Overcoming Writer's Block: Tips for Small Business Owners

As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You're the CEO, the salesperson, the customer service rep, and often, the content creator. You know that you need to be creating content for your blog and your social media, but when you sit down to write, you're faced with a dreaded enemy: the blank page.

Writer's block—that feeling of being completely stuck and unable to come up with any ideas or words—is something that every writer experiences. For a busy business owner, it can be incredibly frustrating and can derail your entire content marketing plan.

The good news is, writer's block is not an insurmountable wall. It's a temporary hurdle that you can overcome with the right strategies and habits.

The Two Types of Writer's Block

Writer's block usually comes in two forms:

1. "I don't know what to write about." (The idea generation problem).
2. "I know what to write about, but I can't figure out how to say it." (The drafting problem).

Here are some practical tips for overcoming both.

Solving the "What to Write About" Problem

This is usually the easier problem to solve. It's about building a system for generating ideas so you're never starting from scratch.

1. Keep an "Idea Swipe File"

This is the most important habit. You need a central place where you can capture every single content idea you have, no matter how small.

• How to do it: Use a simple spreadsheet, a Trello board, a note-taking app, or even a physical notebook.
• When to do it: Any time you have an idea—when you're talking to a customer, reading an article, or listening to a podcast—write it down immediately.
• The Result: When it's time to write, you can just go to your "idea bank" and pick a topic.

2. Answer Your Customers' Questions

Your customers' frequently asked questions are a goldmine of content ideas. Every single question you get is a potential blog post.

• How to do it: Keep a running list of every question you get from customers, whether it's via email, on a sales call, or on social media.

3. Use Topic Research Tools

• AnswerThePublic: This free tool will give you hundreds of question-based ideas related to your industry.
• Google and YouTube Autocomplete: Start typing a keyword and see what popular searches are suggested.

Solving the "How to Say It" Problem

This is often the harder part. It's about overcoming the fear and the paralysis of the blank page.

1. Just Start Writing (The "Shitty First Draft")

The biggest barrier is often the pressure to make your first sentence perfect. You need to give yourself permission to write a terrible first draft.

• The Goal: Just get words on the page. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or making it sound good. You can't edit a blank page. The goal of the first draft is just to exist.

2. Create an Outline First

Before you start writing the full text, create a simple bullet-point outline of the main points you want to make. This provides a structure and a roadmap for your writing, which makes the process much less intimidating.

3. Use a Timer (The Pomodoro Technique)

Set a timer for just 25 minutes and commit to writing without any distractions for that short period. Knowing that you only have to focus for a short burst can make it much easier to get started.

4. Talk it Out

If you're struggling to write, try talking.

• How to do it: Use the voice recorder app on your phone and just talk through the main points of your article as if you were explaining it to a friend.
• The Result: You can then transcribe this audio (many services do this automatically) and use that as the basis for your first draft. We often speak more naturally than we write, so this can be a great way to find your flow.

5. Change Your Environment

Sometimes, a simple change of scenery can be enough to break you out of a rut. Try writing at a coffee shop, a library, or even just in a different room of your house.

Conclusion

Writer's block is a normal part of the creative process, but it doesn't have to derail your content marketing. By building a system for consistently capturing your ideas and by using simple tricks to overcome the fear of the blank page, you can push through the block and get back to doing what you do best: sharing your expertise and providing value to your audience.