You have the best of intentions about blogging.
You mark out time on your calendar.
You get yourself pumped and pour a cup of your favorite tea.
You sit down, open a new doc… and totally FREEZE!
What gives? It’s not like you’re some Timid Tammy or Terrified Tom. After all, you took the leap and started your own business.
You take risks, forge new paths, and leap over the status quo when it comes to serving your customers.
BINGO!!! That’s why blogging is getting you down: You really want to deliver something amazing to your readers.
And you’ve been driving yourself batty trying to figure out just what the heck that could be.
The thing about blogging is that the more you do it, the EASIER it gets. I promise you.
But to get to “easier” you have to begin. You have to write one post. And then another. And then another.

You Already Know Everything You Need to Know to Blog

Just in case your blog block comes from thinking you don’t know enough to write a post anyone would want to read, let’s clear up that misconception immediately.
You don’t need to spend hours researching. You don’t need to finish reading that fascinating book before you can write a valuable post.
You are an expert at what you do.
All your blog post is going to do is deliver a bite-sized, easy-to-digest morsel of that expertise. Think about your entire blog as a tasting menu of all your talents. Each post is simply one dish.

Topics to Blog About

So, going back to the metaphor above, if you’re the 3-Michelin-star chef (aka expert) behind a tasting menu (aka your blog), you’re not trying to make people as full as possible with each post.
Instead, you want to give them a taste of who you are and what you can do. You want to share your style and showcase your expertise. You want them to walk away focused on one memorable take-away.

Ready, Set…

1. Go grab a piece of paper or open the notes app on your phone. If you’re an auditory learner or you think by talking, turn on a voice recorder or a voice-to-text app.
2. Start brainstorming on each question below. Don’t judge your ideas. Simply let them flow.
3. If you don’t have ideas for a question, skip it.

…Brainstorm!

• What are the questions people ask you all the time about what you do?
• What’s a common misunderstanding people have about what you do?
• How did you just help a customer — this month, this week, or even today?
• What’s a quick tip you usually give your customers? Think: One thing they can do in a few minutes that makes a positive difference for them.
• What’s behind your business name? Is there a significance there? A deeper meaning?
• Why do you LOVE what you do?
• Why did you decide to go into the business you’re in?
• If people just stopped _________________, their lives would be so much better. [In relation to your expertise.]
• If people just started __________________, their lives would be so much better. [In relation to your expertise.]
• What’s one of your favorite hacks / shortcuts in relation to your expertise?
• What’s a baby step someone could take related to your expertise if s/he’s feeling overwhelmed?
• Give a pep talk to people struggling with the thing you help with. What would that sound like? How could you put them in a more positive frame of mind?
• What’s a goofy mistake you’ve made in relation to your expertise? How could others avoid it?

Write it Up

OK, now take a few minutes to rest. And make sure to breathe and congratulate yourself because brainstorming requires bravery.
Now read back through your notes. You might find it helpful to highlight the ideas that really spark your creativity or get you excited.
Choose ONE idea you like. Write it up using this recipe:

1. Short intro to get people’s attention & introduce the topic.
2. 1 – 3 sections with headers. Make the text easy to read. Bullet points and numbered lists are your friends.
3.  Conclusion with a call to action –> ask people to leave a comment about their question / experience with the topic you just covered.
4. Give it a quick proofread.
5. Post that sh!t.

Buh-Bye Blog Anxiety

One last step: Go put another time on your calendar for when you’ll sit down to write your next post. Because guess what, my friend? You now have a whole list of things to write about.
You’ve got this. ?