Writer’s Block Tips For Bloggers
There are days when you know you should be working on your business blog and the words just aren’t coming to you.
Believe me, I get it.
The creative process is about more than sitting in front of a computer tapping keys. It’s about finding the right place in your home, office, mood, and brain in which you can write.
Writer’s block tips for bloggers include stepping away from the office or computer, creating a list of ideas and questions from your referral network, clients, and prospects, and using newsletter content from others as content for your blog post ideas.
Just Be. Years ago I had two black labs. In the morning I would say, “Let’s go to work,” and they would follow me down the hall to my office. While I was working they would stare out the window. When they got tired of staring, they would sleep. They were the worst interns ever but they taught me that sometimes you have to just be.
Just be in the moment. Take a deep breath. Refocus. Be grateful for what you have. Start stretching while you’re breathing deeply. Feel the moment. Just be.
Dance Party. Sitting slumped over your computer crying like a baby because you haven’t an idea in your head will not get the ideas flowing. In fact, it will probably cause more stress so get up and get moving. I’ve been known to turn up the music and dance around like a fool for a song or two. Movement clears the cobwebs to make way for creativity. And it just feels good to move.
Don’t Sit Down To Write. If you’re not feeling the muse, don’t sit in front of your computer fooling yourself into thinking you’re writing a blog post. You will only get frustrated. Instead, take a walk, dance, breathe deeply, meditate, or work on something else. Often I will work on graphics and schedule social media when I am not in the mood to write so that I am productive even if I’m not writing.
Newsletters Aren’t Just for Deletion. I find that when my life is cluttered, including my email, I experience more writer’s block. My inbox needed a spring cleaning so I unsubscribed from thousands of email newsletters. Now I subscribe to a couple dozen that provide value to me or my clients. Using these newsletters (and other resources including research and good ol’ conversation), I develop content for my blog and for my clients’ blogs.
Google Alerts. Whenever I am stumped, I go to my Google Alerts on certain topics to see what others are writing. It helps me brain get moving in a direction of writing a blog post on a particular topic. I also use alerts when I am building an editorial calendar. Go to google.com/alerts and enter keywords you would like to track. Results are emailed to you on a frequency of your choosing.
Frequently Asked Questions. What are people always asking you about your business? What information are you always emailing to clients and prospects? Blog about these topics and refer people to the blog post. That saves you the time of typing a response multiple times.
Ask Your Referral Network. Every business owner needs a core group of fellow business owners with whom they can talk candidly about business. Whether you call them your referral network or power team, it doesn’t matter. They are the people who are helping market your business; they should have a clear picture of the problem your business solves and who your ideal client is. Ask them what they want or need to know about your business and blog the answer.
Rewrite an Old Post. Last year I redesigned the McAuley Freelance Writing website. Part of the process was to go through all of my blog posts to evaluate what was relevant for the new website, what needed to be deleted, what could be repurposed on another blog, and what could be rewritten.
For example, I’ve written a lot about social media but the social landscape has changed significantly over the last five years. Some post ideas were relevant, like which platform to choose for your business, but needed to be revamped to include Instagram and Pinterest.
If you haven’t guessed, I am not a believer in writer’s block. It’s just a state of mind. Clear the cobwebs with deep breathing or a dance party, mine your own content, answer questions, track ideas in an editorial calendar, and I guarantee you’ll never have writer’s block!
Contact me today at [email protected] to schedule a Content Strategy Session if you’re still suffering from writer’s block and I will help you get the ideas flowing!
