The Daily Writing Habit – guest post by Erin Cell

 

If you are like me, you know you need to be creating content on your website and social media platforms; however, it’s much easier said than done. Right?  If you struggle with consistently writing content, here is a simple daily habit you can implement to keep you on track.

Step 1 – Think Like a Writer

You may be asking the question, how do I think like a writer?  First thing you can do to start thinking like a writer is to read books on the topic.

Here are some recommended readings:

  • “The Power of Habit” – Charles Duhigg
  • “On Writing” – Stephen King
  • “The Artist’s Way” – Julia Cameron
  • “Writing Down the Bones” – Lori Goldberg
  • “Bird by Bird” – Annie Lamott

Step 2 – Write Every Single Day!

manwritingSeriously, this means setting aside the time to write every single day. Schedule this time into your calendar and don’t push it off. There are many tools you can use to help you with your writing. Try using Evernote, Google Docs, Notebooks, or even voice recorders.

 

Step 3 – Create Writing Rituals

Creating writing rituals should be specific to what works best for you. Some people need a special quiet place to work, while others prefer to have music in the background. You may want to grab a coffee, tea or water.  The trick to writing rituals is to find what works for you and try to re-create it whenever possible.

 

Step 4 – Schedule Writing Time

calendarandpencilThis means actually setting the time aside to really commit to writing. Put 30 minutes in your calendar daily and don’t push it off. Most people find writing first thing in the morning or last thing at night works best for them. Determine when you are most creative and schedule your writing time then.

 

 

Step 5 – Read, Read, & Read some more!

openbookThis may seem counter-intuitive, but the more you read, the better you become at writing. If you don’t like holding an actual book in your hand, there are so many options available. You can use such tools as Feedly, Pocket, Kindle, and of course audio books if you prefer to listen. If possible, try to read a minimum of one book per month (more if you can find the time!).

To begin the habit of writing daily, open a new document and name it “Morning Pages” or “Evening Pages” if you are a night owl like me! At the top of the page, write “I commit to write 30 minutes every day for one month.”  Then DO IT!

These daily writing tips were presented by Heidi Cohen at Social Media Marketing World 2016. If you’d like to get weekly reminders from Heidi, send an email to IDidIt@ActionableMarketing.Guide.

 

About the Author

Erin CellErin Cell

Erin Cell is the Founder & CEO of Socially Powered, LLC. I have been helping business owners “Power Up” their online presence since 2012. Socially Powered understands every business is unique & has different social media needs. We work together as a team to create & establish a social media strategy that works for your business.

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Top Three Thursday: Social Media News You Can Use

Top Three Thursday-2Welcome to my Thursday feature. Here’s where I link three useful and interesting articles from excellent information sources all about social media and marketing subjects.

As you know, changes are always happening in the world of social media. We have a lot to keep up with!

Reading 5 Ways to Cope with Internet Haters from Entrepreneur.com will help you immensely, not only online in your business, but in your personal life as well.  You will figure out how to: distinguish  haters from critics, find out if there is anything useful to get out of a criticism, act elegantly and assertively when you encounter negativity, and be aware of how criticism affects you.  Above all, don’t give up because people are trying to bring your company down online.

In Social Media Today, the article How to Write Your Own Website Copy (But Please Don’t) reports that news has been spread far and wide that website content is an incredibly important part of business marketing. This can lead to business owners wanting to provide their own website content, which can backfire as they don’t necessarily have the knowledge, expertise, or writing skills for this vital task.  When hiring a professional, a business can save time and ensure that their product or service is presented in the best way possible.

How to Find the Right Social Media Outlets to Fit Your Brand offers an easy way to figure out the right social media platform for you.  Leaders West breaks down how Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn can help you.  It is unlikely that all the outlets will work for every company. This piece lays out the pluses and minuses of using each platform and which demographics work best for each of the sites. 

See you next week with another edition of Top Three Thursday: Social News You Can Use.

Melody Jones is your social media aspirin. She helps take the pain out of social media for you! Check out her services and see which one can reduce your social media pain the most.

Top Three Thursday: Social Media News You Can Use

Top Three Thursday-2Welcome to my Thursday feature. Here’s where I link three useful and interesting articles from excellent information sources that deal with social media and marketing subjects.

As you know, changes are always happening in the world of social media. We have a lot to keep up with!

You keep hearing about Snapchat and how it’s making waves in social media. However, maybe you could still use some inspiration in order to dive into the platform and make your own waves. Inc. posted this 25 Snapchat Influencers Who Are Doing It Right to fill that very need!

If you thought Facebook was content with just being the most popular social media platform, think again. This Gizmodo video of Mark Zuckerberg laying out the company’s 10 year plans at the recent F8 conference is both interesting and really, really cool.

While there has been a lot of new Facebook changes lately, Instagram is sliding in under the radar with a new feature as well. Instagram’s website actually becomes useful with new notification tab is keeping the site in the news on pages like Mashable.

See you next week with another edition of Top Three Thursday: Social News You Can Use.

Melody Jones is your social media aspirin. She helps take the pain out of social media for you! Check out her services and see which one can reduce your social media pain the most.