How to Cure Blogger’s Block

If you’ve ever had to write for a deadline, chances are, you’ve experienced writers block. And, since blogging is essentially the same as writing a column in a newspaper or magazine, we’re just as susceptible to what I call “blogger’s block.” You know you need to write a post and yet, your mind is painfully blank. The blank screen seems to be taunting you, mocking your inability to fill it with words. As if that weren’t enough, it seems like every other blog in your niche has been a posting spree lately and you’re falling further and further behind.

In truth, that’s probably not the case at all, but blogger’s block tends to feed on itself. The longer you go without posting, the more pressure you put on yourself. In the end you just psych yourself OUT of posting. So, how do you cure this brutal case of blogger’s block, or better yet, avoid catching it all together? It’s actually a lot easier than you think.

Change the way you think about blogging – Many bloggers feel like they have to create original and interesting content all on their own. They think their posts have to be 100% original or they’re somehow selling out. The truth is, most of the successful blogs out there are simply giving their opinion on current events or topics in their niche. Sure your blog might not be the first one to cover a breaking news story, but it will be the first one to have YOUR opinion on it and when it comes down to it, that’s what your readers are looking for. I mean think about it. How many times has Rush Limbaugh broken a news story? I’d venture to say it’s a rare occurrence. Does that keep people from tuning in? Of course not! His listeners tune in to hear what he has to say about the topics and events of the day. For an online example of this just look at JohnChow.com. Readers flock to his site to find out what he thinks of different affiliate programs or monetization methods etc. Granted, you’re not going to be the net’s version of Rush Limbaugh over night, but the point remains, people want to hear your opinion. So give it to them!

Turn Comments into Posts – One of the best sources for post topics is also one of the most ignored. The great thing about blogs is the ability for readers to comment and interact with the content they’re reading. There’s a saying that for every question asked, there’s four other people that had the question but never asked. So, unless it’s a simple yes or no question, write a post to answer the question. In fact, you can expand the practice out to blogs you read as well. Not only can you answer any questions posed on other blogs, but often if you’ve got something to say in a comment, it won’t take much to expand it out into a full fledged post.

Compile Links – One of the best ways to provide value to your readers while suffering from a case of blogger’s block is to compile a list of links you found interesting. Whether it’s a weekly roundup, a daily roundup, or a sporadic “hey, check out these posts/sites” type post, this method allows you to both share quality information with your readers as well as build up some good will with other sites in your niche. It’s been proven time and time again that the more often you link to other sites, the better the chances are that they’ll link to you. You don’t want to do this too often or your readers will simply start visiting those sites instead of yours, but in the rare occasion you are under the gun and can’t come up with a post, why not kill two birds with one stone?