How to Succeed in Blogging Without Really Trying

So, you're not inspired to write for some reason.  Maybe your boss is micromanaging.  Maybe your spouse is complaining.  Or, maybe you've just lost your passion for writing for a while.  Writer's block is a bear.

The circumstance doesn't really matter.  What matters is that you have fans drumming their fingers on the table every day, looking at their RSS aggregator, and noting in their heads that yours says "No Content Within The Last 30 Days".  Heck, even Google Reader's Subscription Trends area has your blog down to 0 posts per day because they don't use that many decimal points.

You know you're not a blogger anymore when you don't blog.  Is it because you think it's too hard to find your way back to active blogger status?  Nope.  Here are a few quick and easy ways to get back in the groove.

1. A picture is worth a thousand words.  Embed one in your blog from your Flickr account, or wherever else you might keep photos online.  Just a title and a pic you know your audience will appreciate.  That's all it takes.
2. Video killed the radio star.  Embed a favorite video from a recent event that you attended, or didn't attend but thought the video was fascinating anyway.  I love the Ted videos myself.  They are "ideas worth spreading".
3. Comments, anyone?  Comment about someone else's blog -- in your blog (with the appropriate links and credit, of course).  It brings the conversation back into your ecosystem.
4. Twitter your blog.  Yes.  All it takes is a single thought in 150 characters or less.  And, it doesn't have to answer the question, "What are you doing at this very moment?"
5. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?  You can be really smart, but if you don't share your ideas, will anyone really know?  If there's an idea you've been harboring that isn't fleshed out yet, think about sharing the genesis of the idea.  If there is something you're really proud of that you do well, let your audience know.  I've written a personal blog entry where I shared an outline of all the steps it takes to stain a concrete patio.  It's fascinating stuff.
6. Who's the boss?  You think you can't blog what you really think at work.  It is true in corporate blogging -- you shouldn't blog just anything.  But, you're a mature adult.  Surely there's a way you can write a paragraph about what's really on your mind in a constructive way.  Innovation is about collaboration.  And, you can't collaborate very well without conversation.
7. The plane!  The plane! Welcome to fantasy island.  Blogging isn't just about the past or present.  It's about the future.  Can you take one event, product, or service and predict where it's going in 5 sentences or less?  You might think you have the most brilliant ideas, but if they stay locked in your brain, who really knows for sure?

Feel inspired now?  I have many other ideas, so write me if you need a bit more of a shove to get out there and show your stuff.  Blogging is mainstream now, and those who do it well can be recognized and rewarded far beyond those who don't do it at all.  But, you have to stay on track.  Take 5 minutes out of your busy day and make a comeback on your blog.