So you’ve embraced the boundless power of content marketing. You’ve built a blog from the ground up and invested a significant amount of effort into writing and sharing quality posts. However, finding the time to create new content is not easy. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and surely tomorrow there will be a few free hours to spend blogging…
Image from Will Jackson, under CC Attribution 2.0
Then something comes up, and tomorrow isn’t looking so good either. Before you know it you’ve gone weeks without publishing new content.
It happens to all of us from time to time. But the best way to combat blogging procrastination is by identifying the sources of your setbacks and nipping them in the bud.
Below are 6 of the most common excuses for blog stalling and how we can combat them here and now.
I have real work to do – of course you do; we all do! Many of us work every day in one way or another. But even if your schedule is bursting at the seams, this excuse just doesn’t cut it.
It’s usually just a matter of identifying the breaks in your schedule and figuring out what time of day works best for you. If you’re stressing it back at the office and trying to get your content marketing done on the side, then consider waking up a half hour earlier to work on a post over toast and coffee.
Or maybe you’re not a morning person. Reserving a chunk of time for content development closer to dusk can be a great way to cultivate productivity once the busy day has wound down. And this doesn’t all mean that you should necessarily crank out a whole post in one fell swoop. It can be tough to subject yourself to more work after a long day, so setting goals to finish bits and pieces each time you get to sit down is much more realistic.
I’m just not feeling creative today – then it’s time to get inspired. Pull yourself out of your funk with whatever gets you excited, or turn to some of the best writing on the blogosphere for ideas.
Fellow contributor Olivia Roat recently compiled a list of 57 places to get inspiration for a blog post. Give her collection a look for some of the most creative and mentally-stimulating material you can find.
I can’t think of a topic – idea generation is the first step to any great blog post and also one of the most difficult parts of the writing process. And the more often you write, the more difficult it becomes to come up with new ideas.
Image from photosteve101, under CC Attribution 2.0
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try new approaches to blogging. If you haven’t before, then give humor a shot. There are often ways to angle an article that give it a humorous spin, even if the originating topic isn’t the most thrilling subject in the world.
If all else fails, seek out one of your most successful posts of the past and write a part II. Many topics have the potential to become a series, and if they’ve previously gotten substantial attention, then it only makes sense to capitalize on a sequel.
I already posted this week – all right, well that’s a good start. And it depends on what you’re trying to achieve with your blog, but ideally you want to be making multiple posts each week.
Set goals for what you’d like to accomplish and find a happy medium between post length and publishing frequency. One way to get more out of what you write is by splitting your content up between more than one post. If you’ve written an awesome article full of useful resources, consider whether it would be just as effective if you released it in two or three separate posts.
The contemporary inclinations of Internet users and how they absorb information now tends to be based in short-form media, where skimming smaller portions of text is preferred. So there’s nothing wrong with putting out brief blog posts – in fact this tactic can sometimes be more effective than publishing a 4000-word behemoth.
I can’t focus – kill the distractions, go offline or get off the computer when you’re writing, recording or illustrating. If you’re surrounded by bustling activity or disruptive noise, then put headphones in or move elsewhere.
Image from Rennett Stowe, under CC Attribution 2.0
And while the environment can affect your concentration, so can psychological noise. Try to ease into blog writing by preceding it with a stress-relieving activity (such as walking the dog, enjoying your favorite video game or even exercising). Clear your mind and start brainstorming the post even before you sit down to write it. This will give you a head start on planning and bring your mind into the zone prior to composing.
I’m feeling discouraged – if your content hasn’t made a splash yet and you’re feeling discouraged, do not fret. Success in content marketing does not come overnight, and you must understand that the nature of the pursuit is slow and steady while you grow an archive of useful material.
I recommend dedicating a few hours to thorough research if your past posts aren’t getting the results you expected. Check out your blog analytics to see which posts have gotten the most traffic, longest view durations and lowest bounce rates. See how people have responded on social media, and check out your rankings on the search engines.
What correlations do you see between your highest performing posts? Are the titles worded to attract more clickthroughs? Are the posts heavy on images or videos? Does the tone or type of content make a big difference?
You need to know what’s working and what’s not, and these are the best ways to ascertain your strengths. Now put them to work for you, and I guarantee you’ll see results.
So SEIZE THE DAY, my friends! It’s time to get over yourself and start making big things happen on your blog.
If there are more reasons for blogging procrastination that have plagued you in the past, let us know in the comments so we can help prescribe a cure.
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