Are you running low on ideas? Struggling to concentrate long enough to compose a post? Are you concerned this could have long term ramifications but are unable to do anything about it? If so, you may be suffering from Blogger Burnout! (dun dun dun…)
Most of us who blog on a regular basis have run into this issue. It happens to everyone, even if you are writing about something you love or your own life.
Unfortunately, there is no sure fire cure for Blogger Burnout. (I know, sad.) However! We have compiled a list of methods you can try to help pull you out of the doldrums and finally complete a post.
Tip #1: Free Flow Writing
You have probably heard this tip before, but we’ve found that if you remove all your mental blocks and just write, things happen. Sure, it won’t be perfect. You’ll probably have to go back and edit, delete, and revise what you wrote. But, hey! Guess what? You finished a post! The goal with this tactic is just to get all of your thoughts on paper and move past your burnout.
It can sometimes be hard to get yourself to a state of mind where the free flowing tactic will work. To help with that, we bring you Tip #2.
Tip #2: Listen to Music
Admittedly, this tip will not work for everyone (for example, if you are distracted easily). But for some, music can change your mood and get your creative juices flowing. If you are having a difficult time motivating yourself to write, try an uplifting playlist. Whether it’s “I know I’m awesome” confidence building motivation or “walking on sunshine” positivity building motivation, you’ll know the music that works best for you.
Music can also be used to set the tone of your blog. If you are working on a piece about travel in the UK, maybe play a UK based bands playlist. Who knows maybe the music will drive the theme of your post and it becomes a musical tour of England.
The point is, music has the power to inspire so if you are stuck, put on something inspirational!
Tip #3: Break Up Writing with Research
Sometimes it’s just plain hard to get started. If that is the case, try doing additional research. You can load up on data and sometimes a story will emerge on it’s own. If it doesn’t, you have a great starting point for your blog post. The research may provide stories to tell, articles to reference, data to back up specific points, etc.
Tip #4: Throw Out the Content Calendar!
For bloggers, one of the most common factors that can lead to blogger burnout is the pressure to post. To alleviate that pressure but ensure you still get the most out of your blog, focus on quality over quantity. Instead of blogging every day, you may want to focus on blogging once a week about something you care about and know your audience will care about, too.
This will give you time to focus on topics that you are passionate about that will show in the quality. Your subscribers will pay more attention because each post will be more meaningful and you will have given it your all.
This may not work for everyone, but it’s one way to lessen some of that self-inflicted pressure.
Tip #5: Find Inspiration
When all else fails, look at what other people are doing. Reading other blogs is a great way to get back in the game. Now, I’m not suggesting that you copy someone’s blog (that would be wrong), but you can get ideas for the types of blog posts readers are engaging with and it could spark an idea.
Try using a tool called Buzzsumo. By typing in a specific topic you are able to find out which blog posts are being shared and/or discussed the most in your industry. This can give you an idea of what people are most interested in. Using the tool, you’ll be able to see the most shared articles based on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. Some of these articles will have been published by large publications like Huffington Post or Buzzfeed – that’s OK! The goal of this is to inspire and those publications know how to publish content people want to read.
Also, check out our blog post on using Topsy for content ideas – just another way to find inspiration.
There you have it, five tips to cure blogger burnout. We know these tips may not work for everyone so if you have something that works for you, please let us know in the comments below!
