We’re all really busy, although since we’re mostly working from home some of us are less busy because we’re not commuting. And some of us are not working at all, which adds to our stress. We all have the same amount of time, yet how we spend it determines our success in life. Some of us may binge endless Netflix shows, while others overeat. Right now, balance is difficult for everyone.

Time Management

Many people determine what tasks get priority using the Eisenhower method of time management. You’ve seen the grid with the urgent versus the important, right? But are the urgent, not important tasks winning out too many times these days? Here’s the wikipedia on the Eisenhower Method. You can see that exercise, vocation, and planning are all in the urgent and important quadrant.

Where Is Writing in Your Quadrant?

If writing is one of those important and urgent tasks that never gets done, why?  Is there a way to shift that task so it’s higher up? And if it feels like such a chore to do it, why? Sometimes I have to ask myself what’s going on, and answering that question allows me to continue writing. So if there’s a block somewhere, knowing what’s causing it might also help you write more. And if that writing really never gets done, contact me because I know someone who could help (ahem!).

The Freshmaker!

What’s fresh in your world? That is to say, what do you consider to be fresh content? Pay attention to the articles that capture your attention as you look at other people’s blogs, or articles in your newsfeed that cause you to stop in your tracks. Could you write something similar? For example, you might like scientific articles with loads of data. Can you write about science and data for your own audience and make it interesting? Make sure that the types of articles you write will resonate with your audience, though. More about audience here: Target Audience and Social Media. Make sure to include your audience’s pain points when you write.

The Writing Itself

Which brings us to the writing itself. If you want your content to be fresh, make sure it sparkles. Edit and remove any excessively flabby parts. Be ruthless with that virtual red pen! And if editing isn’t one of your strengths, hire an editor–it’s well worth the price. You might like this article about editors: Eleven Ways an Editor Can Make You Fascinating. As you might have guessed, I’m a huge fan of editors.

Make it Fun

Without a sense of play, writing can become a chore. Do your readers enjoy themselves when they read your words? While it’s not always easy to measure, an occasional compliment from a reader can really help catapult you into writing more.

Writer’s Block

In her excellent article, How to Beat Writer’s Block, New Yorker author Maria Konnikova outlines several ways writers have cured writer’s block. Graham Green kept a dream journal for many years. Others turned to psychotherapy. Letting writers have an escape, whether through a dream journal or through exercises designed to unleash creativity allow words to flow more freely. Perhaps lowering stress through any means helps with writer’s block.

Maybe you feel that there are millions of topics to write about. Or, maybe like so many, you have no idea what to write about and your mind is blank when you start to write. Either way, you need to consider your audience first.

Who are you writing for?

If you’re just starting out, consider who your ideal reader is. If you already have readers, then you may have a better idea of who you’re writing for. Consider anything about that person that may help you. For instance, what are their pain points? What problem does your product or service solve? Write about that. You might like this article: Target audience and social media.

Who is on the platform where you’re sharing your writing?

Each platform is different and has different types of users. For instance, according to SproutSocial’s excellent article Social Media Demographics to Inform Your Strategy, “You want to make sure that people within your ideal target audience are actually participating actively there.” Look at the income, education level, and age of people on the platform you’ll be on. Does it make sense to share your content there? If not, where would be a better place?

Photo by sk8geek

What Frequently Asked Questions does your audience have?

Do people always ask you the same questions? Write about those. Even if you think you’ve been repeating yourself over and over, chances are, your audience doesn’t think so. You may want to write about the same thing in slightly different ways, too. For instance, if you’re blogging for a zoo and people always ask what kinds of animals you have there, change it up. Talk about the giraffes first, then the penguins. Or vice-versa. Search Engine Journal has some helpful examples of Frequently Asked Question pages.

Write about Where You’re Going

Are you a startup about to pivot? Would you like to move into a different area in your business? Why not write about that? After all, most people are more interested in your future than in your past. You’re probably more interested in your own future, too. So go ahead and write about your dreams and aspirations (not that it hurts to look at your own history). Right now, you might write about what you’re going to do once Covid19 and the shelter in place is over. How will that affect your business?

Do You Have Opinions?

Of course you do! If there’s something someone in your service or industry is doing that you do or don’t like, why not write about that? Also, if you pretend you’re talking to a friend as you write, that will help speed up your writing.

Still Stuck?

If the idea of coming up with content topics still has you shaking your head, this article might help: What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Write About. You could revisit an old article, do a best of post with a collection that you really like, or respond to a video or another blog post that you liked.

Sometimes the best ideas for blog posts come from clients. Like this one. And sometimes when one person has a question, it’s one that many people might ask. This definitely goes under Frequently Asked Questions! So here are a few things you can do if you’re in a time crunch, or if 30 minutes is all the time you have for social media. So for this one, I’m going to turn on my timer and make sure I can make it through.

Check Notifications

On Twitter, there’s a little blue bell. Click it and you’ll see your notifications. On Facebook, there’s either a little blue bell (on mobile) or a little red square at the top of your feed. On LinkedIn, like the others, has a little bell for Notifications. And here’s a quick summary, straight from the horse’s mouth (LinkedIn) about managing your LinkedIn Notification Updates.

Thank People

If someone has retweeted you, thank them. Same with anything of yours that someone has shared. You can return the favor if you want, but the most important thing is to thank them. There are several ways you can thank people. You might like: Beyond the Magic Words: 8 Ways to Say Thank You!

Engage

Say hello to people, comment on others’ posts, and share. Those are three really simple ways to engage. As you might know, I’m a big believer in engagement. In fact, you might like this post about engagement: For Better Social Media Results, Focus on Engagement.

That’s it!

What would you add? What would you subtract? Thanks for letting me know!

We’ve all heard that old saw about expecting the same results from the same effort. And if you do the same thing day after day and week after week, you’ll probably get the same results, right? Does the same apply to social media?

Dialing it in

Whether you’re on social media or in a classroom or delivering a lecture, it’s important to keep it fresh. That means changing it up each and every time. Evergreen content can be changed to up its Freshness Quotient. Here are some examples, from an article Sick and Tired of the Same Old Content? Create Evergreen Content!

Skipping the Homework

Nobody should skip doing their homework, even if that homework only involves a few minutes of work. And sometimes a few minutes is all it takes. For instance, research on a competitor can be done with a quick Google search. Even a single post may take you some time.

The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog

It’s a typing exercise, sure, but it’s also a life lesson. Who knew? Of course quickness will outpace laziness. Always. It’s the reason small startups can move faster than big corporations. Neil Patel explains why the best startups execute faster than anyone else. He also talks about how the best startups fail and start again.

Sloth as a Deadly Sin

“Unlike the other capital sins, which are sins of committing immorality, sloth is a sin of omitting responsibilities.” From the Wikipedia on Sloth. If you can avoid sloth, then chances are you won’t be using the same old baloney. If you’re stuck in a rut, though, you might want to shoot me an email!