Blog Ideas: Beating Writer's Block

If you manage a business blog you're probably familiar with writer's block.  Blogs for SEO, social media marketing, or SEM can sometimes become a little dry, depending on what you're "selling."  After you've been operating a blog for a while, it's easy to run out of ideas and topics to write about.  Because we know that the best web content is not just high quality, but also progressive and recent, it seems pretty clear that writer's block on a business blog is a significant handicap- and one that will turn away readers and the search engines.  So if you find yourself in a slump, consider the following techniques for defeating writer's block:

Instead of writing, READ

If you find yourself out of fresh content for your business blog, you should consider reading for a while, and put your Word document away for a bit.  This might seem counterintuitive, but it's actually one of the best things an online writer can do.  Reading the web content, SEO and SMM blogs of others will not only give you good ideas for topics and discussions, it can also help with style and other personal writing techniques.  The more you read, the more writing styles you will expose yourself to and adopt- and even the very best writers can benefit from this.  In fact, you'll probably find yourself returning to your blog with new topics and possibly an entirely new approach to writing.

Get away from it

A business blog can be boring- let's face it.  In fact, if your company's blog is for social media marketing or search engine marketing purposes, writing posts can be outright tedious.  If you're on a particular keyword campaign the repetition can drive even stolid writers to the brink of exhaustion.  When you're feeling a little tired of it, it's time to take a break.  Don't read and don't write- just allow yourself a reprieve from the internet and from your computer screen for a while.  In fact, you may even need to take a few days.  Enjoy being outside, spending time with family, or indulging in a neglected hobby- anything to forget about your writer's block.  If you do this, chances are that when you sit down at the computer again, you'll be looking at your screen with a new set of eyes.

Write ANYTHING

One of the most interesting practices to overcoming stagnation with a business is to write.  Put the blog away and get out a blank piece of paper or word processor document.  Start to write about anything.  You can write about personal issues, gripes or grievances you have, dreams or goals you might wish to attain, poems or songs for fun or for someone you love, or finally get on paper those letters you've written to politicians in your head over the years.  If you just start writing and let it come out naturally, you'll find yourself getting into that coveted "writer's flow" in short order.  When this happens, STOP!  Go back to your business blog immediately and try writing again.  With any luck, you'll continue with that flow right back into your SMM or SEM blog.