed to cover.
In other words …
Makes me think of association communicators … do your members look forward to your insights because you offer them in a comfortable, fun and consistent way?
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I love her blog too. Great insights by clearly experienced presenter and volunteer. And became very wrapped up in latest on Raindrop and dinners with James.
I felt the same way at first. And I didn’t care for that silly dog, Raindrops.
However, I now look forward to her postings because she applies real-life situations to association work and makes you think about things you might have missed.
The whimsical approach works, too, even when the author is her little mutt.
David, until you came along, *I* was the cranky association blogger.
Maybe that’s why your postings resonate with me, Kevin. But I can also be nice and polite, when necessary.
Hi Kevin!
Thanks for the feedback on my blog. I feel sort of proud to go from hokey to hypnotizing!
Nice job on the formatting too. I was laughing my head off as I read your post. Guess if I need a vacation I can tap into your talents…
Cindy, thanks for the kind props.
David, Raindrop would be really hurt if she knew you called her a mutt - she prefers designer dog.
Life is too short not to add fun where we can.
Thanks for making my day!
Cynthia
Cynthia, I laughed as I wrote it, so I’m glad you found it amusing, too! Keep up the great work!
Fortunately, Raindrop can’t read…or can she?
Raindrops writes in my blog sometimes - and has her own email and Facebook page. What do you think?