It’s a shame, but too often entrepreneurs and business owners mistakenly think that their blogs must be great pieces of literature before they publish them on their B2B websites. It sets up overwhelming, resulting in procrastination and a backlog of blogs that never get written. This means fewer opportunities to interact with customers. Follow these proven tips and beat the terror of the blank screen and blinking cursor.
Stop negative thinking. Really. “But I’m a terrible writer.” “But I have nothing to say.” “Why would anyone want to read this?” These inspiration killers will sink your ideas before they set sail. Your blog does not need to be worthy of a Pulitzer. You simply need to connect with your customers by focusing on something your audience finds relevant.
Brainstorming is the biggest part of the battle. You know more than you think. Take a sheet of paper and draw separate columns for the following three questions: What is most important to my clients? What are your biggest concerns? What does my company offer to alleviate those concerns? Now make a list of answers to each of these questions for each type of customer you serve. Ready! Each answer is the subject of a new blog post.
Be yourself. Different authors have different voices and personality sells. You are an expert in your field; now just share it. Write in a simple, conversational tone. If you find your writing seems too formal, dictate your work into a tape recorder or have a real conversation with someone. Grab a coworker or friend and sit down with them for a few minutes while you explain your thoughts on your blog topic. Once you transcribe those thoughts, you’ll have a nice chunk of unique human-sounding blog content to start from.
Embrace the ugly. Too many people mistakenly think that every word has to be perfect before it gets on the page. Save yourself the stress by writing it in ugly old English. Keep the bad grammar, fragmented thoughts, rambling anecdotes, and run-on sentences. Refraining from self-censorship will make editing much easier later on.
Now print it. Yes, on real paper. Hard copies allow you to work on your blogs in places that are inconvenient for a laptop, like your daily train commute or in bed at night. They also help you catch grammatical errors and typos. Please increase the font size and widen the spacing before printing to make it easier for you to read. Try the 12 point Georgia font with 1.5 paragraph spacing for easy readability and room for notes. Then go crazy with the red pen. Add, remove periods, commas, and add more space between paragraphs. Now go back and write those changes. Then print it a second time and repeat this editorial process. Make this “2 drafts + revisions” system part of your personal blogging habit.
Hack your sentences. Be ruthless. Most of your sentences are probably too long. Cut as many as possible into smaller sentences. Less commas and semicolons. More points and paragraph returns. Blog readers want to get in, get information, and get out. Remember what blogs are for on B2B websites: grab your customers’ attention and give them useful advice or interesting information. Make it easier for your audience by breaking your thoughts into short, easy-to-read sentences.
Schedule a specific time to write. Maybe it’s in your office. Maybe it’s at home after your kids have gone to bed. But be alert to your sense of when he feels compelled to work on his blog. A pattern will begin to emerge. If you find yourself brainstorming blog ideas during your morning commute, use the audio notes feature on your smartphone for a quick brainstorming session. Simply transcribing your ideas later will generate a large number of quality words to start your blog post.
Do it. It sounds cliché but it is true. Work in the way you are most comfortable with, either by dictating, handwriting with pencil on paper, or writing a few ideas on the back of a poster during intermission. Momentum builds momentum and once you start to integrate blogging into your regular work cycle, it will soon fit seamlessly into your weekly to-do list.
List your staff. You are not an island. You’re surrounded by staff who understand your customers, your business, and where the two intersect. Your staff can contribute ideas or blog posts that are relevant to your audience and will also relieve you of some pressure.
Do like the pros: hire someone else. All the big brands use content writers. Do you think Richard Branson writes his own blog? What about Martha Stewart? Well, Martha Stewart actually could, but most executives at major companies hire ghostwriters for their corporate blogs and then just manage the post. Web development professionals are dedicated to researching and creating compelling content that supports your company and mission.
Whether you do it alone or hire someone else, blogging will be easier, trust me. Every successful writer who clings to it knows this. Once you find your personal flow and style, the process will be less painful and, dare I say it, maybe a little enjoyable?