Zeal

Candle light (Photo credit: Alesa Dam)

        My Random House Dictionary defines zeal as "earnest and diligent enthusiasm , as for a cause."  Some synonyms listed are ardor, fervor, intensity, and passion.  Who has never felt this for something or somebody?  And when the feeling of zeal happens, how long can it be kept going strong?


        There are many reasons passion for something can wane.  Failure to have expectations met, discouragement from outside forces, and fatigue from ones efforts can all be contributing factors to the dissolution of zeal.   When the zeal has gone, it is often difficult to revive.


         When it comes to marketing the zeal must be kept alive.  If the ones doing the marketing don't appear be enthused about a product, why should the consumer care.  The goal of promotion in the marketing process is to provide the necessary hype to get the customer to buy, be happy they bought, and to tell others about that satisfactory buying experience.  The marketer may be in the business of creating illusions, but for the greatest success there should be a reality that backs up marketing claims.


          Whether you are a writer or the developer of some other product, there is an energy and excitement in the creative process.  Once that product is ready to be marketed, the initial steam may have fizzled and you may feel drained of that zeal you had felt when you were creating.  Now is the time when the fire needs to be stoked.


          Don't just throw gasoline on the flame and hope to go out in a blaze of glory.  Promotional marketing should be log by log, coal by coal.  Take it slow and steady to maximize your inner flame.  You don't want to burn yourself out or annoy your public with too much flash.  Keep a constant presence and only turn up the heat when things get too cold.  Keep the campaign lit, but don't burn all of your fuel at once.  You want to be in your marketing phase for the long term--until you're ready to start your next marketing fire.


          Feel the zeal, but keep it in control.  It's nice to be loved, but better to be respected.


Z blogger of the Day

A site that is a bit zany is Zyogbv.     Zyogbv is an alien who has unfortunately crash-landed on Earth. This is her story.


Coming Soon!


Zeal is something that often accompanies first love, which speaking of  first love I am reminded of Alex J Cavanaugh's First Love Blogfest which will be happening on Monday May 14th follow the link to sign up.

Also don't forget Alex's Insecure Writers Support Group which goes back into action this Wednesday.

Next Monday will be the beginning of the A to Z Challenge Reflections posts.  We hope you will all have something to contribute for that.

Finally be watching the A to Z Blog for the Post Challenge Challenge which will be starting soon with details coming.   May will also be A to Z Challenge Evaluation Month at the A to Z Blog.  Watch our Monday posts as we explore the good, the bad, and the possible and anything else that any of us may think about where the Challenge can go next.

Related articles

• Killed by Zeal (centrefortransformationanddevelopment.com)
• Beware of Crushing Zeal (jcrylequotes.com)