Writing regular blog posts can be a ton of work, even if you love to write. There is research that needs to be done, recipes to be developed, photographs to be taken, and oh ya – what are you going to write about?
I have gone from posting whenever the mood struck, to sticking to a regular schedule of Monday through Friday. That is 5 blog posts every week, and a huge departure from my previous schedule. In the beginning one of my biggest hurdles was trying to think up what to write about. Sometimes inspiration strikes several times a day. Sometimes it doesn’t strike for weeks on end. SO how to fill in the gaps?
Over the past couple of months I have gotten into a great rhythm of writing and planning, so today I am going to share a few tips that have really helped me get over writer’s block and easily brainstorm blog post ideas.
Keep An Editorial Calendar
One of the best things I did to boost my writing productivity is keeping an editorial calendar. I detail the setup in this post. I write down post titles a month in advance, then I always know what I need to write about. The first month I had trouble coming up with post ideas, but now every time I have an idea, I just add it to my editorial calendar. Now I have post titles almost two months in advance because the ideas keep coming!
Write Every Day
The more you write, the less writer’s block you will deal with. Make it a habit to write on a regular basis whether you have posts due or not. I keep a journal, and am working on a book on top of writing blog posts. It doesn’t matter if your writing is good, and it doesn’t matter if anyone ever sees it. Your writing chops are like a muscle that need to be exercised regularly.
Browse For Inspiration
Totally out of ideas? Browse Pinterest for a while, or read some other blogs. I’m not suggesting you rip anyone off, but sometimes absorbing other people’s creativity can get your creative juices flowing. Follow other blogs in your niche on Pinterest and Feedly. Reading other blogs not only keeps me sharp on ideas, I have created a lot of great relationships with other bloggers from regularly reading.
Repeat Themes
Every month I do a post about the books I have been reading. Regular, themed features are a great way to add posts to your editorial calendar without having to come up with a new idea. On Wednesdays I try to post a recipe. Some bloggers designate each day of the week to a different category.
Write and Schedule Ahead
I think the thing that has most enabled me to brainstorm blog post ideas is writing and scheduling posts ahead of time. When I am not under a time crunch I am not as frantic to come up with ideas, and the creativity flows much easier. And the farther ahead that I write and schedule, the more I am able to bank blog post ideas for the future.
Writing a blog is a fun creative outlet, but when writer’s block hits it can be frustrating. I hope some of these tips help you shake off the cobwebs and will make it easier to brainstorm blog post ideas!
Cory Musick says
Great post! I like the editorial calendar idea, I think I’ll give it a try. I’ve always said I hated writing but I think its because I never knew how to approach it. I felt like every word and sentence had to be perfect the first time around but I’m learning to just get my thoughts down first.
Thank you.