1167090940030148
Blog-post-overwhelm-image
“Oh wow, it’s Monday morning. Time to write my weekly blog post…again.” *sigh*
“Hmmm, what am I going to write about? Ya know, I think I need to put in a load of laundry.”
“I suppose I can write it in 20 minutes, in between phone meetings and production.”

It’s Blog Post Writing Day

As a small business owner, maker, small manufacture do you wear many of the hats for your company? When you wear your marketing hat, do you know you need to write “effectively” but end up hurrying through it – whatever the “marketing chore” of the day is?
Feeling overwhelmed – you just want to hurry and get that blog post done so you can check it off your to-do list and get onto your tweets, posts and emails?
Yes, you’ve heard blog posts are essential to getting “known” in your marketplace. You’ve probably also been told to make sure you tweet and post on social media and of course you need to nurture your newsletter and email list. You want to get the most attention you can, with the time you have, by writing kick-butt content.
And then you may think, “How the hell am I going to write kick-butt content when I have other things to do?”
What you write matters but it doesn’t have to be perfect. You want to make sure all your content serves it’s purpose. That purpose being to attract and help more customers with the products and services you have to offer.
So when you write your blog post you want to get the most bang for the buck, the most attention for the time you spend on it. Again it doesn’t have to be perfect! (Yes, I already said this, but I wanted to make sure you caught it!)
It doesn’t have to be War & Peace either. You don’t have to write an epic saga to get read and be effective.  If you know who Seth Godin is, he writes stimulating/scintillating blog posts usually under 500 words.

So, let’s break the pattern and get out of blog post overwhelm.

I still can get into writing overwhelm myself. As a small business owner, like you, I have a lot on my plate. I have juicey nuggets and morsels of wisdom to share and help serve my customers, so I want to make the most of my writing time. After all, if my blog posts lose you, you won’t want to check out my newsletter. If you don’t receive my newsletter, you’ll miss being introduced to my other services. And if you miss my other services you may just end up face down in the alley, crying in despair because no one read your blog posts, which means they didn’t get your newsletter, which ended up with your ideal customers missing out on the introduction to your super-duper snazzy all-in-one all-purpose bottle-opener-wine-glass combo.

I think you get the point!

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater – and don’t lose your ideal audience because you didn’t get your blog posts done.

Here’s how to break down your compelling blog post writing so you get it done (yeah, you don’t want to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher…Whah wha whah wha wha whahh), and not feel overwhelmed.

When you sit down to do your blog post, you may notice your mind shoots off into the nether realms of time & space, or you just shut down, maybe even a little drool starts to form in the corner of your mouth. When you start writing it can be easy to get site-tracked or just plain shut-down.  So you don’t just write a blahhhg post, we’re going to break is down into bite-size manageable pieces – and still keep your wits and creativity!

Like the other systems and processes that you have for your business – you probably have a general process for your marketing- you need to create a specific process for your writing. Here’s what helps me, maybe it’ll help you!

The Writers checklist

  1. Set aside writing time. You know you best. Pick of time of day where you won’t be distracted by other duties or tasks. My Writing times are either early morning or in the evening.
  2. Do whatever you do to get into your writing “mode.” Whether you lay on the couch for 5 minutes and visualize or you go out an exercise for 30 minutes, know what puts you in the writing frame of mind.
  3. Decide on a theme for you post. Themes help spark interest with your ideal audience and lead them through helpful subject matter.
  4. Create a compelling headline. If you don’t captivate them and capture their attention at the headline…they’ll leave. Your headline needs to lead them into reading your blog post – or email or ebook.
  5. State the main points of post. People want to know the ‘What Why How’ or your information so they can apply it in their lives NOW.
  6. Write draft. Write the draft stating the main points of your theme and how your ideal audience will benefit from your info.
  7. Call to action. Don’t forget the call to action at end of your post. You’re in business! The purpose if your content is to attract your ideal audience so they get to know, like & trust you. Your call to action TELLS your audience what to do next with you. Ex – If you like my posts you’ll love the information I share in my newsletter. Sign up HERE! Don’t assume your audience knows what to do next. Be specific and tell them what to do next.
  8. Put it down – Return some time later … 1 – 24 hours. After writing your post, save it and walk away. Stepping away from your writing will help you read it more objectively when you go back to edit it.
  9. Edit the draft. With a clear head, go back over your blog (or other writing). Are your thoughts clear? Is you grammar correct? Is this the message you’re trying to convey?
  10. Publish! Hit that publish button and let it fly!

Your blog post is done and ready for your ideal audience to read, absorb and share with their friends and colleagues!

If you want reminder of the Writer’s Checklist, I’ve created an Infographic you can put on your desktop, tape to your wall or put on your fridge. Click HERE to get in from the FREE Member Library. (So you know. joining the FREE Content Library does not mean you will be put on my newsletter list. You have to join (opt-in) to get my updates, writing tips and other content and copy wisdom that I share with my newsletter community.)