I Don't Know What to Write...

As the title of this post suggests, I have no idea what to write, so I’ll keep this brief. If you’re a content creator just starting out, your brain is probably overflowing with ideas and topics for discussion. You can’t imagine hitting a roadblock because you’ve got the next 3 years’ worth of ideas at the ready! Problem is, 6… 7… 12 months go by and you find yourself stuck. You’ve finally encountered the proverbial wall of “writer’s block” and you’re forced to either come up with something new or regurgitate old content. Let’s talk about why it is so important to write anyway, especially when you don’t know what to say.

Consistency is key (and so is SEO)

Which is worse? Bad content, or no content? Take your time, I’m in no rush (still trying to figure out what to say, remember?). Obviously producing high-quality, informative, transformational content is best, but it may surprise you to know that delivering bad content is still better than delivering nothing at all.

Let me give you a real-world example: I love pepperoni pizza. I’m good with just about all toppings (except anchovies or ham & pineapple because why?), but especially when I’m trying a new pizza joint, a classic pepperoni is the way to go. Let’s say the delivery guy shows up with my freshly baked pie, I leave a great tip because it smells delicious (and it’s the right thing to do), and he goes about his merry way. Drooling with anticipation, I carefully lift the lid of the steaming hot box only to discover a plain, cheese pizza. Bummer. Don’t get me wrong, a cheese pizza can hit the spot from time-to-time, and it’s practically 90% the same thing as pepperoni. After all, it’s only missing one crucial ingredient, but the question remains - would you agree that having anything (even the wrong thing) for dinner is still better than not having anything at all? Me too. But now I’m hungry…

Even when you feel you don’t have anything to say, there are two reasons why you need to show up anyway:

1. Consistency builds good habits - Perfection is not the goal here, repetition and consistency are. Think about it for a second… if you can produce something of value on a day when you have nothing to say, imagine how much more impactful you’ll be when you’re firing on all cylinders! As you build your brand, it is critical that your audience knows they can count on you. Keep showing up.
   
   
2. Now’s not the time to hide! - If you’re less than a year into your content creation journey, people don’t know who you are yet. It’s nothing against you, there just isn’t enough of your content floating around for all of the algorithms to do their job. Every time you write a blog post, post a video, or join a podcast, there are key words and phrases that are being tracked and aligned to viewers who show interest in those areas. The more words you can link back to you and your business, the more likely people are to discover you. It may start with a couple of rough posts, but that could get enough attention to start pushing out the good stuff.

You’re more creative when think you aren’t

Creativity is not a well that can dry up overnight, leaving you with nothing but some damp mud and that creepy girl from The Ring. In fact, creativity is our brain’s response to problem-solving. That’s why we’re able to be creative not only in “creative fields” like graphic design and video production, but also in the areas of finance, science, parenting, and lawn care. You may prioritize these problems differently, but the truth remains - it’s creativity that provides the solution.

When backed into a corner, seemingly speechless, our brains will have one of two responses: something, or nothing. Put another way, your fight or flight response kicks in. Now, when we’re in the safety and comfort of our home or studio trying to figure out what to write for our latest blog post, it’s probably okay to assume we are not going to be attacked by a wild animal. Flight in this case just means to skip the post, but I’m encouraging you to fight. Once you stop doing the work of putting in your reps (especially in your first year), it becomes increasingly easy to skip the next time and before you know it, you’ve closed up shop before you’ve ever realized any benefit.

If creativity truly is a means to solve problems, identify where the hang up is, and find a way to win.

So what can you do about it?

The simplest answer is this: WRITE! If you haven’t already picked up on it by now, this entire blog post came from not knowing what to write and writing anyway. I literally named my problem in the title of this blog, then used this format to create the solution! 

Side note: I know I’m making this sound easier than it is sometimes and I understand that. The point that I want to drive home is to simply start where you are and see what happens. If you need to rework, repurpose, or update a previous piece of content to get your creative juices flowing, be my guest. Just make sure you’re bringing something new to the table. You’ve got this, my friend! Find your creative solution and start creating something amazing.

For more help on this topic, check out previous blog posts:

Feeling Unmotivated?
Post Bad Content
3 Myths Holding You Back and Why You Should Start Today