I have a confession! Sometimes, I get stuck when I start to write my next blog post. It seems that whenever I sit down to write, I resist. Maybe you experience the same thing?
Yeah, I know about all the different ways to approach writing or the fallacy of writer’s block. I know how to list 7 tips and repurpose them. I can teach those methods to people who want to learn.
But the truth is, some of the advice out there is just like forcing a left-handed person to conform to a right-hand dominated world. Let me explain how this relates to developing content…
I’m a Lefty. Always been a Lefty. And in elementary school, I had teachers take the fat number 1 pencil out of my left hand and move it to my right hand. But I wasn’t havin’ it! The interesting thing about most right handers is that they approach writing the same way—underhanded. They craft their letters from left to right with the sentences appearing above their hand.
How do you spot a lefty (aside from the obvious pencil in the left hand)? T hey right overhand. They craft their letters from left on right (we share that in common with righty’s). But the words appear below their hand. So imagine a lefty with their elbow jutting out and positioned on top of the paper. Often they get ink on their palm as their hand moves over freshly written prose.
As a lefty, I write underhanded with my elbow tucked to the side and words appearing above my hand. Whether right or left handed, “overhand” or “underhand” prose, we get the same end result—the written word. We do what’s natural to us and develop that into a strength. Try writing with your other hand. Not natural or easy.
So what’s this got to do with writing content for your blog?
If the objective of having a blog is to share your message with the world, then how you achieve that end should leverage your preferred communication strengths.
Let’s say you’re a “talker”. Talkers (or speakers) find it easier and more natural to speak about their topic. Speech feels fluid. Great speakers connect the dots with ease. Writing, on the other hand, feels structured, limiting and linear. When you don’t view writing as a strength, creating content the way a writer does involves starting and struggling to write a 350-word blog post. So stop fighting your inherent strength of speech. And start writing your next blog post with your mouth (You’ve got the gift of gab. Use it!):
Speak your next blog article then publish
Close your favorite text editor. Instead record yourself speaking your next article. You’re a talker right? So talk. Download software like Audacity. It’s open source for recording and editing sounds on Linux, Mac or Windows. Once you record your article. You can save the file as a MP3 and upload it to your wordpress blog with a plugin.
You’ll want to add a paragraph or so to let your audience know what the audio is about. Remember to use key words for good search engine optimization. Search engines, like Google, still leverage the written word and can’t listen to your content.
Use speech recognition software to write then publish
A popular software on the market is Dragon Naturally Speaking with versions for Mac and Windows. The software adapts to your speech patterns as part of the transcription process and regular use. You can polish up the transcription and post it to your blog. And there’s a version that provides a mobile recorder so you don’t have to sit by your PC to record your posts. The software does so much more transcribe so it’s worth investigating.
Use a voice recorder when you’re on the go then transcribe to publish
As much as you’re attached to your PC, sometimes you’ve just gotta step away. And when that happens, you never know when something sparks an article. So that’s when it’s handy to have a mobile device. Some smartphones (like my Palm Centro) have a built-in voice memo. You can talk your article and re-record it a number times just off the top of your head. When you return to your PC you can transcribe it yourself or have your assistant transcribe it.
These are just a few alternatives to staring at a blank Microsoft word document or an empty wordpress new post. Your strategy is to use the best method to help you achieve your ultimate goal of getting your next blog post published in as less time as possible and with as much ease.
So, what’s your preferred way of effortlessly generating content for your blog? Speak it, Write it, Show it? I’d love to know.
[flickr photo credit: kevindooley]
