We’ve all been there, it’s time to write your next blog and you stare at a blank screen asking yourself, what should I write about today? Will my audience find it useful? Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to write content that will get stellar results that we end up repressing our creativity and in turn are unable to type one word.
Thankfully there are some techniques to help get our creative juices flowing so we can develop good, effective, and consistent content to keep our readers engaged and coming back to read more.
Build an Ideas Library
Sometimes thoughts, ideas and inspiration fall into our lap when we least expect them, it’s important to not let those ideas get away from us! Creating a library of these thoughts and ideas will help during those times when you are experiencing a creative block. Think of how you will feel knowing you have a “safety net” full of inspiration waiting for you!
Look Around for Inspiration
It is just fine to look to see what others in your industry are writing about! Following top creators in your industry is a great way to gain inspiration. Remember you are looking for ideas to spark your own creativity, and not copy what others have already created. Use these ideas to build upon - make them unique to your brand and your audience.
Expand Upon Existing Blogs
Going back and looking through previous blogs you have created can spark ideas. Maybe you can build upon what you already shared, or maybe something has changed since writing the original post and you need to update your audience. You can also create a series of posts, allowing you to have multiple pieces of related content that will span over a period of time and giving you a break in brainstorming what to write about.
Create a How to Guide
Writing a How to Guide is a great way to fill the gaps when you are stumped on a new and creative topic. Just remember, you don’t want to give away how you do the entire service you provide. You just want to go through the steps of what you provide and why your audience needs the service, and what the outcome that will be provided.
Ask Your Audience
Sometimes a very easy way to come up with new content is to simply ask for it? There are multiple ways you can accomplish this including send out surveys, ask for comments on social posts, ask for replies to e-blasts. Doing this can bring ideas to you that you never would have thought of!
Train Your Brain
Training your brain is just like strength training - the more your flex your brain to think of ideas the easier the content will come! Spending a few minutes each day to jot down a few topic ideas will keep the creativity flowing. That doesn’t mean all of the ideas will be used, it’s simply just a creative exercise to keep your creative momentum ignited.
The next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, not knowing what to write about, just know you are not alone! It happens to all of us, even award winning, best-seller writers have experienced writer’s block. So, sit back, take a deep breath and follow some of the tips we provided and you will be back on track in no time!
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