Linda Dessau
I’m feeling strong and powerful these days, thanks to the caring crew at Fitness Infuzion in Barrie. Amazingly, most of the time I truly WANT to go to the gym, and I’m disappointed if other obligations cut short my workout time.
This hasn’t always been true, and I’m not naïve enough to think it always will be – there will be days where I come up with a million excuses, and I have to talk myself into following through with my planned workout.
Blog post writing might create a similar scenario for you. You know that business blogging is good for you (i.e., it can attract prospective customers to spend time on your website, and helps them get to know you and see your expertise firsthand), yet you have difficulty dredging up the motivation to write blog posts and promote them on social media.
If that sounds like you, here are five blog post writing tricks that can supercharge your motivation for business blogging:
1. Pull up an empty chair
I’m in business because I love to make a difference in other people’s lives. When what I’m doing will help someone, it inspires me to push through any resistance or procrastination.
Who will your blog post help, and how? What changes are possible for that person’s life or business? Use the words and phrases your ideal customer would use to describe their situation and problems. (Learn more tips for reader-focused blogging.)
This strategy requires you to know and understand your target audience. If you’re trying to reach everyone, you’ll have a hard time reaching anyone.
2. Make it matter for your business
When your business is successful, what will that mean for your life? For your family? What difference can you make in your local community? Your global community? What legacy can you build and leave behind?
While we all want to help people, it takes money and other resources to sustain ourselves through that process. To motivate your business blog writing, you must know precisely how blogging is going to lead to revenue, even if that is a long and winding road.
When choosing their top business blogs of 2014, Social Fresh judges looked for a clear business strategy. On your blog, that might be to ask the reader to subscribe to your newsletter, leave a comment, or check out one of your resources.
3. Find a motivating model
Find a blog that accomplishes what you’d like to do with your own blog. Just beware of the common tendency to feel overwhelmed or inadequate from comparing your own progress to someone who has been at it longer, someone in the marketing field (who eats, sleeps and breathes marketing strategies all day) or a multi-million dollar business.
Instead, look to these blogs for inspiration and ideas. If they’re producing a high-quality blog, you can too! Notice what you like and don’t like about what they’re doing. You can even use some of their posts as a springboard for your own content.
4. Leap into your blog writing time with both feet
Cynthia Morris has inspired me for years with her bountiful creative juju. Recently, she offered 10 creative transition ritual ideas that can help motivate and prepare you to write blog posts. These include free writing, listening to specific music, and taking a walk before you write.
If you want to dive deeper into writing rituals, Darin Hammond explored the topic at SteamFeed. He explains that all rituals tend to involve manipulating one of these three elements: environment, behaviour or time. Which rituals might get you in the mood for writing? Try the ones that appeal to you and stick with what works.
5. Reward yourself and celebrate with someone else
Which rewards do you find most motivating? Build these into your blog writing process at different milestones, e.g., sitting for half an hour of focused writing, finishing a blog post, or publishing four posts in a row. I use Pomodoro breaks to reward myself with music that lifts my spirits.
I credit my business coaching group for getting through my own recent blogging slump. Let other people know about your blogging targets and be accountable for your actions. They can support you in your struggles and cheer on your achievements.
If business blogging keeps falling to the bottom of your to do list and never gets done, use some or all of these strategies to spark your motivation.
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