The fear of the blank page – it’s the fear that stops many people from making the transition from aspiring writer to writer and has come to be known as writer’s block.
There are a number of ways to get over this hurdle, some of which I’ve covered in my previous posts:
• Write something every day, no matter how little. Put your thoughts onto paper/screen – that’s all writing is. If you’re thinking something, then you can be writing something, and daily training gets you into a writing habit which, too often, we dump as soon as we leave school.
• Create a writing schedule. See my last blog post but, in summary, you’re more likely to produce something if you give yourself a deadline.
• Have a goal. See my last-before-one blog post but basically, we do stuff when we see the point in it. Make blogging a necessity – whether it’s attracting more business to your website or raising awareness about something you care for.
• Create a list of ideas/blog post subjects.
Generating blogging ideas
I mainly write for businesses and it’s now stopped being a surprise when a client tells me they don’t do anything interesting, that selling houses, chicken feed, or submarine sonars is boring.
But by the end of an hour-long interview, we normally have to weed down the number of blogging subjects we come up with, or we’d be blogging every day. Here’s a few suggestions I start off with:
• Why do you do what you do? What do you love about it?
• How did you get where you are today?
• What do you do that makes you special?
• Write about the problems you solve for clients.
• Answer your FAQs with a blog post on each question.
• Case studies and testimonials.
• New products and services you’re launching.
I don’t like banging on about personal stuff – new members joining the team, premises moves, charity events – unless it impact on how you deliver for clients or if it promotes how you want to be seen by clients (ie your brand).
Step back to see the wood from the trees
If you’re still strapped for ideas, ask someone outside your organisation (a relative?) what they’d like to know about you. Taking a step back usually reveals what’s newsworthy about your business.
If you’re still struggling with writer’s block, contact Bill Blogs or ring 07981 269162 and we’ll see what ideas we can generate together.
What have been your most successful blogging ideas?
