by Jim Ducharme The hardest thing about writing is getting started. The second hardest thing is doing it consistently. We all have sp...
by Jim Ducharme
The hardest thing about writing is getting started. The second hardest thing is doing it consistently. We all have spurts of creativity. The words just flow from us onto the page and we have miles of insight to share. That’s the easy part of content. The real rock stars are those who can do this over and over again. Those people are few and far between.
Every writer suffers from down days where they can’t even write their name on a check, let alone create great email marketing content or a blog post.
It’s not easy! Here are some tips on writing great content consistently that engages your subscribers.
Talk to the subscriber one to one even if you need a prop
I spent 20 years as a broadcaster and believe me, talking into a microphone and sounding natural takes a lot of practice and effort. Some broadcasters I knew had more trouble with this than others and so they used props for this — For example, having a small stuffed toy in on the console to talk to or maybe just a photo of their wife or kid to help them focus.
I spent 20 years as a broadcaster and believe me, talking into a microphone and sounding natural takes a lot of practice and effort. Some broadcasters I knew had more trouble with this than others and so they used props for this — For example, having a small stuffed toy in on the console to talk to or maybe just a photo of their wife or kid to help them focus.
If you have trouble relating to people one on one when you write, put a photo up in front of you or use one of your “stuffies” and talk to it as you would someone face to face. It may sound a bit silly, but it really works.
You don’t have to start at the start
People always say write what you know and that’s true. But that isn’t always easy when you’re looking at a bunch of puzzle pieces and trying to envision them together without actually doing it. This is the conundrum you will face as a writer sometimes. You will have the last paragraph and maybe a middle one, but you have no idea where to start. So, do what I do and write what you already have in your head down then let that lead you to creating content that has the whole package. No one ever wrote anything worth reading by just staring at their screen and gritting their teeth.
Break with frustration
When nothing is coming to mind, get up and take a walk. This isn’t a revelation since it is very basic creative writing advice, but it’s what you do with that walk that really makes the difference. Don’t just sack out in front of the TV or take a nap. Take a walk to the store or go to the park or stare at the lake. New stimulus is very effective at getting the creative juices flowing again.
Don’t talk about your product – talk about what people do with it
If you want to add real value to people’s lives talk about what people are doing with your product or service and not just about what the product or service does. Give people examples, tell the success stories and SHOW them how others have used your product or service to address pain points and succeed. This actually makes life easier for you because you are simply relaying the truth instead of trying to come up with adjectives for your product. Remember to ask your subscribers to share their stories with you and make it easy for them to do so! This is where video can play a big part in your marketing!
Read it out loud
Always read everything you write out loud, both as you go and when you think you are done. Our brains fill in gaps for errors and you’ll only hear those mistakes if you read them out loud. I often read each paragraph as I go to be sure I’m staying on track and not wandering into tangents.
Take Notes
Finally keep a notepad or use your smart phone to jot down ideas you may have at any given time. Trust me; I’ve forgotten more good ideas than the ones I’ve actually written about.
Write On
You probably won’t need to use every single idea I’ve shared here, because everyone is a little different, but using one or two of them should help you if you are having issues with consistency. Just don’t bang your head against your desk! Write something down even if it’s just today’s date – at least it’s a start.
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