Oh no, you have hit that inevitable moment in every writer's career . . . you have writer's block. Working in web marketing as a blogger is not always easy. You are tasked with turning out fresh and creative content on a daily basis. It can become tiresome and easy to lose focus. This is usually the point when writer's block takes over, but don't lose hope, you can beat it.
Whether you are a full-time writer or a business owner maintaining your own site, here are some strategies to use so you can say goodbye to writer's block for good.
Create a Recipe for Writing
The best way to avoid getting writer's block in the first place is to have a general strategy or formula you apply to the majority of the blogs you write. If the screen you're staring at is blank, chances are, so is your mind.
Even if what you write makes no sense, start writing anyway. Think about your audience first. Imagine your customers-who are they? What kind of person will read your blog? What are they like? What problems are they facing?
When you think about the kind of person who will read your blog, you can start listing potential blog topics. Get in the habit of using the same strategy for each blog. Use this recipe as a starting point. If you have no direction of what you want to say, you spend a significant amount of time starting and stopping.
Here is an example recipe for writing a blog.
- Identify your industry.
- Identify your audience.
- List some of the common concerns your audience might have or subjects they would find interesting.
- Research subjects you would like to write about.
- Layout the outline of your blog.
- Write to the people who will appreciate the information you are providing them.
If you are having difficulty coming up with blog topics, move on to researching general topics. Research is where you begin to flesh out a solid idea of where you want to take your writing. When you dig in and start reading, you either find new, trending topics or find a fresh perspective on an old idea.
Key Ingredients to Include in Your Recipe
Every writer has their own recipe for success, but here are a few key ingredients to give your blog direction.
- Identify a problem your reader might have.
- Relate to your reader and how they might feel dealing with this problem.
- Provide solutions for your reader to solve their problem.
Now that you have generated a topic and created a structure, narrow your focus. This is your chance to take ordinary words and make them extraordinary. Think about the tone you should use with your audience. What style or effect do you want your writing take? Find ways to make your writing enjoyable and entertaining for the kind of people who will read it.
The main reason you may develop writer's block is because your attention is everywhere except on your reader. You are probably either feeling stressed, tired, or anxious. You can find unlimited cures for your writer's block in books, on the internet, or from friends . . . but ultimately, the solution is to refocus your attention on what you have to say to the person who wants to read it.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Even naturally gifted writers learn and grow the more they write. Having a process is essential to being an effective and efficient writer-particularly if you aim to generate traffic to your site. But what if your process just isn't working anymore? Don't worry, you haven't lost the ability to write. Here are some additional tips and tricks to shake things up and get back on track.
- Eat, Sleep, and Exercise - the more you can do to feel physically comfortable in your daily life, the more focused you will be at work.
- Choose a Different Topic - if you are bored or overwhelmed and can't get anywhere with what you are writing, start from scratch. Don't be afraid to throw out a portion (if not all) of what you have on paper.
- Stretch, Breathe, or Meditate - if you are stuck in the midst of your blog, take a break. Stretch or meditate and come back to writing with a clear mind.
- Change Your Process - using the same tired recipe for writing gets old. Try switching up your approach and see what happens. Even small changes, like the location of your workspace, can invigorate you to start anew.
- Talk It Out - converse with friends and colleagues to drum up new ideas and ways to approach your writing.
- Update Your Personal Blog - sometimes the best thing to do is just write what you want to say. Feeling passionate about writing as a craft can fuel the inspiration for your work.
Enjoy creating your own process for writing and don't forget the key to your success-write for your audience. Your intention is to provide your customers and readers with the information they need. If you can do this, you will beat your writer's block every time.
