Writer’s block can be a real problem when you’re trying to create great content! And when writer’s block shows up, it can be difficult (and frustrating) to overcome. So, we’ve put together some tips, tricks and tools that you can use to help beat writer’s block so that you can get back to doing what you do best – creating killer online content!
In this article we’ll discuss:
- What is writer’s block?
- 10 ways to beat writer’s block
- Tools to help you overcome writer’s block
- Conclusion
Writer’s block: What is it?
Writer’s block is the unfortunate experience that content creators go through in which they become stuck and are unable to come up with ideas or create new content. Writer’s block can be frustrating and time consuming and overcoming it is difficult. However, tactics and tools to beat writer’s block are available.
We’ve collected a list of the best tips, tricks and tools that we use ourselves to help you overcome writer’s block so you can keep on creating!
10 Tips for Beating Writer’s Block
1. Talk to your audience
Having a hard time coming up with an idea for content? One of the best ways to come up with content ideas that your audience wants to see and read – ask them! Pose the question on social media or ask them directly.
Online comments are also a great place to look for inspiration from your audience. Examine comments on your social media and blog posts to see what questions your viewers have and what ideas and topics they are discussing.
Along with content topic ideas, engaging with your audience like this can help you learn new things about what they are looking for and can even help you build your relationship with them.
2. Talk to your colleagues
A quick and easy way to gather some ideas is to ask! Talk to your team (or others in your industry) to get their input and ideas.
Different perspectives are great for sparking conversation, creativity and new thought processes that can help you beat writer’s block and come up with amazing content ideas!
Writing Stuck without any leads or inspiration from your colleagues and friends? Is your usual brainstorming session not leading you anywhere? If that’s the caes, check out these 11 unlikely sources for inspiration.
3. Recycle old content
Taking your old content and recreating it into something new is a great way to beat writer’s block. Find your most successful and useful content and recycle it into another format. For example, turn a blog post into an infographic!
This is a great way to come up with an idea for content and even better because, if you select popular content you’ve created in the past, you know it will be a hit with your audience.
4. Consume inspirational content
Sometimes you just need a little inspiration to get the ideas flowing! By consuming great content you can better create great content. Check out blogs, podcasts and others’ social platforms to find the inspiration you need. Seeking motivational quotes, videos and presentations can also help you feel inspired.
It can take a while to get the creative juices flowing. If you’re no stranger to writer’s block, be sure to check out these brainstorming techniques to generate amazing ideas and content
5. Get rid of digital distractions
Are you being distracted by outside sources? Put your phone aside, shut down all social sites and search engines on your desktop or laptop, or completely prevent distraction by shutting off your WIFI all together! You might be surprised by how distracted you are by unknowingly attending to digital mediums!
6. Caffeine
Did you know that caffeine is a powerful way to get your creative juices flowing? Caffeine is a stimulant and can boost your energy, giving you the surge you need to come up with something amazing!
7. Change up your environment
Feeling stuck and can’t come up with anything at all! Try changing up your work environment. Move to a new area, try working outside, head to a coffee shop or restaurant and try out new environments to see what is most helpful and inspiring to you!
8. Listen to some music
Try listening to some relaxing music – this can help to calm and inspire you! Experiment with different genres and see what works best for you. Some people may not be able to listen to music with lyrics while writing while others may find this energizing and inspirational. Jazz and classical music are common genres to listen to when creating content.
9. Take a walk
Walking is a great way to clear your head and boost your energy to help with focus and creativity. Sitting for a long period isn’t good for you and can make you feel lethargic and less alert. So get up and get moving to help get the ideas flowing!
10. Sleep on it
Have you tried all of the above and are still finding it hard to come up with something new? Maybe it’s time for a break. Let it go and sleep on it – who knows, you may even have a brilliant idea come to you while you sleep!
Tools to Help Combat Writer’s Block
Keyword tools
Inspiration for content can be found with the help of keywords. By examining popular keywords in your industry, you may just identify a new and exciting topic or topics to write and post about.
Here are some awesome keyword tools that you can use to get ideas for content:
Headline generators
Looking for inspiration? Take a hint from an online headline generator! These tools can help you come up with tons of great ideas and inspire you to create great content.
- Tweak Your Biz – just type in a topic and Tweak Your Biz will spit out a ton of great title ideas to help inspire you to create your own.
- HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator – enter a noun into HubSpot’s Blog Ideas Generator and the tool will provide you with a week worth of blog post ideas! How amazing is that!
Audience insight
Find out what topics and content your audience is actually searching for! By discovering what it is your audience is seeking, you can come up with a bunch of great ideas and ensure that what you create is something your audience will be excited to consume. Here are some great tools to use in your research:
- Quora – a popular Q&A site, Quora has a very active community that discusses topics of all kind! Take a peek at what questions are being asked regarding your industry to help spark ideas for blog posts and social media content.
- Yahoo Answers – another question-and-answer website, Yahoo Answers is a great place to look at what is being said and discussed within your industry.
- Reddit – Reddit can provide a wealth of content ideas to help you out! The best way to search for your topic on Reddit – use the site command in Google i.e. in Google, type: site:reddit.com “your topic”
Popular content
By discovering what is already popular online in your niche, you can come up with ideas around those topics! Here’s a great tool to use in order to find popular content:
Key Takeaways for Dealing with Writer’s Block
Writer’s block can happen to anyone at any time. While it can be frustrating and often feel like there is no way out, just know that it’ll eventually pass with time.
Here are some of the best tools and tactics to help you overcome this ubiquitous challenge.
Beat writer’s block by:
- Listening to your target market
- Talking to your colleagues
- Recycling old content
- Seeking out inspiration
- Getting rid of distractions
- Caffeinating
- Switching up your environment
- Listening to music
- Going for a walk
- Sleeping on it
Tools to inspire creation:
- Google Keyword Planner
- Google Trends
- Ubersuggest
- Google search bar
- Tweak Your Biz
- HubSpot Blog Ideas Generator
- Quora
- Yahoo Answers
- BuzzSumo
Don’t let writer’s block get you down; use these tips, tricks and tools to help you overcome it and get back to doing what you do best – creating great content for the world to consume!
