When you start a blog and write down your first few ideas, it can often be difficult to know what you should write about next. It can feel high stakes and like there’s only one right answer that’s just out of reach.
You’re not the only one confused about blogging – but I have a way out for you (for good!)
When you have big dreams, the reality of low sales and real-world expenses can cloud your previously inspired view. This is when we tend to hide in over-preparing, research, social media, curating other people’s opinions, or creating products without feedback from the people we want to help.
We don’t mean to, but when we’re scared we hide. Since you’re a smart and savvy person, having a hiding strategy that feels productive is part of the package. Unfortunately, the biological strategies that are meant to keep you safe (as in, physically safe and not mauled by a tiger) also flare up when we take risks that can't physically hurt us. This can make it extremely difficult for you to succeed, so the first step is to acknowledge what’s happening and break the cycle!
How do you shake writer’s block for good?
What’s been helpful to my clients and me when we get stuck is having three tools to rely on: our blog values, our blog topics, and how we want our customers to feel. With these three pieces, you not only solve your writer’s block for good, but you also create a blog full of content that will attract your ideal clients or customers. Your site will then help you cultivate a following of people who understand your perspective and trust your work.
Sounds like a dream, right? So let’s make it happen!
Blog Topics
Blog topics are what you might traditionally think of when talking about an editorial calendar. However, this is about the themes and topic ideas for your entire site, not ideas for individual posts.
Your blog topics are made up of:
- The subjects and themes that you want to help your readers with
- Categories you can use to brainstorm and break into post ideas
- If your blog was a magazine, start with the broad theme or topic it would be categorized under, such as lifestyle, design, business, or food. Then you can get more specific and inventive with yours.
Blog values
The best part of your blog values is that they’re already in everything you do; you just have to start looking for them. Even if you haven’t started a blog yet, you can keep an eye out for them.
Traces of your blog's values are found in:
- How you talk about your work
- The big-picture ideas behind your content which drive it forward
- The direction you want to take your readers in
- What bothers you about your industry – what could you talk about for hours?
- The things you love about your closest friends
- The vision you hold for your readers, customers or clients
You’re looking for the personality of your brand and its unique flavor. This is often hard for us to see for ourselves, so if you can, try looking at older blog posts or your emails to friends and see if you can pick up on your perspective. If you’re blogging for someone else, or for a company, consider the voice of the brand, any hidden morals in the founding story, and the function of what the company does for its supporters.
Some ideas for values are: craftsmanship, perseverance, precision, emotion, relationships, independence, rebellion, discovery, adventure, empathy, kindness, self-care, prestige, equality, resilience, humor, creativity, ease, sensuality, invention, leadership, community, trust, mystery.
If you're struggling with these at all, use this post to get started. It guides you through this process step by step and gives examples of how you can create your enticing description of what you do.
How Do Your Readers Want To Feel?
Here’s where the magic happens. People make decisions based on what they feel, so it’s crucial to consider what your readers come to your online world for and how they want to feel when they leave.
If they’re looking for control, to feel mastery, to experience a little oasis of luxury, or to know they have someone in their corner, you can and should make sure the language you use in your posts reflects and reinforces that.
It’s not good enough to just think about it – you have to talk to the actual people you want to help. Either in person, through surveys, or through the comments on your blog.
So get to brainstorming: What are your blog topics? What are your blog values? And what’s one way you can inspire the kind of feelings your readers want?
With these questions, you can brainstorm, edit your posts with purpose and know that your work is taking you in the right direction.
LAST UPDATED ON: June 2nd, 2015
CATEGORY: Attract your ideal customer Content Marketing Strategy
Thank you so much for posting this! I used to have a very set theme for my blog posts, but I wasn’t very passionate about the subject and have struggled ever since to find my big picture. I’m on my way towards big picture now, but it’s still a struggle sometimes.
Thanks for reading, Sarah. I’m happy to have you here :) Knowing what works for you is a huge part of making a plan that you can succeed at, isn’t it? I find that having a big picture idea of what I write about is a huge help, and then I brainstorm post ideas all the time. Then when I sit down to write, I can pull from the top of my head or from my library of ideas. For me, flexibility is key. And don’t worry – just because it’s a struggle doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Keep on setting aside what doesn’t work, and adding things that make it easier for you. You’ll have a system that works in no time, and the know how to adapt it when what works for you changes!
I just read another post about how we keep busy doing all this blogging stuff because we are afraid. The tagline was something like don’t buy another online blogging course you are never going to get to. Just start doing it.
I really liked you post, it’s true isn’t it? I love how you ask all the right questions! I had an experience this week that helped me solidify how I want people to feel on my site. Unfortunately, it was by someone behaving in a way that goes against everything I believe. It really opened my eyes and has helped me take some real positive steps.
I never want to be that person who goes around tearing someone apart, I don’t think that takes any talent what so ever.
Yes!! So much of what we do in all parts of our life – and in blogging or business – is fear based. Keeping busy to avoid that feeling is a classic hiding strategy, and it can cost a lot of money if you pick online courses as your quick fix. It feels fancier than dropping an extra $200 on clothes, but it can be the exact same thing. I’m sorry that you had someone acting out on your site, but seeing that behavior and feeling your reaction to it (just like seeing the constant purchasing & feeling your reaction to that) is a huge guidepost to us in figuring out who we are and how we want to act that out. Thank goodness that, at least some of the time, other people can be our crash courses – from a safe distance ;)
Love this, Kyla! I’m kind of in the process of re-thinking this right now as far as my blog goes. I tend to get caught up + overwhelmed with the details of figuring out each individual post, when really, I need to nail down the big picture FIRST. It’s amazing how having a clear vision makes everything else so much easier!
I hope your big picture is getting clearer, Brittany! The details can definitely be overwhelming, but you’ve got what it takes. Including buckets of talent! What helps me most is taking it one step at a time, and narrowing down from the most important parts. I hope that helps you. Thanks again for reading :)