4 Ways To Crank Out Content When You've Hit A Wall

I've kept my blog going consistently for over three years and I'm proud to say that it's not only been the best source of leads for my business, but it's also been the one thing I enjoy doing every week regardless of what else I have on my plate.

Lately, however, I've found myself struggling for fresh content ideas simply because I am not sure what else to say that hasn't already been said. I would be remiss if I advised my clients to keep their blog active and I did not. But, what do you write about when you've been blogging for years and can't seem to find something fresh and relevant to share with your audience? I don't have the answer for everyone, but I have found a few tricks to help get me through those difficult creative times. Here are a few simple ways I've found inspiration to write when I've hit a creative wall.

1. Listen to a great song. This suggestion might seem like a no-brainer - or maybe even a little lame - but, for me, it works every time. I just grab my earbuds and listen to some iTunes - and suddenly I'm inspired to write something. The effect that music has on our mood is very powerful. It can shift our thoughts and give us the creative spark we need to get over the hump.  In fact, listening to a song helped this topic come to fruition.

2. Take a walk. Another no-brainer, but it's worth mentioning. When I'm spinning my wheels, pushing too hard can be more of a problem than a solution. By taking a 15-minute walk, I allow myself to clear the clutter in my brain and come back with a fresh perspective. Even if I don't have 'the' idea, I can stop being stuck.

3. Browse your social sites, blog subscriptions, and emails from the past few days. When I'm tapped out of ideas, I find it only takes reviewing my newsfeed or reading some blog posts to get my creative juices going. There are times when I find there's more to write about then I realized. Just this week, I started a post that would be a potential response to a piece I read about blogging becoming obsolete (the irony, I know!).

4. Re-purpose. If all else fails, find ways to highlight some of the strongest points you want to make - even if it means re-hashing or piecing together old content. We have the attention spans of a goldfish, so tactfully reiterating content could actually be just the refresher your audience needs. I've done this a few times over the past couple of months. I've found that it helps to solidify some of the major takeaways I want my audience to remember. For example, I've written several pieces highlighting the necessary elements needed to actualize social media ROI.

Have any of these ideas worked for you? Anything you would add? Perhaps your addition to this list could be YOUR next blog post!