I've been training a new Inbound Team writer and gave her a challenging topic to write about. She struggled with it some and then said, "I honestly don't know where to start writing."
Writer's block, where to start, is a common problem for business bloggers. Here's what you can do about it!
Writing Isn't the Problem!
First, know this -- Writing isn't the problem. Instead, what's really happening is that we don't have a clear idea of what we want to communicate.
Here's the solution ...
Start thinking about your audience. Who would want to read your article? Why? What are their problems or questions. What are their goals and challenges?
Imagine as many questions as you can. You see, it's easy to answer questions -- At least if you know the answer. If you don't know the answer, do some research!
Revisit Your Marketing Persona
If you're an experienced Inbound Marketer, you already have some good marketing personas for your audience. Reconnect with your personas. Who are they? What do they need?
If you don't already have marketing personas, see the links below for a short course in how to create personas.
Audience Analysis or Marketing Persona
Two terms that mean essentially the same thing. The point is to know your audience and write for them.
- Whiteboard Friday: Creating Marketing Personas - A very useful 20 minute video from SEOMoz. Well worth watching.
- Precise Prospect Profile - Our resource for taking your persona to the next level.
- 6 Core Benefits of Well Defined Marketing Personas - HubSpot's take on how to use your marketing personas to improve your business results.
- Develop Personas - Who knew the government cared about Usability! Personas are also used to make usable software. Even though it's not about blogging, this article has good advice and an example persona.
- How to Conduct an Audience Analysis - Step-by-step guide to knowing your audience.
- How to Write an Audience Analysis - A similar step-by-step guide.
Takeways
What's most important for blogging is the value of your ideas. Value only exists for a specific audience -- Write for them!
If you're ever stuck:
- Remember your audience. If it's a new audience, imagine who they are.
- Know their top questions, problems, or concerns.
- Answer their questions.
Do you ever get writer's block? How do you get unstuck and how do you use personas? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Image Credit: whitakerc1985
Inbound Team is Georgia's Digital Marketing Agency specializing in helping businesses grow through inbound and digital marketing.
Inbound Marketing Services are available for companies that want more leads and want to accelerate their growth.