You probably noticed that I
took last Friday off from posting. I didn't have any posts scheduled and with a huge surge in business that had me running like crazy, I was thisclose to taking today off too.
Then it hit me.
Then it hit me.
This is the time to
post, not the time to take a break!
In the busiest of times when work is going great, all’s smooth on the pond, it could be tempting to
stop marketing. But keeping up with your marketing and connections is more
important than ever when you’re busiest.
Why? Because you’re able to share what you’re learning in real time advice.
Your current experiences
are timely, personal and that much easier to write because you’re so
connected to the material. There’s going to be a healthy dose of passion behind
your words.
I’ve struggled with keeping balance between my two writing
worlds – blogging and writing fiction. When I’m killing it in one it seems
like I run out of inspiration or time for the other.
And what I usually end up leaving in the dust is the blog. Why? Because the book only has one plot. I have to come up with creative and fresh posts every time.
I wanted to make sure I kept blogging even if I was at a lack of inspiration.
What worked for me was asking myself these 5 sure fire questions to come up with a post even when I’m running on empty. See if they'll work for you:
I wanted to make sure I kept blogging even if I was at a lack of inspiration.
What worked for me was asking myself these 5 sure fire questions to come up with a post even when I’m running on empty. See if they'll work for you:
1. What have I done in
the past few days aside from writing?
Even those of us who work from home do something every day outside of work. That might be nothing more
than running 100 loads of laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, having dinner with your
family or watching a favorite television show.
All of those personal errands can become a post. You just
have to be creative in how you think about them.
Running laundry? Write a post on why a clean and organized house
helps you focus so you can write with ease. Watching a show or movie? Write a
review from the point of view of a writer – talk about the script, what you did
and didn’t like.
2. What are my
friends, family and connections up to online?
When I’m in an uninspired mood I find myself drawn to the
Facebook black hole of time suckage. But instead of using it to play Farmville,
I use it to farm inspiration. Among the vast number of articles and graphics out
there, sooner or later I’m bound to read something that prompts a response.
The response is what I write. Connection to your passion about the topic will put passion behind your words and readers will be able to relate.
3. What’s my favorite
thing about being self-employed?
I hate being forced out of bed and feel that alarm clocks
should be put on a boat, sent to a remote island and destroyed. And that’s the
best benefit of self-employment to me – rising when I naturally feel like it.
Which leads-in to writing about any number of topics - time management, self-employment schedule benefits, self-employment benefits in general...
Which leads-in to writing about any number of topics - time management, self-employment schedule benefits, self-employment benefits in general...
Even if you aren’t full-time self-employed this trick can
work. Just think in reverse – what are the things you don’t love about your full-time
job that you would change when you’re self-employed? Write it out!
4. What’s something
you’ve always wanted to know about but never learned?
Research is one of the most important skills any writer can
have. Yes, even above and beyond the ability to write! So when things aren’t
flowing you can use those research skills to explore an entirely new topic and
share what you learn.
I love keeping my finger on the pulse of the Green industry.
New products, services or other eco-options that companies can use to be more
environmentally responsible are things I love to write about in down times.
If you’re a B2B writer you might want to study a specific
company, product or service and write a non-biased overview of it. Even a
fiction writer might discover a new skill for character development and post
about the specifics.
5. What’s going on in
my writer community?
We all get pressed for time. After all, life
happens in addition to all that business related stuff. During times like that I ask myself if there’s
anyone I can promote, talk about or suggest to the readers of my blog.
The other bloggers I read, the writers I love and the
classes that helped me become a better writer are always things that could help
someone else too.
Promoting them with a short post can be a great way to keep a consistent schedule on your blog, help others and give a shout to someone you respect. Win-win-win!
Promoting them with a short post can be a great way to keep a consistent schedule on your blog, help others and give a shout to someone you respect. Win-win-win!
If you’re anything like me you’re going to experience times
where your words don’t seem to flow and that’s okay. Just ask yourself a
few questions about what’s going on in your life outside of work and it will open
up your eyes to a whole slew of new blog post ideas.
Image Courtesy Stuart Miles on FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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