Did you have a resolution this New Year?
Growing your business is probably at the top of your priority list. One of the ways to get that done is by providing consistent, valuable content to your customers and prospects.
One of the ways we love to give our audience value is through blogging. At Content.First we post new, fresh content in weekly blog articles. That’s a lot of writing!
If we’re being honest, it’s not always easy to come up with a new topic, each and every week. Have you ever felt like that?
So, how do we stay inspired to continuously create new content? How do we make sure we’re always engaging with our audience and offering value they need?
Get Inspired the Content.First Way
1. Ask yourself why you’re blogging.
We talk a lot about value, but what does it mean to your brand and clients?
Go back to the core of your business and remind yourself of your purpose.
What problem are you solving?
How is your solution going to work for your audience?
How do you want to help people?
What do you want your audience to achieve or learn from your blog?
Reminding yourself of your purpose whenever you need to get re-inspired and motivated to write.
2. Always generate new ideas.
Take a Saturday or a few hours in the evening to commit to idea generation.
What is idea generation?
It’s basically a brainstorming session, where you can embrace your inner creative to come up with a list of writing ideas.
Don’t limit yourself to just topic ideas; include personal stories and anecdotes, ideas you want to research, questions you still need to answer, mistakes you’ve made, unexpected solutions, and so.
Observe your surroundings, peers and customers for new ideas. Your next blog post might be right under your nose — if only you look for it!
3. Grab your reader’s curiosity.
Hubspot wrote a great article about staying inspired when writing your blog and identifies a “sweet spot” for writers.
The writer’s sweet spot is at the intersection of facts and creativity. Think of it this way: your reader wants value; whether it’s the answer to a question, motivation to overcome a challenge, or direction to grow their business.
Readers also want to be entertained. Entertainment could be telling a personal story, sharing an exciting fact, posing probing questions that solve a pressing problem or citing a relevant case study.
Find a balance between fact and entertainment.
4. Take your writing step-by-step!
Whenever I’m struggling to write a blog post, I wind up sitting in front of a blank screen for what can feel like hours! Sometimes the creative juices just aren’t flowing and a whole 500 words (or more) seems entirely impossible.
Overcome your writer’s block by splitting the process up into smaller, manageable tasks: pick a topic, do some research, write an outline, write a draft, finally revise and edit.
Baby steps are easier to accomplish than whipping out a whole post in one go.
5. Use YOUR unique voice to write.
Readers come to your blog for YOU. If they wanted to hear from someone else, they’d go elsewhere. That being said, don’t be a copycat; don’t try to be someone else or what you think your readers expect.
Share your experiences and knowledge that is uniquely you. Once you become comfortable as a writer, your natural voice will develop; and, once that happens, keep it consistent!
How do you get motivated to blog? Share your expert tips with us in the comments below!
Or, if you just wish someone could do all this for you, get in touch to schedule a FREE Business Booster Call.
