How to overcome writer’s block when blogging

Maintaining a business blog is a lot of work. When faced with a lengthy to-do list, the thought of creating an intriguing piece of original content can be downright daunting. Enter writer’s block. It’s no different than the novelist struggling with how to off her main character or the student starting a research report — except in this case we could call it blogger’s block. So let’s look at some time tested — and newer — means of overcoming writer’s block.

• Read industry news. What’s going on in your industry? Is there a new worm on the loose? Did a natural disaster put companies’ data at risk? Has a competitor released a new product? As you’re reading the news, be aware of your reactions. Would your audience care to know what you’re thinking?
• Read industry blogs. Same idea here. What are analysts saying? Your peers? Competitors? Are there themes that you can comment on or disagree with?
• Try a different point of view. The lines between technology industries are blurring. For example, security functionality is being incorporated into networking products. What can you say about your security product that would be of interest to the network admin? And vice versa?
• Use SEO keyword tools like Google’s Keyword Tool to see what your potential readers are searching for. Take this one step further and use those search terms yourself. What can you add to the conversation?
• Make a list of challenges that your customers face and write a blog post on each offering advice or a solution.
• Recycle content. Excerpt white papers, transcribe a portion of a Webcast, summarize case studies, etc. Be sure to begin the post with a short explanation of where the content is coming from to put it in perspective for the reader. Also, don’t forget to include a link to register for the full piece of content at the end of your post.
• Review books and other media related to your industry.
• Compile an objective top 10 from your own blog. If your company has been blogging for awhile, compile a list of the top 10 blog posts based on page views.
• Compile a subjective top 10 from your own blog, titled something like “Top 10 posts you might have missed.” This is a great opportunity to dig up posts that for one reason or another — maybe it was posted late on a Friday — didn’t get the traffic they deserved the first time around.
• Write a prediction piece. What can readers expect from your industry in the coming six months or year? At the end of that time period, revisit your post and hold yourself accountable for your predictions. Where were you wrong? What did you predict correctly?
• Write a Q&A with a customer, an industry celebrity or an internal employee (maybe a developer or a consultant).
• Comment on B2B technology intersecting with consumer technology. For example, how are consumer storage needs and solutions evolving as a result of the evolution of B2B solutions?
• Use a blog ghostwriter. Supplement some of your posts with those written by a freelance copywriter and you may find those creative juices flowing again since you have less pressure to produce content.

There are plenty more ideas available in books and on the Web for beating writer’s block. The best tips are those that you can work into your regular routine with ease so that you can maintain a steady list of topics to write about — thereby avoiding writer’s block altogether. What works for you? Share your suggestions! — Crystal Bedell, Freelance Technology Writer and Content Developer