What to Write About When There’s Nothing Left to Write About
By Jessica Albon
You sit down to write the first article
for your third issue. That’s when it hits
you. There’s nothing left to write
about!
At The Write Exposure, we get lots of panicked calls from clients saying, “I’ve run
out of article ideas!” What we’ve found is that seldom has our client actually run out
of topics, rather they’ve covered all the topics that came most easily to mind and now
are overwhelmed with the possibilities.
It’s a little like my telling you to write a poem. Any poem. Limerick, haiku, whatever
you feel like. It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? That’s why we suggest you brainstorm
topics within these categories.
So, the next time you think you’ve run out of article ideas, why not brainstorm all of
the customer successes you could write about? Some of the most popular newsletter
article categories are:
Customer successes. Has a customer used your product to produce an amazing
result? Do you have a customer with a recent success your other customers could
learn from? Whether it directly relates to your product or not, success is always
newsworthy.
Customer complaints. Receive a couple similar complaints lately? Address them in
your newsletter (be sure to point out how you’ve responded and fixed the problem).
By addressing complaints in print, you prove your company is trustworthy and
always improving.
New products or services. Customers love the word new. So, if you have a new
product or service, don’t hold back (just make sure it’s really new!).
Frequently asked questions. In fact, you may want to run a regular Q & A column in
each edition of your newsletter.
How-tos are must-reads. Is there something you can do to explain the steps
pertaining to your product or service. What can customers do with your product or
service?
Coupons and special offers. Always include incentives for being a newsletter reader.
Show readers why they should come in with special offers.
New customer welcomes. By welcoming new customers, you show readers your
business is growing. Also, new customers who are recognized feel like they’ve made
a good decision in choosing your business.
Profile an employee. Newsletters are fabulous internal morale boosters, plus
customers will appreciate getting to know someone they’re dealing with (or who
operates behind the scenes).
Special events. Special events are great for content both before and after. Make sure
to include plenty of photos and quotes in the piece written after the event.
Before and after. Makeovers are always popular, whether you make over people or
houses or closets. Pictures make these pieces especially effective.
Next time you’re faced with an empty page, pick a specific category of article to
write–you’ll find narrowing the possibilities expands your creativity in leaps and
bounds.
About the author: Jessica Alborn is the owner of Design Doodles. Celebrate your
fabulous business with a compelling newsletter. Explore free advice on starting and
running a newsletter at Design Doodles.
By Jessica Albon
You sit down to write the first article
for your third issue. That’s when it hits
you. There’s nothing left to write
about!
At The Write Exposure, we get lots of panicked calls from clients saying, “I’ve run
out of article ideas!” What we’ve found is that seldom has our client actually run out
of topics, rather they’ve covered all the topics that came most easily to mind and now
are overwhelmed with the possibilities.
It’s a little like my telling you to write a poem. Any poem. Limerick, haiku, whatever
you feel like. It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? That’s why we suggest you brainstorm
topics within these categories.
So, the next time you think you’ve run out of article ideas, why not brainstorm all of
the customer successes you could write about? Some of the most popular newsletter
article categories are:
Customer successes. Has a customer used your product to produce an amazing
result? Do you have a customer with a recent success your other customers could
learn from? Whether it directly relates to your product or not, success is always
newsworthy.
Customer complaints. Receive a couple similar complaints lately? Address them in
your newsletter (be sure to point out how you’ve responded and fixed the problem).
By addressing complaints in print, you prove your company is trustworthy and
always improving.
New products or services. Customers love the word new. So, if you have a new
product or service, don’t hold back (just make sure it’s really new!).
Frequently asked questions. In fact, you may want to run a regular Q & A column in
each edition of your newsletter.
How-tos are must-reads. Is there something you can do to explain the steps
pertaining to your product or service. What can customers do with your product or
service?
Coupons and special offers. Always include incentives for being a newsletter reader.
Show readers why they should come in with special offers.
New customer welcomes. By welcoming new customers, you show readers your
business is growing. Also, new customers who are recognized feel like they’ve made
a good decision in choosing your business.
Profile an employee. Newsletters are fabulous internal morale boosters, plus
customers will appreciate getting to know someone they’re dealing with (or who
operates behind the scenes).
Special events. Special events are great for content both before and after. Make sure
to include plenty of photos and quotes in the piece written after the event.
Before and after. Makeovers are always popular, whether you make over people or
houses or closets. Pictures make these pieces especially effective.
Next time you’re faced with an empty page, pick a specific category of article to
write–you’ll find narrowing the possibilities expands your creativity in leaps and
bounds.
About the author: Jessica Alborn is the owner of Design Doodles. Celebrate your
fabulous business with a compelling newsletter. Explore free advice on starting and
running a newsletter at Design Doodles.
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