Confession: The draft pile is looking pretty anemic – lots of ideas scattered about too many posts, nothing ‘publish’ worthy – and I’m trying to build in some wiggle room. (With a dread “blogging about blogging for blogging’s sake” post no less; I hereby fine myself in kangaroo court.)
Got ideas?
One of the best ways businesses can engage their audience is to ask questions, find out what they want to know. I know of a certain Sales Lion who’s big on turning your FAQs into blog posts, writing about what your customers are really searching for – ways to solve their problems.
- A failed attempt at one of JackB’s (b for blogger, he’s got all kinds of writing tips) short posts.
- A chance to talk to my community, get some feedback and to lure lurkers into commenting and participating more because I just know you’re out there. Lurking in the Interweb shadows, as you lurkers do.
- See what I’ve missed, maybe turn it into a decent post. Jenn Whinnem wanted my thoughts on a Vagina Marketing press release.. couldn’t help but write about it.
- Shake things up. Write ‘different’ and all manner of blogging cliches.
Too many choices
It’s not that I’ve run out of ideas. On the contrary, my brain has been going in all directions – hence the countless posts, thoughts, ideas stuck in draft mode.
In the battle against the banal, fight against writing about the same old [insert marketing, public relations, social media keywords here] things, I’m open to suggestion. Like finding new ways to write about the ‘same old’ communications subjects or even ‘new’ topics altogether.
Be careful what you wish for.
If you want me to attempt to write about cooking – it’s your stomach; wine, much safer. Think I should blog about metrics, enjoy your nap because while I totally believe measurement is part of any good PR and marketing process, I suck at talking about it. Wanna know everything I know about Disney World? Pack a lunch because I can type your eyes off.
Basic rules: So long as we keep it clean and you don’t ask me to watch any reality TV or reveal state secrets, I might be willing to give it go — with the goal of bringing it back to social media, to PR, to effective communications for small business.
I’ll probably regret this but for now, the can of worms is open.
Photo Credit: Flickr CC license, Alun Salt.
Try not to think of the present or even the future and consider writing about the past. What happened to the PR clip book? Why were they so cool at one time? What about how we connected before we had online social channels? Has in-person networking become too scary?
Hope that sends you down a path 🙂
Christina Pappas recently posted..Subaru Using Memories to Share User Generated Content
I remember putting together thud books, back in the agency days, with the clipping service copies and icky AVEs. Online newsrooms with links as digital clips certainly. Funny – wonder if a Pinterest board would be the digital replacement? Hmm..
As to connecting before social channels, I didn’t make it happen. In-person scares me. I am more comfortable hiding behind my keyboard; face to face in that 60-second elevator pitch, I just can’t seem to make others pay attention long enough to realize I’m a catch, I could be asset for their business.
I could write about that – clearly – a ‘networking for introverts who can market others, not themselves’ post. I just gotta work around the catch of writing in a way that others would find value, offering something different and worth reading, while still hitting the ultimate blog goal – growing the blog to grow the biz.
Lots of food for thought, that you so much. 🙂
Sometimes the best thing to do is just write. Stop thinking and just finger to keyboard and watch the words flow like a gentle stream from your mind to the screen. 🙂
Jack @ TheJackB recently posted..Children Shouldn’t Be On Facebook- Dad Said No
I’ve started a lot of post that way Jack; can’t seem to get them finished.
Own worst critic: over-thinking them, wanting to make ‘this’ post the one that pushes me over; too much editing trying to cut them down to size or connect ideas w/out just repeating myself. Starting to notice that elsewhere too, lot of repeats on ‘same old social media waah waah’. I want to deliver more, for myself and readers. FWIW.