Ways I Get Around Blogger’s Block!!

I pick up a book and read.
When I write I picture it as output. I take what is currently in stock in my brain and put it together and then write about it. But what happens when you run out of inventory? It is time to reorder your stock. I find that reading a book helps me restock up on ideas. But what is really happening is you are working your brain in a different way. It is tough to work the same muscle over and over and over again without working some other muscle. You will become lopsided. Reading and writing are both necessary to be healthy and fit for producing good blog posts. So, spend time reading!!

I browse other blogs and leave comments.
Reading what others have to say and participating in other people’s ideas can really stimulate your creative side. You don’t have to comment on blogs in your niche. Just comment on blogs that interest you and participate. It is tough to produce material on the same topic over and over again. You should engage in other forms of writing. Which leads me to…..

Free write
Write something else in a word document or for some other purpose. It is tough to be a well rounded writer when all you do is write about the same topic. Write about what it means to be a dad or mom. Or write a piece on how you lost weight. Or write about your new truck. Write about how to think of ideas on what to write. Write about your family vacation.

Go for an hour walk.
It is proven that exercise stimulates creativity. It releases endorphins and will help you with ideas on what to write and probably other things. I know that I have to be overly careful when I am on my walks because I get a sudden rush of ideas that some may seem realistic at the time but later find out that my goals I set on my walk were far out of reach. So it is best to exercise and then write down your ideas for later assessment.

Make a list.
I will make a list at the beginning of the week of things I want to blog about. Keep a notebook and take notes of your thoughts. I know I come up with great ideas but 2 hours later I can’t remember that idea. Writing stuff down helps me remember. Those ideas you get when you exercise should be logged in to your notebook. This will make your life so much easier when it comes to blogging.

Take a short unannounced holiday.
Don’t announce it, don’t ever apologize to your readers, just don’t post for 2 days and then come back strong. Nobody really cares that you are going through a rut. Everybody does it. If you can’t think of anything to write don’t force it. Go back to the drawing board. After trying many things and that doesn’t do the trick, then take a mini 2 day holiday. Don’t feel guilty, just do other things like clean the house, go mow the lawn, do some yard work, take a family trip and take pictures, etc. Then when you come back, come back strong.

These are some of the things I do. What do you do to avoid blogger’s block?

Conduct a Weekly Blog Blitz

I have experienced many times in the past a direct boost in traffic from commenting on other blogs. It doesn’t have to be a huge increase in traffic but sometimes I go out on blitzes. We all get busy and when we get extra time we focus on content and promotion but sometimes I just plan a blog blitz. I spend a couple hours exploring and visiting blogs I just feel I hadn’t had the time to participate in.

Do you have a list of blogs you wish to be part of but you just can’t because you are busy? Well when you do a blog blitz make sure you hit that list. Keep the list in your favorites and add to the list when you come across good blogs. Then when it’s time for blitzing you hit all of them.

What do I do during a blog blitz? I mainly read through the latest blog entries and make note to comment on at least one of them. Sometimes I find myself commenting on a couple or sometimes I just can’t bring myself to comment at all. Just move on quickly.

I think it is important to be sincere and not just comment for the sake of commenting so if you can’t think of something to say within 20 or 30 seconds then don’t force something. It wouldn’t be sincere if you did. Just move on and spend time getting an idea what others are writing about for the week. Comment on stuff and follow links given to you by trusted and resourceful blogs. Explore new blogs and comment on them.

I have found each time I do this my traffic spikes a bit and I may get a couple new loyal readers.

So make time to blog blitz once per week on average.

Get Out There and Do Interviews

Whether its text or in the form of a podcast one of the best ways to gain legitimacy and interest is through online interviews. You see them quite frequently on the web but are you seeking out potential candidates to appear on your blog?

I remember back when we were trying to get the Black Bear Blog up to speed. I actually was approached by Field & Stream’s online Editor about placing our link on their 3 new blogs. I was excited about it and then it dawned on me that I should take the opportunity to get an interview. And so I did.

But don’t be afraid to reach out and email people. You have to ask the right questions. In the email don’t be long winded and drawn out. More than likely they will pass over it and say they don’t have time. Write short emails and get straight to the point. They will more than likely respond with something.

Give it a try and let me know what happens.

Who Do You Blog For?

Are you blogging for your own enjoyment? Maybe you like blogging because it is an outlet for yourself. But one needs to ask themselves who they are really blogging for and why they blog. If you are blogging for business you are more than definitely blogging for your potential and current clients. When you begin to look at blogging from the client’s perspective you see what it is that you must provide for them in order to make them happy. Put yourself in their shoes and then look at your blog. Is it working for them? Is this blog something that is a great resource and promoter for my business?

Patsi at Build a Better Blog writes 7 Elements of a Good Business Blog. Patsi touches on 7 things your blog should have at a minimum if it is to work efficiently for your business. Do you agree? Is Patsi missing anything? In other words, are there more than 7 things that are needed to have a good business blog?

Tell Me More About Bidvertising

I signed up for Bidvertising a few days ago and from what I can see they are identical to Google Adsense and Yahoo Publisher. It is obvious I cannot use Bidvertising on the same pages as Google Adsense as they are almost identical. So here is a question I want to pose for people who have tried the new Bidvertiser and what benefits does it have over Google Adsense and Yahoo Publisher?

Der… Sometimes You Never Learn

Ok this should have been posted on the why my blog stinks blog on what not to do. Sorry for any late responses you guys. My comment notifications were getting picked up by my spam filter in my email account. doh!

I was wondering why nobody was posting on my blog. Well it is safe now and working. I am being notified properly.

So, here is a blog tip. Make sure all your notifications are coming to your inbox…

Some Reasons Your Blog Ain’t So Hot

When you first start a blog and you are looking for the right touches and tweaks the thing I do first is determine some of the things I have seen on other blogs I just don’t like and make sure I don’t do the same. On the other side of the spectrum I try to mimic some ideas that I have seen from other blogs that I felt were great techniques.

But let’s start with some of the things we look at on other blogs that just annoy you. Find out what annoys other people and when you see a large consensus that something just doesn’t work for them the best thing to do is NOT do it. Right? Isn’t it that simple? I think so.

Blog Bloke lists 10 Reasons Why I Don’t Like Your Blog.

Learn from Liz about why you arent’ getting comments. Read her 10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments.

Ezine Articles tosses out some basic reasons as to Why Your Blog Sucks.

Darren takes a different approach and lists 10 Steps to Guarantee You’ll Never Make More Than 0.14 Per Month With Adsense.

Some of those are from older articles written a while back but they still apply today.

Do you have any top 10 lists as to why a blog stinks? Feel free to write up a list yourself and place it on your blog and then let me know. If I get a few I’ll provide a link over to it.

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