Tag: tips

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How to Keep Content Coming

As an Oakland, CA freelance content writer, I do a LOT of writing. A LOT. I write for myself, I write for clients, and I write for fun! How do I consistently come up with things to write about, which as I mentioned in a previous post, is crucial for success? Magic! Just kidding.

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The reality is there are days when everyone, myself included, feel uninspired. A day when we’ve encountered the dreaded writer’s block. Nobody can be switched “on” all the time because we’re not robots. Heck, there are also days when robots aren’t working properly! My phone is like a robot and sometimes it acts glitchy. So. Cut yourself some slack if you’re in that writer’s block space. AND there are still ways to maintain consistency regarding your creative content. Read on for my tips on how to keep content coming.

Recycle Content

That’s right – recycle your content! Some things you’ve written are timeless and can be used over and over again. In journalism, we call stories like those evergreens because like evergreen trees, they are constantly fresh. There’s no worry the story will become stale because it’s not breaking news. In your business, certain articles will always be relevant. For instance, if you’re a doctor, there will never be a time a blog about cures for the common cold will be passé. People always want to know how to treat their cold from the comfort of their home. Maybe you tweak a few things to make the blog more relevant, but for the most part, the content can stay the same.

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I remember the first time I started recycling old blogs and wondered if people would judge me or think I was trying to pull a fast one. The reality is, most people don’t pay much attention to anyone other than themselves. They likely won’t notice if you recycle content because they don’t remember your content as well as you do. And if they do, so what? People like to get reminders about things they learned before.

Also, if your content is from more than a year ago, you’ll have signed new customers or clients in that time period and that means for some people, your content really will be fresh. It may seem like it’s cheating to reuse something you’ve written before, but take it from me, it’s not cheating, it’s smart.

Get Silly

You know how you get creative juices flowing? By being silly. Ever notice how silliness and creativity go hand in hand? That’s because they’re both synonyms for playful. Play requires trying new things without judgment, like dancing around in your apartment or drawing a terrible picture. The act of doing something silly will get your juices flowing. Once you laugh, it releases tension, and doing something silly is a great icebreaker.

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As for me, when I really don’t want to write something but I have to (hi deadlines!), I start typing over and over on the page: “I don’t want to write this. This is stupid and terrible and I hate it” and then I just keep going. There’s something magical about putting your fingers to the keyboard. The very act of typing can put me in the mood and then suddenly the act of writing isn’t so hard anymore.

Also, closely related to the topic of silliness, is movement. Research from Stanford demonstrates movement is crucial for creativity. So the next time you’re stuck, dance around, go for a walk, or do something physical (maybe even silly!) to get your brain grooving again.

Be the Conduit

Sometimes I get twisted up with, well, everything, thinking I’m in charge, that creativity comes from me alone, that I have to do everything, etc. The reality is we’re all conduits or channels for creativity. Creativity moves through us like a river. It’s up to us to be open to the flow and get out of the way. There’s always more creativity when we open up to something greater than ourselves. I’m sure you’ve seen that uber-popular Ted talk from Elizabeth Gilbert on the subject.

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At the same time, creativity can strike anywhere: like the shower. But that’s not the best place to write, on account of being wet and all. In that situation, keeping a list is helpful. You jot down the idea you had in the shower, and then it acts as a bookmark that you can pick up later.

Open Your Ears

What are the people around you talking about? What questions are they asking? Those questions reveal pain points that perhaps you know the answer to and can write about. This goes for you as well – what do you want to know? If you’re curious about what makes an SEO-worthy blogpost, google it! And then write about it. If you need help with something, chances are someone else does too. I’m running into exactly this issue as an Oakland, CA freelance content writer. A client of mine wanted to know the difference between Wix and Squarespace so I researched it and then wrote a blog for him about it. His curiosity lead to a blog topic and to another because now I’m writing a blog about the difference between Wix and WordPress! One idea can launch another if you’re paying attention and following your curiosity.

What are your favorite ways to keep your content flowing? Tell me in the comments below. And if you need help maintaining content on your blog, get in touch. I’m happy to help. Lastly, did you like this post? If so, share it with your friends and family.

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5 Tips to Create Consistency

5 Tips to Create Consistency

In my post from last week, I wrote about why consistency is crucial. Consistency breeds success for all the reasons I’ve already mentioned. So how do you do it? How do you become more consistent? What follows are five tips culled from business maven Marie Forleo.

1.) Keep the why in your eye

If you don’t know why you’re doing something, you’ll likely stop doing it. If there’s not a compelling goal, if there’s not juice behind your actions, they’ll fizzle out. For instance, if you’re hoping to achieve peace by using meditation, you’ll keep meditating because peace is appealing. If it’s something to do because everyone else is doing it, well, it’s likely meditation will fall off your radar. It’s the same thing in business. Why are you doing what you’re doing? The “why” will act like a propeller and help you to fly.

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2.) Pick your poison

Oftentimes when a person gets excited, they want to do too many things at once. Upon learning about a new diet, they’ll read all the books, make all the recipes, and then get overwhelmed and stop. If you truly want results and are thinking long term, go slow. Don’t change your whole life all at once. Perhaps add in a new recipe a week and then once you’ve mastered it, try a new one. And then another one. And then … For your business, if you know you want to incorporate more social media, pick one platform like Instagram or Facebook, and devote your attention to it instead of trying them all at once.

3.) Schedule it

Plan around your priorities. Build your life around your priorities instead of trying to squeeze them in. If you know every Thursday at 6 p.m. you go to the gym for a Zumba class, you’re more likely to stick with it instead of saying, “One day this week I’ll go to Zumba.” It’s easy for “one day” to become “no day.” As a freelance content writer, I have specific days that I write my blogs. I build my day and my life around it. If I’m going out of town, I’ll write a blog in advance because it’s just that important to me and has become a part of my routine.

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4.) Hop over the feeling hurdle

After you’ve done something long enough, there will come a time when a part of you says, “I don’t feeeeeeel like it.” Sometimes it’s important to honor that voice and say, “OK. We won’t do X.” But sometimes, like parents say to children, “I know sweetie, but do it anyway.” Discipline requires doing things even when we don’t feel like it, because we know it’s good for us. And also if you keep your eye on the why (tip one), it will be easier to hop over the hurdle of “I don’t wanna.”

5.) Try again

It’s easy to get discouraged when we don’t honor our commitments. When we say, “I’m going to blog every Sunday” and then don’t. Or try to stop smoking and find ourselves with a cigarette in hand. This is usually when people fall into a shame spiral (“I’m not good enough.” “What’s wrong with me?” “I can’t do it”) and then quit.

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Quitting is totally allowed. Sometimes it’s the best decision a person can make for themselves. But you know what else is allowed? Trying again. Trying as many times as you need until you get your desired outcome. I’m sure there is a rare gymnast who sticks the landing after learning a new routine, but more often than not, the person falls and tries again. Falls and tries again. Until one day, the landing sticks. And all that falling, or some might even say failing, is worth it.

How do you stay consistent? Let me know in the comments below. And if you liked this post, share it with your friends. As always, if you need help maintaining a consistent blog presence, give me a shout. As a freelance content writer, this is my area of expertise.

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More on Synchronicity

In my last post, I wrote that what you’re looking for is looking for you. Today I had affirmation of that. I called a woman to interview her for a project I’m working on and she asked me if I’m a professional writer (I was calling on behalf of another business). I answered affirmatively and it turns out she’s been looking for a writer! I don’t know if we’ll be a good match, but it was nice to get that wink from the universe. Especially after this week when things felt tough. You know how it goes — you email people, you leave messages, you try different strategies for lead generation, and nothing works. All you’re left with is silence.

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In the face of that silence I felt discouraged (understandably), but today happened. I am reminded there is magic and mystery in the universe. There’s a proverbial matchmaker in the sky who wants to connect people. Sometimes that happens out of the blue and sometimes that happens as a result of research and perseverance. Mostly I’m just grateful it happens.

I don’t have any tips today, just my personal experience that I’m mentioning as a reminder to myself and others that life isn’t always scientific and rational. Sometimes it’s mysterious and baffling, and on my down days I’d like to remember the possibility of what could be.

Have you had any experiences like mine? I’d love to hear them! Tell me in the comments below.