I read it, the birds sang and angels soared down from the heavens. If you've been following the latest social media buzz, Nine Social Media Topics that Need to Die may be a blog of fresh air.
While interviewing Amber Naslund last week, I asked a question many of us may be pondering, "How can we break through the usual, uninspiring and ultimately "safe" blogosphere to develop more innovative, meaningful content?"
For those who've ever found themselves stuck in a creative rut, Amber offers the following advice:
* Read blogs outside your niche or industry, even vastly so. Check out ones related to hobbies you have, or other interest areas around your personal life or career. It's amazing how you can find inspiration and perspective by looking outside your fishbowl.
* Capture ideas relentlessly. Don't wait for inspiration from reading your feed reader. Use something like Evernote or a pen and notebook to capture even the faintest glimmers of blog post ideas as they come by. Even a few words can set off big and different ideas if you give yourself a way to remember them before they disappear, and revisit them later.
* Think beyond social media to what social media helps ENABLE in business. Better communication? Different culture or attitudes? A change in operations, staffing, or otherwise? The key is to focus beyond the tactics, even beyond the strategy, and start looking at the eventual outcomes you want from social media, if that's your focus.
* Find a new approach to a comfortable idea. If you're exploring a familiar topic like communication, present it through the lens of, say, your perspective as a cyclist. What can a communicator learn from the rigors of road racing and training? Seek out parallels between seemingly disparate ideas, and you might find some creative new perspective.
* Be willing to leave a thought unfinished. No one said blogging meant you always had to have the answer. Sometimes, a post can be an exploration of an idea or a subject you haven't quite figured out, and can open you up to new ways of thinking or expressing yourself.
* Also be willing to have an opinion and share it. Many "me too" blog posts come because we're afraid to go against the grain, suggest a new idea or direction, ask hard questions, or disagree with the prevailing wisdom. But being interesting is much more about provoking thought and discussion than regurgitating what others have said and written before. It's okay to be different and share a perspective that's uniquely yours.
And the key? Blogging is an exploration and an evolution. What you write isn't the rule in stone forever. We're all exploring thoughts and ideas, and helping each other improve. If you approach blogging from the perspective of a journey and adventure rather than an absolute, it's much harder to stagnate, and much easier to embrace new ideas.
Great advice, Amber! Who needs to play it safe when the truth is so much more fun?