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Do you feel challenged when you need to write a blog, newsletter, or social media posts? Challenged, but you get it done or challenged, and nothing ever gets written? You don’t have to answer that because I am about to give you some ideas, so that “writer’s block” doesn’t get to be the affliction that causes you to not share your brilliance with the world. That’s’ right, your brilliance. Everyone has a story, or some unique insights into their business and what they provide. What everyone doesn’t have is the confidence to put it out there. And that’s where I come in. I WANT you to write because the more you share your voice, the more folks will know who you are, will think about your products or services, and potentially, yes potentially, become a customer. I say potentially because content opens the door, sales get it done. For more on that see Adrian Miller Sales Training. But I digress. Here’s how to get started: Think about the questions that you are currently being asked by clients and prospects. Make each one of those questions a separate post or blog. What are three tips you can share that can help people do something faster, better, easier, more cost-effectively, etc. You know, the benefits. Everyone has a personal life and a story to share with the world. Consider writing about something that is personal but for which you can draw a business correlation. For instance, did you work hard to lose weight? Great, tie that into grit, persistence, and desire, all awesome attributes for business, too. The gist of this is to knock down your obstacles and start writing. Don’t hold back, be bashful, self-conscious or anything else that will prompt your fingers to leave the keyboard. Do it and you’ll be surprised at how easy it soon becomes.

True confession time. I haven't updated this blog for about almost a month. I have a good reason, but it doesn't matter. It's been a month. Some role-model I am! I'd never let this happen to my clients, but this is a perfect example of that shoemaker we all keep hearing about. You know, the one with worn-out shoes. Yep, that's me. So, how can you do better. Hire someone to do your blog if you don't have the time to do it. Create your editorial calendar and stick to it. Carve out 20-30 minutes each week to create your blog. (C'mon, everyone has 20-30 minutes.) Don't BS yourself and make excuses. Jot down ideas for topics as they come to you. Ya see, I know WHAT to do, I simply must do it myself. And that's the truth!

"The greatest teacher, failure is." Succinct, absolutely and dismayingly true. My guess is we can all attest to this. I’ll also guess that we’d all like to stiff-arm failure and run directly, and unimpeded, into the end zone, arms in the air in absolute triumph. Ain’t happening. The old adage, nothing lost, nothing gained, is as true as if Yoda said it. In fact, the worst thing you can do is to be so afraid of failure, that you do nothing. Let me share with you the words of one of my first bosses – Scott, if you are out there trying a bunch of things, and you wind up with some that worked and some that didn’t, we’re going to get along fine. But, if you sit at your desk and only do what’s asked of you, I’m going to have a problem. Here's what you need · Positioning that creates strong and urgent competitive differentiation · Marketing that is responsive to the rapidly-changing marketplace · A real-world sales plan and the training you need to get there. These may not be your strong suits, but they are nevertheless the steps to success for a small business or solo-preneur. There is no sin in turning to trusted, experienced professionals, but there could be hell to pay if you don’t. “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Have you ever received an email that was stuffed full of multisyllabic words when clearly, more simple words would not only"do," but would be preferable? Unless you are writing a legal brief that only lawyers will read, or a technical paper that is meant for fellow techies, there is no reason on to make things more complicated than they need to be. You are NOT the smartest boy or girl in the room because you used words that aren't "real-speak." Quite the contrary. Many (most!) people will roll their eyes when they read something that could have easily been said in a more simple manner. Curb your enthusiasm. Say it like it is and don't prompt chuckles because you turned something simple into a wordy mess. I can't help but use this spot-on cliche, "keep it simple, stupid" or KISS.

It's a crazy thing. I do lots of writing for clients, including blogs, newsletters, articles, social media posts, and websites. For some of these clients, I've helped to fill their pages for 5 years or more, and toil quietly in the background, never once spilling the beans that I do their writing for them. That's the way they want it. I understand their concern, I really do, but here's the thing, why is it a problem for them to admit that writing isn't one of their skills, or that they don't have the time to do their content, focusing instead on more mission-critical work that must get executed. Is the thinking that writing is so easy, everyone should be able to do it themselves? I don't do my tax returns, fix my car, paint my house or a myriad of other things that I outsource to others. Of course, I COULD learn to do all of those things if I wanted to, but I don't. I wish to spend my time in other endeavors as do my clients for whom I do their writing. I'm NOT the subject matter expert in their field, they are, I just express it more effectively than they do. That being said, I would never try to do interior design for your home, guide you in a legal matter, offer up transportation options, because after all, I'm not skilled in those areas. But write for the experts, sure I can. So, don't feel that it is a mark of excellence that you do your writing, and don't waste your time doing it if it makes you cranky or takes you away from something more important. Outsource to someone else that can take your brilliance and make it resonate for the readers because that is exactly what we do. We showcase YOU, most often better than you could yourself. There's nothing to be ashamed of, honestly, but I still won't tell!

I don't know about you, but doesn't it seem that many of the posts that you see on social media pull at your heartstrings, and either evoke tears and sympathy, or tremendous happiness for what is going on in the life of the writer. Me? My life is kind of regular. Certainly, I have highs and lows but they don't seem to be quite as high or quite as low as some of the posts that I read. I'm not too sure about what I should do about that. I suspect, nothing, because I'm not going to manufacture sadness or glee and would rather proceed with my regular life. So, what's a social media contributor to do? I get asked this question quite often, and here are my suggestions: Showcase your expertise by providing tips, tactics, and pointers on your areas of subject matter expertise. Share stories of your "regular" life. You'll find that insights into who you are received well, even if pathos isn't part of the story. Respond to specific questions that you've been asked when you are presenting your services and create a post about that topic. Comment on current events, but be careful to not step out of the boundaries of what is perfectly correct to say on social media and what can get you into trouble. Most of all, be real, and be you. Don't try to walk in the footsteps of someone else because it is certain to come across as fake. And a fake story is never a good one to tell.

In a sea of sameness, how do YOU stand out? If you work for a company, there's a good chance that no one knows you. Before you take that too literally, let me explain. Sure, you're possibly on the company site, but a bio and headshot do little to explain who you "really" are. In some large organizations, bios and headshot are for "C" level executives and if you're not in that group, you're invisible. Social media helps you to be recognizable and credible and to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. If you have a personal branding site, you can use your blog content to begin to develop your brand (aka reputation), and build visibility. There's no down-side to having a personal branding site, and it requires little in terms of financial investment or time. You can create the site yourself or outsource the work. In either case, the end result is something that can help you stand out from the competition and generate positive recognition. That's not a bad thing!

I must admit that late nights at my desk are not my thing. . Last night was different. The creative muses were calling my name, and I sat at my desk churning out content for clients, finishing up some pesky paperwork, and even straightening my desk. It felt great last night, and felt even better this morning when I came in and saw a neat desk on which I could start to work. I'm going to give the credit to my glass of red wine. I'm not one to drink much at my desk, but last night was different. Cold and damp outside, my cozy office seemed to be missing something and that was a glass of wine close at hand. Sipping slowly I found the day's tension slipping away, and with it there was space for original thoughts. Now, I'm not planning to make drinking at my desk a night-time habit, but I do see where it can be handy at times when the crush of the day was overwhelming and there's still work to be done. What about you? Does an adult beverage or two make you more productive?

New year, new words, new opportunities. Do you feel that way? Yesterday I received a call from someone that told me their goal for 2022 was to outsource all of their content, and that they hated the need to be consistent. It took the new year for them to take action. What about you? Love it or hate it? Can we help you accomplish a goal in the new year.

It can be difficult to come up with content continuously, but when you have a mandate to "keep writing" you have no recourse but to find something that can fill the space. Here are some suggestions for when you have a case of "writer's block" : Conduct an interview with someone that readers would find relevant Post content by guest authors Cite a link to an article and comment on the information in the article Provide information about something that is new in your business or industry Repurpose previous content List the 3 questions you get asked the most and provide answers to the questions Spotlight a relevant business Spotlight an employee of a resource to your company Provide general tips and tactics that would be interesting to your readers Create an infographic Don't obsess over finding a topic and if you find yourself losing sleep over the content that is due the next day, consider outsourcing the work, at least until you get back into the writing groove.

It's becoming very apparent that the most "engagement" on social media occurs on posts that are pretty darn personal. The posts can be happy (new baby, house, or job), sad (illness or a tragedy of some sort), or introspective (self-examination on life and love), but one thing is for certain, they're not about finance, branding, operations or any such topic that would have you thinking about business. The posts are about the person, and while I used to think the personal approach wasn't professional, I have started to see the benefits of letting people in to see the "authentic" me. Cliche alert - people buy from people that they know, respect, and trust. They don't buy from a talking head trying to communicate their subject matter expertise. That comes later, after the trust is built. It might seem counter-intuitive but IMHO, that's the way it is. Sharing strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities can help a person see you for who you are, and once that happens they can open up to you on a business level. Social media, and particularly LinkedIn, has made that more apparent to all of us. Personally, I have found it difficult to reveal certain aspects of my life, but I'm getting closer to dropping the veil of invincibility and sharing what is going on. In some respects it feels liberating!

True story. A contact of mine hired someone to write their blog and social media, and asked me to take a look. Blatant truth: it would have been funny if it wasn't so sad! The content was very flat and devoid of emotion, while my contact is a highly enthusiastic and emotional individual. The content sounded nothing like them and, in fact, didn't represent them well, at all. Here's how to best avoid this situation: Review your prospective resource's portfolio to determine if you like their "style" and if it is sync with how you sound. Interview them, and discuss your goals, and how you wish to come across on the various platforms. Get their feedback. Ask them to write something for you. Expect that you will pay for this "customized" sample, but trust me, it is well worth it to see if they can be true to your brand. If you aren't happy, go elsewhere and interview more resources. Never settle. There are options galore and you should be happy with what the writer is producing for you. Don't accept anything less.