We have all been there. We’ve all experienced a time, or many times, where we had no idea what to write about for our new blog post. Coming up with new blog post ideas is one thing, but coming up with good blog post ideas is another. It can be a challenge to churn out a blog post every week. If you’ve experienced blogger’s block like I have, I hope today’s blog post on 4 ways to find new blog post ideas comes in handy.
- Keep Track of your ideas
The thing about inspiration is that you don’t know when it’s going to strike! When the idea strikes, you need to be ready. Keep a document of some sort where you can keep track of your blog post ideas. This document should be in a place where you can access it at all times, like Google Drive or Dropbox. A piece of paper or old school Moleskin notebook is fine too, just make sure to have all of your ideas in one place so they are easier to find when you need them. Write down the idea the moment it comes, whether it is just a simple blog post title idea or a full-on outline. Don’t worry if the idea is good or bad. The point is to build up an inventory of blog post ideas to work from in the future.
- Read industry news & blogs
Subscribe to websites and blogs that cover news related to your industry. Exposing yourself to outside blogs and websites will inspire you. Try using these pieces as references, and then add your own commentary or viewpoint on the subject. Maybe you have a differing outlook on a topic that someone else has already written about, or perhaps you’ve discovered a new topic you’ve never considered writing about and have your own perspective to blog about.
- Have Brainstorming Sessions
You can’t go wrong with a good ol’ brainstorming session. There is no reason you should be the only person contributing to the blog. Get your team together and brainstorm blog post ideas, or you can ask other members and co-workers of your company to contribute blog post ideas. Different minds think differently, and you will come across ideas that have not crossed your mind before.
- Ask the internet for ideas
The great thing about the internet is that there are so many opportunities to discover questions that people are looking for answers to. You can crowdsource blog post ideas by checking Twitter conversations, LinkedIn discussion groups and more. Another great internet source for finding questions people are asking is Quora, a Q & A website where people ask questions which anyone can answer. It is a great place to see what types of topics people are talking about. You can learn what people want to know about your industry.
Not knowing what to write about is frustrating, but these few tips should be able to help you when you are stuck in a rut. Don’t feel discouraged when you hit blogger’s block. It happens to even the most seasoned bloggers. A bonus tip for when you don’t know what to blog about is to take a breather. Trying to force creativity usually doesn’t work, whereas taking a break and doing something else can leave you feeling relaxed and renewed for a new challenge.
If you have any other techniques for coming up with blog post ideas, please leave them in the comment section below!