Last call, the two most dreaded words that are such a mood kill when we are out with our friends pushing the envelope on sacrificing sleep for a good time and that extra drink (or two). We are having fun and the drinks are flowing and then we hear it, and panic sets in. What? Already? The sudden fill of emotions that go through our heads and whether we were going to have more, suddenly we are. The urgency has been created as if you do not take advantage of this moment, it will be gone. We cannot recreate that night as it is now ending and is a thing of the past. So, we heed the calling and indulge. Last call is so powerful but yet we never really take that to heart.
Moments in Time
I admit, I am a bit on edge. I am a chock-full of emotions as my son has his kindergarten graduation presentation today. I know that
so many before me have gone through this and so many after me will but its personal to me. My lil boy who just 6 years ago was this little peanut that was wiggling and giggling just about every minute he was awake is now losing teeth and entering a new phase in life where he is committing to an education and will be going on a journey through each grade. For me, it is that moment of clarity that goes far beyond that last drink. It is that moment after last call where we are being kicked out that we start reflecting on the fun we had that night. I find myself looking back on this year and his innocence on that first day of school where he stood so proud to be in school. He could not wait to get his hands on that classroom and learn. If you follow me, you know that his kindergarten is only half day for all of 2.5 hrs which has been a big change has his preschool was 5 hrs so as it seemed like we were moving backwards, we moved so far forward this past school year that I still shake my head in amazement.
Moving Forward
After we absorb those 2 words of Last Call, we think what is next? Where do we go from here? In the immediate it is who is buying? Then in that immediate future it is waiting for the ride home or heading to the diner to fill up on greasy food to try and counteract the affects of the alcohol the next morning. What happens in the distant future, like the next day? Sometimes we feel like shit and depending upon how much we indulged, are dead in the bed. We hate ourselves then but when we are doing it, we have no real thoughts of that intense hate we feel as it was fun and after a few drinks, we have the “f- it, why not” feeling. Ever have that with a blog post or a comment that you leave? Sure, we all have.
Last Call
Last call is all about creating urgency. In advertising, we create urgency constantly. Infomercials take the crown on this as “if you buy in the next few minutes we will double your order” or we see on the home shopping networks with the deal of they day. In online we see the introductory offer. Urgency. Be a part of the few that get in while it is good. The urgency is more than buying now, it is being a part of the select few that are getting the deal. In our advertising are we creating the urgency for them to get the deal or better said, we creating the emotional attachment where they the need exceeds the want? We buy from need. The need is scalable as we need soap, shampoo, food, clothing, shelter but yet the brands that we purchase deepen that need. In the grand scheme of things, we do not need a Dooney and Burke purse but yet we “need” it. Image and emotional attachment to success.
Last Call in Blogging
Is there such a thing? Something to think about as we create the content, post it and want people to feel that urgency to come and read it. We ponder headlines as we know the headline will get it clicked on but the content has to pay off. It does sometimes and others it bombs and is dead in the bed. Bringing it back to my emotional state coupled with my experience in advertising and marketing and such a focus on human behavior and experiences therein, we cannot deny that there is a last call in all of us. The push and pull as we write and push our content while all the while pull from others to stimulate our brain to gather new ideas.
Sometimes I think that bloggers are their own species as we live everywhere but yet nowhere. We are generating and creating content that is sometimes feels similar to billboard adverting or late night tv ads that generally are the “bonus” in a tv buy (a/k/a a freebie on an off channel to fill a spot but to the advertiser equates to exposure) where we are waiting for the people to see it flash by but yet take a minute and click (and then of course share this treasure they have found). The offering for a blog is be a part of an online community that is building or is built already and this connection is building acceptance in the online world. If we all are retweeting the big guys we are immediately associated and batting for the same team (in this case the same team of acceptance).
In the end, blogging is a form of advertising as are our websites and Twitter, LinkedIn and any other platform. We are putting ourselves out there to be seen and entice. Our offer is almost secondary as they have to see us/it first. We have to create the last call urgency to get them to notice and then react. We have to have them rush to the bar regardless if they wanted that last drink or not. It is asking them to come back with some non verbal cues through writing to and for them that makes them walk away wanting more. Isn’t that what urgency is all about? After we buy and have it in our hands, we may love it but yet the urgency is gone and we move on to new urgency. Kinda depressing but yet invigorating.
Each day I am grateful for every reader, every comment, every tweet, LinkedIn, Facebook and Stumbleupon share but mostly I am grateful for the platform that all of you have afforded to me that allows me to give a little piece of me. I may never be the smartest, use the power big words, or have the greatest impact but yet I will be the most determined as I am a behaviorist at heart (did I just make up a title? OY!)
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