The Power of a Strong Conclusion: Why It's Essential for Your Writing
In the blogging world, getting caught up in crafting the perfect introduction, writing compelling body paragraphs, and creating eye-catching visuals is easy. However, one crucial element that is often overlooked is the conclusion. A well-written conclusion can leave a lasting impression on your reader, provide C.L.O.S.U.R.E., and prompt action or further thought. A conclusion serves as the final impression readers will have of your blog article, and it can be the difference between leaving a lasting impact or fading into obscurity.
Why is a conclusion important?
Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
As I always say, "Words are things; they must be cared for, as words have the power to continue beyond ourselves, shaping the thoughts and actions of others long after we have spoken them."
Thus, a memorable and impactful conclusion can leave a lasting impression on your readers and create a sense of community around your blog. It can enhance the overall quality of the article and inspire readers to take action or reflect on the topic discussed.
Providing a sense of closure
It can also be accomplished by bringing your article to a natural ending point, which is more important than abruptly stopping. It can give your readers a sense of closure and bring your article to a natural ending point rather than abruptly stopping.
Doing this can be accomplished through C.L.O.S.U.RE, which provides a sense of closure for your readers and stands for C-Closing Thoughts.
L.O.-Lessons Learned from the Overview of Main Points, S: significance of the topic, U: Urging the reader to take action with a call to action and R: Recommended Action, E: End strong with a memorable statement:
So take the time to craft a powerful conclusion that will resonate with your readers and inspire them to take action towards their goals.
C: Closing thoughts
Whether the article is informative, persuasive, or entertaining, the final thoughts summarize the main points and leave the reader with a final message or takeaway.
Given the prevalence of short attention spans and overwhelming amounts of information, effective closing thoughts are essential for readers to remember key insights and understand how to apply them in their lives.
A well-written conclusion provides a sense of closure and satisfies the reader with a sense of completion. It also offers an opportunity to impact the reader by reflecting on the subject matter or summarizing key points."
You can ensure readers fully comprehend your message and its significance by using a well-written conclusion.
L.O.: Lessons Learned from the Overview of Main Points
Lessons Learned from the Overview of Main Points is a simple and effective technique to help summarize the key takeaways or insights from a blog article. This process involves putting the main lessons learned from key points into a concise sentence or two in your conclusion.
To utilize the technique, one must first identify the primary lessons or insights gained from the article. It's important to note the key points that carry significant weight and should be incorporated into the summary.
This process involves putting the main lessons learned from key points into a concise sentence or two in the conclusion. Using this technique; you can create a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impact on your readers and reinforces the importance of the information presented in the article.
For example, practical advice, tips, or strategies for improving a particular area of one's life, such as health, productivity, or relationships, could be included in the summary.
While it may seem like a small step, this technique can greatly impact the reader's ability to remember and apply the information presented in the article. By providing a clear and concise summary of the main points and lessons learned, readers can easily grasp the article's overall message and be inspired to take action.
For example, consider the following conclusion from this article (link):
As a forum owner, managing staff conflicts is essential to your role. By approaching conflicts with an open mind, gathering information, encouraging compromise, and providing ongoing support, you can help your staff members resolve conflicts and work together more effectively. Additionally, taking steps to prevent conflicts from arising in the first place can help create a positive and productive team dynamic.
Remember that conflict is a normal part of any team dynamic, and effectively handling it can strengthen the team, improve productivity, and ultimately lead to better results.
The following two sentences from the conclusion are the Lessons Learned from the Overview of the Main Points.
As a forum owner, managing staff conflicts is essential to your role. By approaching conflicts with an open mind, gathering information, encouraging compromise, and providing ongoing support, you can help your staff members resolve conflicts and work together more effectively.
S: Significance of the Topic:
Emphasizing the topic's significance in the conclusion is also important, which involves highlighting the importance of the information presented in the article and why it matters to the reader. By emphasizing the topic's significance, you can help readers see the value of applying the information in the article to their lives.
It's important to note that the topic's significance should already be covered in the article's main body and not introduced for the first time in the conclusion.
For example, consider the following article and conclusion:
Article:
The benefits of meditation have been well-documented in recent years, with studies suggesting that regular meditation can reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, and promote overall well-being. By quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment, individuals can cultivate a greater sense of inner peace and tranquility, which can profoundly affect physical and mental health. Whether practiced in a formal setting or simply incorporated into daily life, meditation offers a powerful tool for managing stress and promoting a greater sense of balance and harmony.
Now consider the following conclusion from the article:
By prioritizing inner peace, the practice of meditation offers benefits at an individual level which can reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, and promote overall well-being.
The significance is that regular meditation mentions the benefits, which matters to the reader.
Now consider another conclusion from this article (link).
As a forum owner, managing staff conflicts is essential to your role. By approaching conflicts with an open mind, gathering information, encouraging compromise, and providing ongoing support, you can help your staff members resolve conflicts and work together more effectively. Additionally, taking steps to prevent conflicts from arising in the first place can help create a positive and productive team dynamic. Remember that conflict is a normal part of any team dynamic, and effectively handling it can strengthen the team, improve productivity, and ultimately lead to better results.
The significance is that effective conflict management can improve team dynamics and productivity, ultimately leading to better results.
U: Urging the reader to take action with a call to action, and R: Recommended Action
Urging the reader to take action with a call to action is a powerful way to motivate readers to engage with the content of an article or post.
A "call to action" is a specific instruction that encourages and urges readers to take a particular action based on the information presented in the article or post. It can take many different forms, like requesting that readers subscribe to a newsletter, leave a comment, share the article on social media, or buy something.
Including a call to action is a powerful way to motivate readers to engage with the content.
To create an effective call to action, you must be clear and specific about the action you want the reader to take. The call to action should be pertinent to the subject matter of the article or post and add value for the reader. Additionally, it should be clear, precise, actionable, and easy to follow. The suggested course of action should not require too much effort or time from the reader.
By including a well-written call to action, you can significantly motivate readers to take action and interact with your content.
For instance, if the article discusses the advantages of a particular product, the call to action might persuade readers to buy the item and enjoy the advantages for themselves.
A recommended course of action suggests specific steps or actions they can take based on the information presented in the article. Also, a recommended course of action can offer practical tips, strategies, or resources to help readers apply the information to their lives and achieve their goals. For instance, if you write about healthy eating habits, you can recommend meal plans or recipes to help readers make positive changes to their diet.
Not only does a recommended action offer practical guidance, but it also helps build a stronger relationship with readers. By demonstrating that you care about their well-being and want to help them make meaningful changes, you can establish trust and credibility with your audience and make positive changes.
It can also help readers overcome obstacles and progress toward their desired outcome. By providing clear guidance and actionable steps, you can empower your readers to take control of their lives and achieve their goals. So, next time you write an article or post, remember to offer a recommended action to help your readers take action and achieve meaningful results.
For example, consider the following conclusion from this article (link):
Have you had experience managing staff conflicts? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let's start a discussion on how to work together to create a positive and productive team dynamic where open communication and conflict resolution are encouraged, leading to improved productivity and better results."
"Have you had experience managing staff conflicts?" is a question that serves as the initial call to action in the example sentence.
While “Share thoughts and experiences related to managing staff conflicts in the comments section" is the additional call to action that completes the sentence and encourages readers to engage with the article by leaving a comment.
"How we can work together to create a positive and productive team dynamic, where open communication and conflict resolution are encouraged, leading to improved productivity and better results." is the recommended course of action that the reader is encouraged to take in the sentence.
E: End strong with a memorable statement:
Finally, it's important to end the conclusion with a memorable statement reinforcing the importance of the information presented in the article. It could be a quote, a personal anecdote, or a memorable phrase summarizing the article's main message. For example, if your article is about the importance of positive thinking, you could end with the statement, "Your thoughts shape your reality."
For example, consider the following conclusion:
As a forum owner, managing staff conflicts is essential to your role. By approaching conflicts with an open mind, gathering information, encouraging compromise, and providing ongoing support, you can help your staff members resolve conflicts and work together more effectively. Additionally, taking steps to prevent conflicts from arising in the first place can help create a positive and
productive team dynamic.
Remember that conflict is a normal part of any team dynamic, and effectively handling it can strengthen the team, improve productivity, and ultimately lead to better results.
Remember that conflict is a normal part of any team dynamic, and effectively handling it can strengthen the team, improve productivity, and ultimately lead to better results, which is the memorable statement in the conclusion.
Overall
A well-written conclusion is essential to a successful blog article, leaving a lasting impression on your readers. It provides a sense of closure and summarizes the article's main points. Through the use of closure, lessons learned from the overview of main points, highlighting the significance of the topic, urging the reader to take action with a call to action and recommended action, and ending with a memorable statement, you can create a powerful conclusion that inspires readers to act on what they have read.
Remember, words are things; they must be cared for, as words have the power to continue beyond ourselves, shaping the thoughts and actions of others long after we have spoken them", so make your conclusion count.
Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Do you put as much effort into your conclusion as your blog article? Share your thoughts in the comments below on how much effort you put into your conclusion for your blog articles and whether or not you think a conclusion can enhance the overall quality of the article and inspire readers to take action or reflect on the topic discussed.
