Writing Like Shakespeare + Thinking Like Aristotle = Blogging Success

Sometimes we get caught up with modern modes of communication, tweeting, poking, and hash tagging, all of which sound more like dirty internet actions rather than marketing and writing strategies.

It's good to take a few steps back and dig deep down to our roots for guidance and support. Remember that good writing matters, and great words "stick." Marketo, a leader in online business to business marketing has been posting a few articles about these topics.

The first of the two articles worth mentioning talks about Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. We will focus on the Aristotle portion of the article for our needs.


Tips for writing from Aristotle:

1. Logos - Be logical. When writing, consider both sides, and deliver the best side with reason. Stick to the facts.

2. Pathos - Be emotional. Connect emotionally with the reader. Think about what they are feeling and target that particular emotion.

3. Ethos - Be ethical. In terms of writing at FDL, or any other new blog, be sure to maintain your credibility by having good strong sources, and data to back up your writing.

(click here for the full article)

The second article talks about writing like Shakespeare. The first step to writing like Will is to actually read his works. Once you have tired from reading, put your effort to good use and start writing; vividly and poetically. You want to make your post memorable and worthy of someones time. Not to mention, if you can make the post stick with them, all the more power to you. Interesting content and a topic of interest to get them involved is of course needed, but keeping them there, and from moving onto the next news source is essential.

"Appeal to emotions through compelling storytelling. Play with the meanings of words and bend the rules of grammar to create witty or memorable phrases that will stick with people after they’ve moved on to the next website."

Developing your own, original, riveting Shakespearian phrases could really bolster your post and make you a memorable writer that people will turn to again in the future. Form phrases, as he did, that appeal to the masses, from the wealthy to the poorest peasants. You don't have to get fancy, but be creative.

From the Marketo article, here are some great phrases that you may not know came from William:

All that glitters is not gold. (The Merchant of Venice)

Fight fire with fire. (King John)

Break the ice. (The Taming of the Shrew)

In a pickle. (The Tempest)

Wild goose chase. (Romeo and Juliet)