7 Cures for Nonprofit Writer's Block

Kivi Leroux Miller Marketing Moment

I subscribe to marketing expert Kivi Leroux Miller's newsletter and she sends out a weekly email filled with marketing tips.These newsletters are chock-full of great words of wisdom from the marketing field and I've decided to create a little "moment" just for her.

As a writer, I know what it's like to have writer's block. I've read many different ways to get rid of it, but none have worked for me. I just tend to wait to hear the voices of my characters speak to me and then I know that it's time to jump back in. I guess the same can be said for nonprofit marketing folks, and in this article, Kivi provides 7 ways--and links to other resources--to knock it out:

1. Look at current headlines.

2. Look at the calendar and holidays. I signed up for her Free Monthly Writing Prompts

3. Pick the format first. Her top 5 favs are:

• How-to Article
• List (e.g. Top Ten)
• Fact Versus Fiction (or True or False)
• Advice (usually in response to a question)
• Roundup (group several smaller items together under a common theme)

4. Fill in the headline. Some of her nonprofit favs are:

• The Secret of [blank]
• Get Rid of [problem] Once and For All
• [Do something] like [world-class example]
• Have a [or] Build a [blank] You Can Be Proud Of
• The Lazy [blank's] Way to [blank]
• Do You Recognize the [number] Early Warning Signs of [blank]?
• You Don't Have to Be [something challenging] to be [desired result].

5. Start with a Metaphor. You can become a free member of the Nonprofit Marketing Guide and get the 25 Metaphors Nonprofits Can Use To Get Their Messages Across e-Book. For free. I like that word.

6. Survey your readers.

7. Ask a question on Facebook.

For #4, Kivi provided a link to Copyblogger's post 7 More Sure-Fire Headline Templates That Work. When I clicked on it, this post provided another previous post, 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work. Gah! How awesome is that? I'm definitely going to have to bookmark these posts for later.




A web copy of this article can be found in its entirety HERE