In the age of inbound marketing, blogging is the number one B2B marketing tactic. It helps B2B companies increase awareness, credibility, SEO rankings and leads.
But it’s not easy. To really make the most of your blogging efforts, you need to be publishing at least one blog post a week. And with a mountain of things on your to-do list all vying for attention, it can be difficult to find the time to dedicate to it.
This is why things like writer's block can be incredibly frustrating. You need to get another blog post out there but for some reason, you’re just unable get started, or reach the point where you’re happy to hit the publish button.
So, next time you find yourself facing writer's block, take inspiration from some of these tips to beat it.
1. Devise a blog calendar
Take away the pain of having to come up with new ideas every week. To help you come up with a list of posts to fill your calendar, take a look at one of our previous sector-specific posts on how to generate blog ideas:
- 30 blog ideas for your SaaS company
- 24 ways to generate great blog ideas for manufacturing
- 14 simple ways to generate great blog ideas for professional services
2. Carve out time in your schedule
When you’ve got other multiple pressing things on your to-do list it can be difficult to focus your energy on writing.
But if you commit to a specific time slot for writing each week, you’ll find yourself more able to get into flow without worrying about what to do next.
3. Consider your buyer personas
If you’re struggling to find an angle for a topic, put yourself in the shoes of your buyer persona.
What would they want to know? What questions would they have?
Getting into the mindset of your buyer persona will help you to see things clearly from their point of view and get you back on track.
4. Set a timer
Do you find it difficult to focus on writing for a long period of time? If so, try setting yourself a time slot in which to write.
Even if you decide to write just for 20 or 30 minutes, then have a tea break or move on to a different task, by setting a time to focus, you’ll be better able to avoid distractions and less likely to burn out.
5. Take a break
Sometimes, thinking too much about what you’re writing can actually hinder your progress.
If you find yourself stuck because you’re overthinking it, take a break. It’s often the best way to spark ideas.
Take a walk, get outside, make a cup of tea, chat with your colleagues, do 10 burpees... However simple or wacky your time-out routine is, it will allow you to re-energise, refresh your thoughts and offer some new impetus to assist you in your writing.
6. Create an outline
If you know what you want to write about but are unsure how to start, begin with constructing an outline.
Keep it brief with bullet points and include key facts you wish to include. You can then build your blog post around these.
And any time you find yourself stuck for what direction to go in next, you can refer back to it.
7. Switch to a hard copy
Find yourself going round in circles on a blog post? Try stepping away from the screen.
Print off what you’ve written so far and take a look at it on paper. Switching to a hard copy is like seeing your writing with a fresh pair of eyes.
We are so well-versed at skim reading content online in order to obtain the required information that we often miss typing, spelling and grammatical errors. Moving away from the screen can help this pattern from continuing as you proofread and edit your own writing.
8. Use pen and paper
In a world where we are surrounded by technology, the idea of writing a blog post on paper may sound slightly absurd. But some people find writing on paper actually makes them more productive.
Ideas flow more naturally, there are fewer distractions, and you’re free from the painstaking task of losing flow mid-sentence to correct typos.
9. Consult others
‘A problem shared is a problem halved’, as the saying goes. Consider this next time you’re facing writers’ block - reach out to your colleagues for ideas.
Sometimes, just stating a problem out loud is enough to set you back on track.
10. Try free writing
This last piece of advice comes from a quote by New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts - “You can fix anything but a blank page”.
The point is - get writing. In whatever way you can. Don’t worry about how it flows, punctuation or typos. Just get something down on paper - even if it’s not relevant to the topic.
This free writing technique will help get your writing juices flowing. The vast majority won’t make it into the final piece, but it might just get you warmed up.
Blogging is a powerful tool for B2B marketers. But it takes dedication. And this doesn’t come without frustrations.
We all want to write the best content we can to help us connect with our prospects and customers.
Sometimes it comes easy to us, at other times it can be more of a challenge. That’s why it’s useful to have some handy techniques up your sleeve to help you when you next find yourself struck down with a case of writer's block.
