6 Ways to Unlock Writers Block

During a recent workshop for the Kansas City Direct Marketing Association, a budding writer pulled me aside to ask, "Pat, how do you deal with writer's block? Where do you get your ideas?"  

Here are the go-to resources I recommended to him and use almost daily — whether I'm writing direct mail, email, landing page or website content.  

1. Go to the Source
Gather all the information you can from your client or project manager about your audience, product/service and competition; then review it. Keep what's pertinent; set the rest aside. I don't know how it is with other writers, but in my case, there's no such thing as having too much information. I'd rather be my own filter than have someone else do it. I never know where I'll find the nugget of an idea.

2. Get to Know Your Customer
Ask for testimonials, customer reviews and community feedback. When possible, talk with real, live customers (both first-time triers and repeat buyers) by phone or in person. Let the customer tell you what she/he likes and dislikes without having this information filtered by a product manager. If I can talk to a customer, 99.9 percent of the time I pick up a tidbit that will launch my copy.

3. Compare the Competition
Learn what the competition is saying online and off. Read competitors' customer reviews. Ferret out what makes your product different than theirs. Where are the missed opportunities? How can you make these the focus of your message? 

4. Develop an Offer That Differentiates
Even if you sell a commodity item that's pretty much the same as everyone else's, that doesn't mean your offer has to be the same. Do some comparison shopping, and weigh the value of different offer elements. Repackage an existing offer with a new name that has greater perceived value. Often it's the offer that's the inspiration for what I write in email and direct mail.

5. Borrow From the Best
A successful direct mail writer, whose name now escapes me, once said to 1) collect other ideas (mail pieces, emails, ads, etc.) and 2) then borrow from the best of them. Look for the seed of an idea that you can repackage, reformat or reinvent. No, I don't advocate using someone else's work as your own. However, there's nothing wrong with looking at the work of others for inspiration.

6. Check Out a Book
When my enthusiasm for a project flags, I turn to books about writing by my favorite writers. There's nothing like getting advice from an expert to jump-start your creative thinking. My library includes well-worn books by Bob Stone, Joan Throckmorton, Denny Hatch, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Roy H. Williams, John Caples and Robert Collier.

Note: Even though all these people wrote their first books about writing before the introduction of email, websites, Twitter and Facebook, their wisdom about the effective use of words will always apply, even as the media delivering our words changes.
 
Pat Friesen is a copywriter/creative strategist who writes for direct mail, email, blogs, catalogs, the Web and other direct marketing media. She's also a sought-after copy coach, workshop presenter and columnist for Target Marketing magazine. You can contact Pat at (913) 341-1211 or Pat@PatFriesen.com.
 

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