I’ll be addressing this topic from the perspective of this question that got to my desk recently.
“I partook in the BEWA Writers Show you held in December, 2021. I want to take my writing career seriously, but I always have this feeling that I am not good enough whenever I want to write. I also encounter the problem of generating content ideas. Please, I would need advice on what to do.”
Firstly, congratulations on your decision to get serious about your writing career. That’s the first important step.
Of course, writing is an integral part of content creation online. Content creation is a powerful business activity you cannot afford to joke with on social media. If you’re still struggling to write, generating creative content ideas would become more difficult.
I always say that the source of any sort of self-doubt is usually traceable to lack of competence. Competence is what boosts your confidence when writing.
The million-dollar question you should answer is: WHY EXACTLY AM I FEELING THIS WAY?
A thorough reflection on this will reveal the real problem which is your inability to write.
What Then Should You Do?
– Develop Strong Self-Belief
You cannot become what you don’t believe you can become. Visualise yourself writing professionally and getting great reviews from your readers. Put yourself in that mental state of positivity every day.
– Self-Discover Your Natural Habitat
If you don’t know the natural habitat that makes you tick as a writer, you’d most likely think that what you’re experiencing is writer’s block which might not necessarily be the case.
For instance, I cannot remember the last time I used my laptop to write an article or book. This might sound weird, but this was a shocking discovery I found about myself.
I noticed that I write better with a phone than a laptop. It would interest you to know that I wrote all my books (including books of over 40,000 words) with my phone. This is just me. Once I start writing on my laptop, I don’t really feel the good vibes to write, and I cannot call this writer’s block.
I know writers who cannot write on a phone. In fact, they get surprised to see me writing books with my phone. They are not me, and I am not them.
Everyone should discover what works for them. There is no rule that you must write with a particular device. If using a particular device is not giving you the vibe you want, switch and test other devices until you discover your natural habitat.
Another thing I’ve discovered about myself is that I cannot write in a noisy place. I’m the library kind of person. Very reserved! Such quietness is my perfect writing environment, but I know writers who write better with music blasting into their eardrums; they would sleep off if you put them in a library.
See? We are different.
How do you know what kind of writer you are if you don’t embark on self-discovery?
Find out what works for you before you conclude that you’re experiencing writer’s block or writing is difficult for you.
How you get to write doesn’t matter. What matters is if what you’ve written has communicated the intended message to your readers. People read my newsletters, social media posts & books, and they’re blown away. If I don’t tell you I do all my writings on a phone, you won’t know. Who cares? My readers get value when I write. That’s the most important thing.
I’m not saying you must write with a phone like I do, but if that’s what puts you in a better writing mood, why not? Who created the rule that you must write with a laptop?
Discover your perfect writing vibe alongside the conditions that perfectly describe your most inspiring writing mood.
If you do all these and you still have difficulty writing, it’s time to learn how to write.
– Practise Writing Every Day
Pick a date and start writing for the next 30 days consecutively. What you need is a strong drive to write and the willingness to practise consistently. Repetition is the bedrock for perfection. I have a workbook titled “Creative Writing Workbook” and another e-book titled “How to Write Articles Like a Pro” which you can use to practise writing on your own. You can get your copy here http://selar.co/m/enosam
– Get Trained on Professional Writing
It’s one thing to practise on your own, and it’s another thing to get trained by a professional writer. Having figured out how to write professionally, there are many ways of generating content ideas for social media but I will share 5 in this episode.
Before that, note that it’s not just about posting content online. You should have profit in view. There is something I teach my audience called “PC & FC Differentiation Layout” which helps you differentiate what you’re permitted to share for free and what should be shared for a fee.
PC: Paid Content
FC: Free Content
Don’t mix it up! If you start writing on social media without doing this layout, you’d just give out your paid content for free and wonder why nobody is paying you.
I never said you should post mediocre content because it’s free. I’m saying that you should differentiate it thoroughly and properly.
For example, if you have ever read any of my free e-books or my social media posts, you’d definitely get so much value. My free content is so good but guess what! There are some deep things I can never share for free. They’re strictly for paid sessions and consulting. Therefore, only those who pay me can access that higher and advanced level of my knowledge and personal experiences.
I’m able to achieve this smoothly because I already drafted my Differentiation Layout. And yes! People pay for that.
For instance, when organisations book me to train, I don’t share my presentations in any Facebook post. How about the strategies and ideas I share at the back-end with my top one-on-one clients? I’ve never shared any of those things online because I can clearly differentiate what should be free and what should be accessed when it’s a paid service. I define the extent to which the general public can pick my brain.
Got the gist?
Before you excitedly jump into creating content on social media, ask yourself what you should be sharing for free and for a fee. Be that as it may, don’t share crappy content just because it’s free. That’s a huge turn-off. Creatively figure out how to make a meaningful balance. Take a moment to review how you do your own content creation.
Over to the second question for this episode, generate content ideas in these 5 ways:
- Use the “ASK ME ANYTHING” formula
I can never run out of content ideas because people ask me questions almost every day. I use the questions to generate content ideas.
For instance, this episode of WRITERS MONDAY WITH ENO SAM was not in my plans but since someone brought up his struggle on writing and asked me a question on generating content ideas, I used that as content.
You can simply generate content by answering people’s questions. You can also do Live Q & As.
- Transcribe your old video content
Maybe you’ve done a live or recorded video in the past; you can pick a tip or more from the video, turn them into texts and share again.
- “How-to” tutorials
How to do “XYZ” in your industry can be another content idea bank. Pick a subject-line in your niche and share how to go about it.
- Share your story
You own your story. That is a perfect content idea. Regularly, I share my story of how I moved from an aspiring banker to Africa’s foremost writing expert. It still sounds new! Learn how to weave your stories interestingly in order to connect with your audience.
- Lessons and analogies from your journey
A quick look at your experiences and forte can generate a lot of content ideas for you. That’s why you should be intentional about gaining more experience. You cannot run out of content if you’re really an expert in what you do.
HOWEVER, IN ALL THY WRITING AND CONTENT CREATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, MASTER SALES AND MARKETING.
It’s not enough to actively post online. You should actively profit from your social media activities too. Get to read my 5th book “150 THINGS I BADLY WANT TO TELL WRITERS.”
📌ACTION REQUIRED
1.) Embark on a self-discovery journey to discover your natural habitat as a writer.
Are you #TeamPhone or #TeamLaptop?
Are you #TeamNoisyEnvironment or #TeamQuietEnvironment?
Figure that out!
2.) To develop and refine your writing skills professionally, apply for my Executive Coaching Program on Professional Writing via bit.ly/ECPWapply or join my 14-day writing challenge at BEWA WRITING SCHOOL via bit.ly/BEWAwritingChallenge
3.) Connect with me on WhatsApp to get my free e-book “THIS IS HOW TO MAKE MORE MONEY AS A WRITER” and other valuable resources straight to your WhatsApp inbox. Contact bit.ly/bewawritersshowwithenosam
4.) Join Brilliant Entrepreneurs and Writers Academy (BEWA) via bit.ly/bewagroup to learn more.
5.) Follow my weekly WRITERS MONDAY WITH ENO SAM every Monday on Facebook via bit.ly/FollowEnoSamOnFacebook
#WritersMondayWithEnoSam #EpisodeFive
See you on another episode of WRITERS MONDAY WITH ENO SAM.
Got questions you want me to feature on future episodes of WRITERS MONDAY WITH ENO SAM? Head over to bit.ly/AskEnoSamWritersMonday to drop them.
