10 Tips for Social Media Writer’s Block

Writer’s block isn’t only an affliction of the elite, it’s affects all of us.  It comes on in a dark, suffocating wave and strangles each creative part of our brain.

If you aren’t a writer, you probably don’t notice it.  Or, if you do, you don’t think of it as writer’s block.  You think of it as the three months you couldn’t come up with a new joke, the time you blanked out on an essay exam, or the Christmas vacation that you couldn’t think of one original thing to put on a holiday card.

Dear [Recipient]

Happy Holidays and thank you.  That is all.

Sincerely,

Writer’s Block

There’s a million other examples that I don’t care to illuminate, other than one in particular – the inability to tweet

Maybe you’re not ready to talk about this.  Maybe talking about this is the beginning of the end for you.  But I’m ready.  I have no other choice – I have social media writer’s block.

It doesn’t help being responsible for three different twitter accounts, three Facebooks, one Google+ and a Pinterest page.  It doesn’t help that most of those are for work.  Where I am paid to be creative.  What’s a guy to do?  I can’t think of anything.

SEE ALSO: Being “The New Guy” In Social Media

I’ve survived well enough, communicating the information that needs to be communicated in a timely manner.  The thing is, of course, your followers don’t really understand what your timeline is, and they do not really care (nor should they).  Timely isn’t enough – you need content that draws people in, and for that kind of content, you need creativity.  There is no creativity in the cursed land of writer’s block

The truth is, however, that I’ve been here before and I will be here again, and so will you.  Whether you oversee the brand for a Fortune 500 company or just your personal brand, you’re going to experience some social media writer’s block.  Here’s a few tips that I’ve come up with to help you get over the hump and into the clear.

1.  Look over your past tweets/posts as a reader, rather than a content creator.  Imagine that your followers are literally following you, listening to a story as you tell it.  What is the natural next step of the story?

2.  LINKS!  If you can’t create your own content, help your peeps find interesting, relevant, fresh content from other sources.  Add a commentary if you can, and save yourself some work.

3.  PicMonkey.  Seriously, it’s so easy, you can make amazing portraits, collages, and memes.  You’ll be addicted.

4.  Ask your users for content.  Do more than just ask for a like or a share.  Ask them to comment with something of their own.  Ask a question that can get people’s attention, and leave it up to them.

5.  Feature a part of your website (if you have one).  Seriously!  This whole social media thing is supposed to help drive people to your site and to you.  Let’s not forget that now.

6.  Quotes are always full of win.  If you can find a quote relevant to the work that you do, by all means share it.  And it will be liked.  And it will be shared.  Oh yes, it will be shared.

7.  Personal testimony.  Are you pulling in personal testimony for your brand?  Are there any feedback cards or surveys?  Do you have a clause on there about sharing that stuff publicly?  If not, you should.  Nothing says “trustworthy” like the trust of another live, human person.

8.  Love something.  Seriously, I’m not even talking about love in the universal love, late-Beatles sense.  I’m talking about loving a thing.  Get behind something, an idea, a brand, an organization, whatever.  Share why you love it.  People love to be on top of new and cool stuff, and they will remember that you are someone that can shepherd the cool into their life.

9.  Tap into nostalgia.  Who is your main audience?  Did they grow up in the 90s?  Awesome, go ahead and write something about Legends of the Hidden Temple (or the Agro-Crag if Guts was your thing).  People love to reminisce.

10. Say nothing.  Seriously, sometimes it’s better to say nothing that to just post some garbage to meet a deadline.  Relax, have a cherry soda, and reengage your game plan.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Hope these help, and remember – writer’s block never lasts forever.