Blogger Tip: Have Topics in the Hopper

December 15, 2009 at 9:34 pm (blogging, Networking)

I was meeting with a connection last night and we talked a little bit about blogging. (OK, it was a 1:1 with a BNI member…for those of you who drank the BNI Kool Aid.) We were talking about my business development strategy, which includes blogging as a foundation for my social media strategy. She responded with “I don’t really have time to blog.” And I asked “Is it lack of time, or is it that when you do have time you don’t know what to write about?”

When I sit down to write a blog, I access my “Writing” file, which is a file on my computer containing word documents in varying stages of refinement. Some documents are 8-10 word ideas. Some documents include a very rough and unrefined brain dump, complete with spelling errors and side notes to myself (i.e. This is obviously pre-press crap). I currently have 30+ word files in the hopper, just waiting for a day when I have time and am feeling creative.

I come up with ideas while networking, at conferences, out to dinner, in the car, in the shower…and I text an email to myself with the idea. Some topics were conceived after too much red wine and they don’t make much sense the next day, but others have promise and simply need wordsmithery.

This article was started over three months ago with the following submission: What to Write About, Writers Block, Read industry magazines or blogs and jot down ideas, Gleakers. Not real sure what I meant by “Gleakers,” although I do remember texting friends and family maybe a year ago asking if they knew a Gleaker and if they could have that Gleaker explain to me how to do it. I digress. Anyway, the remainder of this Blog was created today, and motivated by my conversation last night with my fellow-BNIer.

My tip is to keep a topic or subject matter file, either electronically, or hardcopy on torn paper in your wallet. I end up publishing a blog about once a month, which is far less than ideal, but it’s all I have “time” for at the moment. The more I publish the more confident and motivated I am to do so more regularly.

PS: I currently have a client who has outsourced the content development to a copywriter. We work together to come up with topics, tone and goals, and we ghost write on their behalf. Blogs are short, 300-500 words, and it’s not typically necessary to get into great and complicated detail. Contact me if you’d like to learn more about blogging and/or content development.