Writer's Block

When writing a blog for your business, it can be difficult to come up with new content and even harder to sit down and write about it. New products and updates about your store are always a good place to start, but what to do during the slow weeks?

1. Know your target audience. Be sure to blog about topics that are relevant to your company and is also something that you find interesting so your passion will come across in each post. Research other blogs and sources of information in your industry for ideas for new posts. The goal is to become a source of information for your customers and to turn them into loyal followers of your blog.

2. Figure out the best time of day. Are you a morning person or do your creative juices start flowing after lunch? Figure out the time of day when it is easiest for you to sit down and write your posts. If you are feeling writer’s block, come back to the blog in a couple hours or even the next day if you aren’t on a tight schedule.

3. Don’t procrastinate.If you are finding a post especially difficult to write, don’t put it off for days. I promise it will not make it any easier. My least favorite saying growing up was “buckle down”, but it’s true. Sometimes you just have to sit down and commit yourself to finishing a post. Once you get in the groove, the words will come.

4. Don’t write perfectly. Pobody’s nerfect so don’t set unrealistic expectations that every post will flow on to the computer in less than 2 minutes. It can be easier to write in stream of consciousness and fragments just to get the ideas out there. Once you jot down the bare bones of the post, it won’t feel difficult to fill the rest in.

5. Change your surroundings. Are you blogging from home today while sitting on your bed in pj’s? This is environment is not conducive to focusing and being creative- it would just make me want to sleep! Sit at a desk, go to a coffee shop or bring your computer outside with you for some fresh air and see if that helps get the ideas flowing.

6. Collaborate. Consider asking a manger or one of your employees to write a post for your blog. Their opinions and different writing style will freshen up your blog and could inspire you for future posts.

7. Listen to some of your favorite tunes. I find it easiest to focus while having my headphones on. It cuts out the surrounding noise and allows me to concentrate solely on what I am doing. If you have never tried listening to music while working, give it a shot and play around with different genres to find out what works best for you without becoming a distraction.

8. Be consistent. Set up a schedule and try to stick with it. If you know you blog every Wednesday, it will soon be easier for you to write the posts as it becomes a routine.

Have other tips that help with your writer’s block? We would love to hear from you in the comments!

Image Credit: Zsuzsanna Kilian