Quick – answer this question –
What is the toughest part about managing a business blog?
If you answered – Figuring out what to write about – You are not alone.
At Arm’s Length
I feel your pain.
- Some days I stare at the blank blog post screen
- I’m a writer – this shouldn’t happen
- I am begging for inspiration
Then I open my eyes.
- There it is
- Right in front of my face
- The inspiration for my business blog
What is this great secret?
It’s what sitting on your desk. Seriously.
When Desks Talk
Let’s try this little exercise.
- Jot down a list of items on your desk
- Make it 10, 20 or 30 items
- Some of our desks are more cluttered than others
Just for kicks, I am going to list 10 items.
- Water bottle
- Note pad
- Speaker
- Book of positive quotes
- Squeeze ball
- Paper weight
- Cactus
- Lamp
- Picture of family
- Hole punch
Getting the Message
Doesn’t sound like much of a list for business topics, does it? Let’s give it a shot.
1. Water bottle
When I look at the plastic water bottle, I think of recycling.
- Look through past posts
- Are there topics you can recycle?
- How about an update on something you reported?
- Is there new information?
2. Note Pad
- Do you have something written on it? More inspiration.
- Have you received a nice note from a client? Possible case study?
- Did you receive the note pad from a vendor? A conference? Talk about the vendor service or the conference.
3. Speaker
- Have you given a speech or presentation recently? Review it.
- Have you heard a good speech or presentation?
- Have you had technical problems giving a presentation (e.g., mic didn’t work)?
- How did you (or the presenter) handle it?
4. Book of positive quotes
- Write about your favorite quote
- How do you stay positive when you lose a sale?
- Find famous quotes on a topic – share them and talk about them
5. Squeeze ball
- How did you handle a tight deadline?
- What cost-effective solutions did you find (for you or your client) with a tight budget?
- What business frustrations make you want to choke the phone? computer? customer service rep?
6. Paper weight
- What problems are weighing you (or your client) down? How can/did you fix it?
- Do you (or your client) have too much paperwork? What tools can you find to streamline?
- Are you a paper or online aficionado?
7. Cactus
- How do you handle a prickly client?
- Can you find the good (the bloom) in a bad situation? Write about it.
- How did you (or your client) overcome a dry spell in sales?
8. Lamp
- What was your most recent bright idea for a product/service?
- How did you shine a light on the solution for a client?
- What had you burning the midnight oil recently?
9. Picture of family
- How do you achieve work/life balance?
- What would you like your legacy to be?
- How does your family inspire you in business?
10. Hole punch
- What did you do when a client punched holes into your product/service/solution?
- Can you find holes in your business blog? Areas for improvement?
- How can you punch up your business writing?
Good thing I didn’t list everything on my desk or we would be here all night.
You get the idea.
- Create a list
- Don’t think about it – just do it
- Look at your list
- See what ideas pop into your head when you read each item
Then get thee to thy blog post.
Ideas are all around us – sometimes they are right in front of us.
What popped into your head?
ADDITION: There are several posts throughout this site for business blog post ideas.
If you are still stumped, the following are a few of those posts that offer additional ideas.
12 Days of Business Blog Post Ideas
3 Business Writing Hits for the Summertime Blues
10 Sizzling Blog Post Ideas for Summer
Blog Post Ideas From the 3-Day Walk
30 Business Blog Post Ideas From One Quote
A Plethora of Business Blog Ideas
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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.
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I haven’t had a shortage of blog post ideas in a long time, but this is a very creative way to overcome writer’s block if it hits again. By doing a quick glance at what’s on my desk, I got 3 ideas immediately.
What a great article. SO many mornings I sit at my desk and wonder”what should I blog about?” This is a case of simply opening our eyes!
Thank you.
Excellent, Leanne! Let us know when you use them. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Leslie-love the last name! 🙂
I’m glad I could help. The same thing literally happened to me. Thanks for stopping by and sharing the nice words, Leslie.
Hello Cathy! What a creative idea. I see it applying to a lot of different projects I have. Thanks!
Sherrie
Glad it inspired you, Sherrie. We’ll be on the lookout for those projects. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Sherrie.
This is a great way to overcome writer’s block – and avoid “just because I had to” posts. Thanks Cathy!
Excellent way to overcome writer’s block and lack of ideas. I have so many drafts right now that I have ideas for days!
However, I just got another idea from reading this post – very creative ways to think outside the box Cathy. Good one!
Thanks, Lisa. I’m glad you enjoyed it and appreciate you dropping by.
Thanks, Kesha. Let us know when those posts hit. I love your blog. It is a great source for ideas! 🙂
Very creative. I’m new to this and can use all the ideas I can get. Thanks.
Glad to help, Alesia. We look forward to reading some of your inspired posts. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Alesia.
I LOVE this post!! You are one creative woman! This is a fabulous way to overcome our writer’s block. I don’t have them often but with this list, I should NEVER have them! Thanks!
Thanks, Martha. I appreciate that. Let us know when you use some-would love to read the posts. 🙂 And thanks for stopping by. I do appreciate it!
Perfect… and you know, I hadn’t thought of it? Good one Cathy, and thanks.
Thanks, Anne. It hadn’t occurred to me either until this post and that stuff’s been sitting there for awhile. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Anne. 🙂
After a month of 2 blog challenges I feel a little exhausted of ideas!! This is a great list. I can even see how what you have listed, I see other things that I can write about that trigger where my minds goes! Great ideas, Cathy!
Oh my gosh, Holly-two challenges? My hat’s off to you. I am glad I could help. Sounds like your brain cells could use a rest. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Holly, and for the nice comments. I do appreciate it.
Hehe! I hate to admit that my desk likely contains 3 months worth of potential new ideas, LOL!
Nicky-ROTFL! 😀 You’ll never have writer’s block again. 🙂