Writing articles, hey? With a sense of galloping irony, I've been sat at my desk trying to write this one for a good thirty minutes.
Although writing articles is a wonderful way of establishing yourself as an expert in your field, gaining meaningful website traffic and promoting your business online, the actual articles themselves aren't always easy to write.
Where do you start? What on earth do you actually write about? Not everyone is a natural writer.
If writing is something you struggle with, you can take the easy but expensive option and outsource completely by hiring a ghost-writer to create your articles for you.
Alternatively you can practice, practice, practice and gradually teach yourself how to get better.
If you fancy giving it a go yourself, there are several ways to smooth the process and get those creative juices flowing.
But what will I write about? This is the biggie for beginners (and even for the more experienced).
How can you create content when you haven't got a clue what to say? Try these ideas for size and the words should soon start flowing...
Firstly, carry an 'ideas notebook' and a pen about with you (there are similar apps on smartphones as well).
Ideas for articles can strike you in the most inappropriate locations and you don't want to be caught out thinking 'of course, I'll write about that!' only to have your brilliant idea slip from your memory.
Whenever you think of an idea for an article, or even a mini-idea, write it down.
You can bullet point finer details if they occur to you.
Sometimes all you might get is a title but write it down anyway - you can always build on it later on.
If you're really stuck, go for a walk.
There's something about being outside in the fresh air, meditatively putting one foot in front of the other, that can really help release you from writer's block.
Try writing at different times of the day.
You might find the words flow much more easily at 6.
30am than they do at 5pm, or vice versa.
If you're stuck for content, try trawling the newspapers, or specialist forums, or the publications of your target market.
You'll be able to ascertain the pertinent issues of the day and this might spark some ideas.
In the same vein, is there a topical or seasonal event coming up that you could use a basis for an article? Top five or top ten lists or tips are always welcome.
They are shorter and easier to both read and write.
Once you've made your five or ten points, it's often then much simpler to come up with an opening and closing paragraph.
If in doubt, 'brain dump'.
Set a timer for thirty minutes, sit down and write whatever comes into your head.
Don't stop to edit or change anything; just write away as if your life depended on it.
When the timer goes off, have a look at what you've got.
Okay, sometimes it's going to be a load of rubbish but you also might be pleasantly surprised at what you end up with.
Like so many things in life, writing really does get easier with practice.
Don't give up if you think your articles aren't good enough; try and try again until the words flow.
As you gain skills and confidence, you'll soon be able to shape those words into articles that are a pleasure to read and as enjoyable to write.
Although writing articles is a wonderful way of establishing yourself as an expert in your field, gaining meaningful website traffic and promoting your business online, the actual articles themselves aren't always easy to write.
Where do you start? What on earth do you actually write about? Not everyone is a natural writer.
If writing is something you struggle with, you can take the easy but expensive option and outsource completely by hiring a ghost-writer to create your articles for you.
Alternatively you can practice, practice, practice and gradually teach yourself how to get better.
If you fancy giving it a go yourself, there are several ways to smooth the process and get those creative juices flowing.
But what will I write about? This is the biggie for beginners (and even for the more experienced).
How can you create content when you haven't got a clue what to say? Try these ideas for size and the words should soon start flowing...
Firstly, carry an 'ideas notebook' and a pen about with you (there are similar apps on smartphones as well).
Ideas for articles can strike you in the most inappropriate locations and you don't want to be caught out thinking 'of course, I'll write about that!' only to have your brilliant idea slip from your memory.
Whenever you think of an idea for an article, or even a mini-idea, write it down.
You can bullet point finer details if they occur to you.
Sometimes all you might get is a title but write it down anyway - you can always build on it later on.
If you're really stuck, go for a walk.
There's something about being outside in the fresh air, meditatively putting one foot in front of the other, that can really help release you from writer's block.
Try writing at different times of the day.
You might find the words flow much more easily at 6.
30am than they do at 5pm, or vice versa.
If you're stuck for content, try trawling the newspapers, or specialist forums, or the publications of your target market.
You'll be able to ascertain the pertinent issues of the day and this might spark some ideas.
In the same vein, is there a topical or seasonal event coming up that you could use a basis for an article? Top five or top ten lists or tips are always welcome.
They are shorter and easier to both read and write.
Once you've made your five or ten points, it's often then much simpler to come up with an opening and closing paragraph.
If in doubt, 'brain dump'.
Set a timer for thirty minutes, sit down and write whatever comes into your head.
Don't stop to edit or change anything; just write away as if your life depended on it.
When the timer goes off, have a look at what you've got.
Okay, sometimes it's going to be a load of rubbish but you also might be pleasantly surprised at what you end up with.
Like so many things in life, writing really does get easier with practice.
Don't give up if you think your articles aren't good enough; try and try again until the words flow.
As you gain skills and confidence, you'll soon be able to shape those words into articles that are a pleasure to read and as enjoyable to write.
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