I’ve hit a blogging dry spell lately.
An editorial calendar is supposed to kick in at times like these … but how to gain enthusiasm for those “same old” topics?
When you can’t think of anything new to add to the online conversation, what do you do?
Maybe you just need a little help from your friends. Your blogger friends, that is.
An Age Old, Blogging Dilemma
We all know the boilerplate … Keyword. Rich. Search. Engine. Friendly. Evergreen. Content.
But where to turn for inspiration? To find that new spin on an old subject? After all, we need to connect with people AND bots.
Happily, two bloggers re-energized me this morning. Here’s some food for thought:
1. How Do You Know If Your Blog Is Making An Impact? This post by Mark Schaefer jolted me from my blogging slumber, and I recommend it.
His idea is that we don’t ever really know what impact we are having on readers. Perhaps we inspire, or provide the exact “how-to” to solve someone’s problem … and we might not even know it!
Mark’s post reminded me of a recent experience I had, unrelated to blogging:
I ran into an acquaintance with an event planning business. Her business is doing well, and we started chatting about it. Imagine my surprise when she told me that I had inspired her to start the business!
Apparently, while waiting to pick up our kids at a party 5 years earlier, something I said gave her confidence and encouragement. Truth is, I only vaguely remember the conversation.
It’s true, we never really know the impact we have on others. Even a blog topic that feels ordinary to you can make a difference to someone else. Today, this was just the inspiration I needed!
2. Blog Curation, “Plus”
If you’re like me, you read lots of blogs and learn something new every day. Here are two ways to put your reading time to good use:
- Curation: we’ve all seen blogs that curate content from other bloggers. Mari Smith’s “Top 5″ posts, John Jantsch’s Weekend Fav’s … with the fire hose of great content each week, good filters are indeed valuable.
- Curation, “Plus”: Cindy Ratzlaff suggests that we go a step further. If you’re inspired by another blogger, try writing a short paragraph about something they wrote, then share it socially.
(Bonus: Do this on a regular basis on a topic related to your niche, and these posts can be curated to create even more valuable content. That downloadable PDF you’ve been meaning to write to build your email list may be a simple matter of packaging a few months of curated “Best of” Tips on a topic of interest).
Takeaway:
Think of how nice you’d feel if someone took the trouble to write about, and share, something you wrote?
As long as you give credit, use links, and add your own spin without copying someone else’s content, you can honor the original blogger AND create something new that’s of value. Artists create derivative works, bands cover iconic tunes. Even basketball players get credit for assists. We bloggers can do this, too.
“Inspired” blog posts come with a bonus, too: they’re a pleasure to write, and we just might make a new friend in the process! Want proof? Check out the comments, below:)
So, next time you’re stuck, let another blogger inspire your blog post. What about you? Have you tried blogging about other people’s blogs?
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Awesome post Rhonda. Glad I de-slumbered you!
Thanks so much Mark! You did indeed:)
Great post Rhonda and an important topic.
I would add that one of the things to remember when you are trotting out the “same old topic” is that if you are just starting to feel that you have been repeating yourself over and over again, your market is probably just starting to catch on to your message.
They don’t spend every minute of every working day with your business like you do. While it’s important to have variety to the things we are writing, there should be a core message that bleeds through everything we create — it might feel repetitive to us but for many — it’s the first time they are hearing it.
Thanks for writing this Rhonda!
Russ, that’s a good reminder! Rather than drift into new subjects, find a new twist on core subjects to remain helpful to readers. I’ll be looking thru my “to write” pile with a new filter:)