Want to blog but think everything has already been said?

You’ve got a swipe file of headlines, you regularly use Evernote to capture ideas and you’ve got piles of Post It notes with random thoughts.

But when you get around to writing your blog, you feel like your ideas are just repeated versions of stuff that everyone else around you has already said!

Here are two blog tips that have helped me write when I believe that everything has already been said…

Blog Tip 1: Your personality makes your content different

Have you ever been to a Les Mills fitness class?

Every few months, there’s a new class released and every Instructor around the world gets access to the same new music and repertoire.

You could be in Melbourne, Australia or Los Angeles, USA and participate in a Les Mills Pump class where you’ll hear the same music and same instructions.

But the class won’t feel the same because each instructor infuses their unique personality, energy and passion into the class.

So how can you infuse your personality and unique awesome-ness into your blog content?

• Notice what you say out loud to your friends and write like this. Do you have particular phrases that you use when you’re excited, passionate and inspired?
• Look over any notes you’ve taken at recent webinars, Meet Ups, conferences or events. Could you use some of these in your blog content?

Blog Tip 2: Your intention makes your content different

If you feel like everything about your blog topic has already been said, it can be helpful to think about your intentions.

Blogging regularly will help internet search engines notice you. But this intention alone won’t motivate and inspire you to blog regularly.

Here’s some ideas that have helped me figure out a deeper intention for my blogging…

“I want to blog about __________ (insert topic here) because it will make my readers feel __________

By blogging about _________ (insert topic here) my readers will be able to _________ (be better equipped to…….. / be more inspired to……. / be less likely to……….)

Even though my blog topic has been written about by heaps of people, the ONE thing I can see that hasn’t been written about yet is _______________ “

And when your intention is clear, your energy and enthusiasm for your blog will flow!

Blogging Tips For Business

You’ve got a blogging schedule and know that today’s the day you need to write, publish and promote your blog.

But your confident and clear writing voice isn’t there!

You read over what you’ve got and cringe at the thought of publishing it.

The words and sentences feel like they’re:

• incongruent with your brand, or
• written by someone else, or
• copying the blogs and articles you’ve read for research.

As a business ghost blogger, I know how frustrating this can be!

So I’d love to share 3 blogging tips with you.

1 Write like you speak

Search online for how to blog using your voice and you’ll be bombarded with information.

There will be pages of advice on how to write:

• from your heart, and
• with an authentic voice.

But you don’t need to disappear down that rabbit hole of ‘research’ remember that your best writing voice is your everyday speaking voice.

So what if you listened more closely to what you’re saying everyday and write exactly like that?

Here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Capture and record your random thoughts on your smart phone and transcribe these word for word into your “blog ideas” document.
• Notice what you’re saying over and over again to your clients. Are there any key phrases or words that you use that makes what you say sound like ‘you’?

2 Stop typing, start writing

Been sitting in front of your screen for hours but your blog isn’t happening?

It’s time to step away from your screen and pick up a pencil or pen!

The Australian best selling author Kate Forsyth recently blogged about how she wrote her best selling novel, Bitter Greens.

She says,

“Typing is an amazing technological breakthrough for writers, but it can lead to quick and facile writing. I like to write slow and deep and thoughtful at times – usually for my most important scenes or when a line or paragraph is causing me trouble and always, always, always, when I am writing poetry.”

It doesn’t matter if you write in a cheap notebook or a lovely Moleskine journal.

What’s more important is that the time you invest in hand writing, doodling or mind-mapping will open up new channels of thought.

It’s an opportunity to breathe in some fresh air and ideas!

3 What would you say to your friends?

I heard this tip when I saw Sarah Wilson speak at a blog event. When Sarah was editor at Cosmo Magazine and her staff got stuck with writing, she’d ask them what they’d say to their friends.

Picture yourself sharing a glass of wine with them… what would you say when they ask you what you’re working on?

It could go something like this…

What a week it’s been! Busy, busy but now it’s the weekend…what have you been working on?

I’m writing a blog series for Generation Y about how to get into the property market.

Ooh that sounds interesting! There’s so much talk about how Generation Y won’t be able to afford to buy their own property. Are you interviewing anyone?

Actually, that’s a great idea…maybe I could add some first hand experience into the blog series with a couple of case studies!

Need some help connecting with your writing voice?

Email me here for a 15-minute complimentary Skype chat.