When it comes to being a blogger, experiencing a writer’s block at some point in your career is inevitable. Struggling to come up with unique post ideas or how to explain a topic with a different angle are two scenarios that are hard to overcome. However, using the tips discussed below, you not only will have fresh ideas, but will produce content that your audience will want to read.
1.) Use Google Reader and Google Alerts
One of the best ways to find writing inspiration is to read the blogs of others in your niche. Make a list of 10-12 blogs that cover the same type of content that is covered on your blog. Next, copy and paste the RSS feeds into Google Reader. Each time a blogger posts a new article, it will show up in your feed. This way, you will not have to visit 12 separate blogs (which is a huge time saver).
You can also change the settings for Google Alerts so they will show in your Google Reader, instead of your email inbox. Pick out 5-10 keywords relating to your blog’s content. For example, if you have an online marketing blog, you could set up Google Alerts for the keywords “social media,” “SEO,” and “online marketing.” You can adjust the settings to receive stories on these topics multiple times a day, or one time a day at a specific time.
To note, this doesn’t mean that you should copy another blogger’s post idea completely. Take a look at the topic they covered, and think of a way to make it your own. Plagiarizing not only will make you lose credibility, but it is also illegal.
2.) Stop worrying about perfecting the rough draft
It is called a “rough draft” for a reason. When you’re writing and get stuck on a word or sentence that is not constructed perfectly, it is easy to get frustrated and can halt progress on the entire post. One tip that works is writing nonstop for 10 minutes and getting your ideas on paper. You can always go back and make edits.
3.) Utilize Twitter
Twitter is a great tool when it comes to finding new topics to write about and can be used the same way as Google Reader. By following bloggers in your niche, you will be automatically updated when they post a new article. The added benefit with Twitter is you also can view what their readers are saying about the article. Did they like it? Was there a piece of information that was missing that they wanted to see covered? This will give you great insight to what an audience in your niche is looking for.
The search tool in Twitter is another way to find topics to write on. By typing in your keyword into the search bar, you will see tweets from all accounts talking about that specific topic. For example, I typed in the keyword “blogging” into the search bar and every tweet related to blogging was displayed.
4.) Have an “Idea Book”
Have you ever been in the car or out to dinner and had a great idea for a blog post, but then completely forgot what it was the next day? Inspiration can be sparked from anything, at anytime. To be sure to not lose good ideas, you should always have a notebook or some type of note taking advice handy. For me, if I am out and don’t have access to a computer, I will type the idea into the Notes app on my iPhone. With the Notes app, I can even email myself the ideas so they are waiting on my computer when I am ready to use them.
Writer’s block is common, but with these tips, you’ll be able to overcome it and be a better rounded blogger!
theindiechicks
theindiechicks
theindiechicks
