One of the hardest parts of content marketing can be the actual process of writing. There are going to be days when you end up sitting and staring at your computer, without being able to put a single sentence together. This happens so often that it is called writer’s block!
Writer’s block can be challenging to get through. If you are on a deadline, it can be downright devastating. Writer’s block affects everyone at some point, though it can affect some people more than others. Some writers seem to struggle with writer’s block on a regular basis while others only get hit with it once in a while.
It doesn’t have to be as bad as you think. Here are some tips to help you deal with writer’s block.
Have a list of topics handy
All business owners need to have a list of potential topics that they are hoping to cover on their blog. If you do so, you won’t have any excuse when you can’t figure out what to write about. All you have to do is pick one off of the list.
Sit down for ten or twenty minutes and just write down all of the topics that you can think of. As you write blogs and think of other ideas, make sure that you add any ideas to the list.
Try an app!
There are apps for everything, including ones designed specifically for content marketers and writers.
For those who need help with organization and note-taking, Evernote is a good one to try. You can use it to keep track of your list of topics that you want to cover. It syncs your computer, laptop, and even mobile device so that you can add to it and access it wherever you are. Ommwriter is a good app if you struggle with focusing.
Take a break
There is nothing worse than staring at a blank computer screen for a few minutes (or hours) and seeing no progress. At this point, it is much better to take a break. You are not getting anything done (other than stressing yourself out).
So, walk away and do something else for a while. Take a walk, read a book, play with your dog, or something else. Sometimes, all you need is a break to get your creative juices flowing again.
Write somewhere else
There are times when your office is too distracting, and you might need to change your environment. You might be sitting in your office looking at the huge pile of work that you have to do. If you are working in the living room, you might feel the need to get up and clean instead of writing.
When you are that distracted, you may want to go somewhere else. Can you take your laptop outside? Maybe a coffee shop will give you a boost of caffeine and a place to write where nothing else is calling your name.
Have a backup
One of the best things that you can do is have a blog (or several) to use as backups for the days when you can’t write a single word. Instead of sitting there stressing about it, you can use a backup and focus on other things that you should be doing.
When you are having a productive day of writing, make sure that you write at least one or two extra blogs to keep handy for the days when you can’t think of a single thing to say!
Utilize guest bloggers
Many websites and businesses are starting to notice the power of guest bloggers. Not only are you getting high-quality blogs for your website, they will also introduce you (and your business) to a whole new audience.
Most guest bloggers have a large audience who will hurry over to your website to read what their favorite blogger has to say. In turn, they will notice your business. Most of the time, this is a good way to help grow your audience.
Ask for help
There are many professional freelance writers, bloggers, and marketing companies that would be willing to write blogs for you. Whether you want one once in a while when you are stuck or you want to outsource all of your content marketing, you should be able to find someone who is willing to help you.
Don’t give up
One of the worst things that you can do is give up. Just because you are stuck doesn’t mean that you can’t write good quality content!
Too many writers get stuck in their head and, after a difficult writing session, just walk away from their blogs. If you have a list of topics, back up blogs, and someone to help, a few cases of writer’s block won’t make a difference.
There is nothing worse than writer’s block when you have time to write, but you find that you have absolutely nothing to say! Just sitting there can really make it worse. You can start to feel more anxious and stressed because you are wasting time when you need to get some blogs written.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You really need to have a list of topics handy so that, whenever you have this problem, you can simply look through the list and pick one that you want to write about. It also helps to have some backup blogs so that you don’t feel as much pressure to get one written. If you have a blog that you can use instead of writing one, you can focus on doing something else for your business, instead of wasting time trying to write.
If you are really struggling, you may want to hire someone else to write your content for you. Contact us to learn how we can help with your content.
