How to Overcome Writers (Blog)

If you’ve been blogging for any amount of time, you’ve been there- sitting at the computer, with maybe a half hour set aside to post something. You’re ready to write and… Nothing.  You draw a blank.  You glance over previous posts, but they provide no inspiration.  Before too long, your mind wanders to your next appointment, and before you know it the time you set aside to blog is gone- along with any potential post.  If you’re new to blogging, I hate to be the one to tell you that this will happen.

Make no mistake, blogging is crucial to your online success.  It helps your SEO enormously, as Googles ‘spiders’ check for fresh content regularly.  It also helps your patients form a personal attachments to you, which brings them back and gives them confidence to refer new patients to you.  But what do you do when you’re in the above situation?  Here are a few tips I use to keep my creative juices flowing:

• Keep a notebook handy.  I try to jot down every idea I have for a post.  When I get writers block, I flip through the notebook.  I find inspiration rarely strikes when I’m sitting in front of the computer, so if I have a way to remind myself of inspiration I’ve had, posting becomes that much easier.
• Broaden your horizons.  Don’t restrict yourself by just posting about ‘business stuff’.  Talk about yourself and your hobbies.  What made you want to become a dentist?  Parents with school-aged kids would love to know- maybe their children are considering it.  What are your hobbies?  There are plenty of people out there who share that hobby, and they all use the internet, and some of them are probably already your patients.  When they have common interests with you, they will feel at home, and be inclined to visit more often.
• Read other blogs.  Find other dentists blogs (if you need help finding some, email me and I’ll send you some).  Comment on them- and have a link to your own blog in your signature- and write your own posts in response.  Blogs are meant to be personal and opinionated, so don’t be shy about sharing your opinions and feelings- don’t be dogmatic, though, and risk alienating some readers.  A polite, respectful, intelligent opinion is the best thing a blog can have.  People will be more inclined to read your work and share it with others, even if they don’t agree with you.

There are just a few tips.  I started this post having no clue what I was going to write about, and am approaching 450 words, and all I did was follow my own advice, so I can say with confidence that it works!