Oooh, now that’s punny. Here we go again… the roller coaster writing ride. It’s like your love life: When the sparks fly, so does your romance. When the sparks fizzle, not so much. We all have a love/hate relationship with our beloved blank pages. We love to write, we hate to write. We just want to be content with our blog content! To write or not to write, that is the question. Here are 8 ideas to spice up your writing life and help you get content with your content.
1. Write About Things That Turn You On.
It’s easier to write about things that you know. Maybe you love keeping an eye on fashion trends, have a hobby or craft or even are a movie buff with a critic’s eye. Whatever it is, share your talent with the world and watch your blog blossom. Make a date with your readers and write about this “love” of yours in a weekly or monthly series. The anticipation of the next blog will keep them coming back to you for more.
2. Double Date With Your New Best Blog Buds.
“Content is King” is what billionaire Bill Gates said back in the 80’s. Way to go, Bill, you were right on. That’s good news for writers because clients look to us for content and lots of it. Well, thankfully we’re not out there all alone. When the infamous writer’s block comes knocking at your door there are two techie superheroes that are ready to come to our rescue. First, Grammarly is a must-have tool that checks for spelling, grammar and for plagiarism. Second, Hubspot’s Blog Idea Generator gives instant blog title suggestions after you type in a few keywords. Both tools are equally helpful and will become two of your new best blog buds.
Don’t miss Top 12 Resources for Today’s Content Marketing Copywriter.
3. Create Lists Your Readers Love.
People love making lists and the especially love reading them. It’s like a content quickie. They are short, sweet and get the job done. Buzzfeed is notorious for their lists in a click-bait sorta way. “5 Hacks to Spice Up Your Love Life”, 20 Moves To Make Her Fall For You Fast” are two titles you might see. But there are other content creators that are lovers of the lists and you should too. It’s a technique bloggers will find helpful when the dreaded writer’s block sets in.
4. Tell An Amazing Story.
The buzzword in the business world is “storytelling”. The word that if you can write a good story, readers will come and consumers will buy. Everyone loves a good story and will read one too. Blogs are powerful things and as writers we are powerful creators. Our words tell interesting, emotional stories that can change the way the reader sees the world, well at least the world as the blogs write it. So write a story full of details, testimonials, emotion, pictures and other creative content so you can change someone’s mind and maybe even the world.
5. Ask For Something Each and Every Time.
Ask and hopefully you will receive. Blogs are one of the best ways to reach your audience and connect with them on a personal level. After time, readers will start trusting you and turn to your blog for more. Blog content shares information and helpful advice and tips that they can use in their everyday life, or at least we hope they do. Remember to include a call to action in your blog or as the pros call it CTA. Whether you add links back to your website, other blogs you’ve written, or to another resource in your circle, include a Call To Action to keep the relationship moving in the right direction.
6. Tease Them With The Title.
Titles are like the first impressions. They can make or break a relationship. The same is true for a blog post title. Believe or not, the title and the first paragraph will either hook the reader to stick around or send them clicking in another direction. Recent studies indicate that 80 percent of people will read the title, but only 20 percent will read the rest of your awesome blog. Titles should summarize the blog in a few words in a way that reaches your audience. So, spend quality time dazzling them with your title so they’re hooked into sticking with you.
7. Add A Visual: It’s Worth A Thousand Words.
Adding visual elements to your blog will help readers fall for and into your posts. Pictures, videos, screenshots, infographics, listicles, charts, graphs and other visual elements will make your blog the star attraction. Research indicates that four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it. As creative writers, we have to embrace this growing trend and court all types of visuals elements and add them to our blogs.
8. Get Fresh With An Old Blog Post.
If you seem to be having trouble turning on the content charm, go back and revisit some of your past blog posts. Simply rewrite the content, rework the title, add a visual here, a new paragraph there and in no time you will generate a brand new post. You can even consider combing more than one! So get fresh with an old blog post and make some old content, new again.
Susan W keeps her target audience in mind and writes a creative, clear, thoughtful piece. She has written hundreds of news articles, newsletters, informative letters, blog posts, emails, social media posts, magazine articles, news releases, executive speeches, promotional articles, catalog copy, web site copy, headlines and radio scripts. She researches and writes SEO friendly articles, using the best writing style for the article and audience. She has a “flair” for word combinations that promote and entertain. Whether the article is “short and sweet” or “long and lengthy” Susan’s style keeps the reader engaged and interested.
