Team blogging is a great way for wellness clinics to attract new clients, but what if you’re not the one in charge of the business? Even when blogging wasn’t your idea, you can still be a team player – AND a team blogger!
I was chatting with someone recently who works out of a wellness clinic with several other practitioners. The clinic owner had just asked each of them to start blogging on the clinic’s website, so that something new could go up every week.
“Ack!” She thought, “What am I going to write?”
If you’ve been asked to blog according to someone else’s timeline, here are my five tips for staying on schedule and being part of a blogging team:
1. Wrangle some writing time
In my world, what gets scheduled, gets done! If I leave something for when I get around to it, a task can languish for weeks or even months. This creates mental clutter and distraction, because the unfinished task nags at me from the corners of my mind.
I use a two-pronged time management system. First, tasks and their due dates go into one of several lists in my Wunderlist account. I work backwards from when I need to submit or publish the post, blocking out time for things like research, finding photos, and proofreading.
(For more tips and to see exactly how I use Wunderlist to schedule my blog writing time, see my guest post at SteamFeed.)
2. Evict the editor
When you’re already feeling stressed about getting something done, it is counter-productive to manufacture more pressure about doing it perfectly. Instead, focus on completing a first draft that you can edit later.
To quickly banish any self-critical thoughts, imagine your ideal client sitting across the desk from you. They need this information to improve their life, and they feel a connection with you and your unique way of explaining things. Don’t keep them waiting.
3. Brainstorm with a buddy
There is no reason to blog alone. If you’re stuck for ideas, poll your colleagues, clients, friends or family about their questions or ones they’ve heard from others.
Be open to all ideas (you’ve evicted the editor, remember?) as you bounce things back and forth. It’s amazing the creative places a thought can end up from where it started, especially when you bring together people with different perspectives and experiences.
4. Start with a structure
Before you start writing, decide on a numbered list (e.g., The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Sleep) or a framework such as one main point and three supporting points.
Then simply fill in the blanks, add an introduction and conclusion, and you’re done!
5. Begin at the beginning
It’s easy to assume that everyone knows as much about your area of expertise as you do. Of course that’s not true. Start noticing all the opportunities you have in a day to educate someone about something that is second nature to you. These are all potential blog posts!
Writing an email that answers a frequently asked question you’ll say, “Hey, that could be a blog post!” Overhearing a conversation in line at the grocery store you’ll think, “I wish more people understood that common myth. I could write a blog post about that!”
There are potential blogging topics all around you. Use these five tips to turn those ideas into meaningful contributions to your wellness clinic’s marketing efforts. You’re not just a team player, you’re a team blogger!
P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy the Blogging Tips newsletter, delivered weekly to your inbox! Sign up here.