Only 29% of marketers who use content marketing think that they are really successful at it. Let’s face it; content marketing is hard work, even without the dreaded writer’s block or the all-too-common content production bottlenecks.
How can you possibly maintain a consistent publishing clip when your team inevitably runs into mental and process roadblocks? While going with the flow sounds great, we all know that pushing out awesome content on the regular is the only way to produce the results we — and the C-suite — want to see.
Fortunately, technology can save the day, even for your creatives. Let’s look at how to get rid of writer’s block and content production bottlenecks to help your team keep up with a steady content marketing pace.
How To Get Rid of Writer’s Block
Writer’s block is real. Ask any creative, and they’ll tell you about the excruciating experience of looking at a blank page and realizing they have nothing, nada, zip. The well is dry, and panic sets in, which does nothing to spur on the creative juices.
As empathetic as you might be, you can’t afford to wait for the inspirational thunderbolt. If you don’t supply your audience with what they want, they’ll move on to someone who can.
Next time your writers run up against that brick wall, have them try these four strategies to get rid of writer’s block. Better yet, implement them now to prevent blank page syndrome in the first place.
Incorporate Tools That Simplify Collaboration
No matter how much your team researches your target audience, keywords, or the competition, the truth is that generating fresh ideas as often as needed to feed a hungry crowd is never easy. Two heads (or more) are often better than one.
Collaboration isn’t just some fly-by-night trend in the business world. It’s a process that can exponentially expand productivity, but only if done well. If you’re looking at how to get rid of writer’s block, incorporating tools that simplify collaboration might help.
Divvy’s platform bypasses the need for endless email exchanges, direct messages, or in-person collaboration meetings. We embed notifications and messaging into our system. When writers hit a wall, they can easily reach out to team members for ideas. We also help you eliminate the silos that prevent effective collaboration, allowing you to include other departments and stakeholders.
Provide a Space for Maintaining a Running List
Brainstorming, individually or collaboratively, is a great way to generate content ideas. However, too often, the list of great ideas gets lost in someone’s desk drawer, buried in an email, or stored in a never-accessed computer or device file.
Maintaining an easily accessible running list of ideas gives writers a place to turn when they need inspiration. Divvy’s idea repository keeps your team’s idea list front and center, placing it in the main menu bar.
Look for Ways To Repurpose Existing Content
When your writers are struggling to understand how to get rid of writer’s block, have them repurpose existing content. There are three primary ways to make old content new again:
- Extract seed ideas from an existing piece and expand on them in new content items
- Convert one content type into another
- Update an old item with new information, images, videos, and statistics
With Divvy, you can quickly locate any item in your library by attaching keywords or tags to your assets. Additionally, our system allows you to set up an automatic notification for each asset so you know when to review it to determine whether to keep, update, or remove it.
Use Artificial Intelligence To Generate Ideas
AI is creating a buzz in the marketing world (and in every other industry and facet of life!), especially with the rise of generative AI products, most notably ChatGPT. We understand writers’ uncertainty and trepidation surrounding machines that can craft content.
However, they may want to embrace generative AI as a writing aid. While products such as Writer and Jasper can create entire pieces of content, these programs won’t replace your creatives and can help them by:
- Generating topic ideas from keywords
- Researching trending topics
- Producing titles
- Creating an outline
- Summarizing key ideas
When looking at how to get rid of writer’s block, artificial intelligence offers a powerful tool for stimulating ideas. Our platform integrates with Writer and Jasper, allowing your team to access the tools from within your Divvy workspace.
Source: Hubspot
How To Get Rid of Content Bottlenecks
Blank page syndrome causes delays in the content production process, but it isn’t the only issue causing bottlenecks. Busy management and content teams, inefficient processes, missed deadlines, overlooked communications, and a lack of workflow processes all play a role in jamming up content production.
Automating as many processes as possible helps remove bottlenecks. With just a few changes to your content operations, you can turn a sluggish process into a smooth-flowing one.
Source: Statista
Implement a Dynamic Content Calendar
Using a dynamic calendar, such as the one Divvy incorporates, lets you view information at different levels of granularity, making it easier to establish a consistent publication schedule and see what’s coming down the pike.
Incorporate AI Editing Tools
If you want to know how to get rid of writer’s block so your team doesn’t experience quite so many bottlenecks, you should also look at what you can do to improve the editing process. AI editing software, such as Grammarly, offers improvements as your writers produce content, making their job easier.
AI tools also speed up the process for your editors. Implementing these tools can lead to a more efficient production process.
Use Automated Workflows
Production workflows keep your processes organized and structured. Automating those workflows makes them even more efficient.
Divvy’s system allows you to create customized workflows for different content or campaign types and use them as templates. Once you implement the workflow, it automatically assigns tasks, deadlines, and a content production schedule.
How To Get Rid of Writer’s Block and Content Bottlenecks by Streamlining Your Technology
If you’re looking for how to get rid of writer’s block and content bottlenecks, we get where you’re coming from! Divvy exists to eliminate the chaos that contributes to these challenges. We streamline your technology and tools, providing a central hub for all your content needs. Request a demo today to learn about our suite of tools and integrations that can simplify your marketing life.
