You’re sitting in front of your computer and you’re trying to come up with a blog post for this week, or for your schedule for the next two months, and you’ve got… nothing. It happens! Some days, the muse just isn’t kicking into high gear and you’re drawing a complete blank. Here are 8 ways to get blog post ideas.
There are some easy ways to mine information and your brain for ideas though, so don’t despair!
8 WAYS TO GET BLOG POST IDEAS
Check out the competition
Okay, you don’t want to plagiarize anyone here, but it can be useful to see what your competitors are writing about on their blogs. You might see something they missed that would be useful to your customers and readers, or you might see a great idea that you can riff into something that suits your unique selling propositions. What you’re looking for is the inspiration, not the opportunity to copy and paste!
Rejuvenate something old
If you’ve covered a topic before but there are updates to it, something new to say, bring it back, reference it and keep writing! You can also recycle old post ideas that were popular by giving them a new angle. This is particularly true for pieces that aren’t evergreen. For example, if you wrote a post last year on the latest trends for Facebook, you could write a sequel this year on the same topic. Or if you did a podcast that was particularly popular, you might want to write a blog post on the same material. There’s always a way to recycle and reuse popular material!
Review a product or service
Is there a new product or service that complements but does not compete with yours? Review it on your blog! Not only will you create external links that are vital for SEO, but you will provide information on the product/service AND on your own knowledge. For example, if you were a writer, you could review the last book you read. The review shows a different side of your skills and is entertaining for the reader.
Share an experience
Getting a little personal in a post isn’t a bad thing. In fact, letting people into know you a little is a good way to build a business. After all, when you’re selling something, people are often buying YOU as much as they are buying the product or service, so let them know who you are. Did you recently attend a conference and have an epiphany about something you were doing in your business? Share it. Did you make a mistake in your business but you’ve learned from it?
Share it.
Did you make a mistake in your business but you’ve learned from it?
Share that too.
Skip the REALLY personal details that you wouldn’t want out there but let people know who you are and what you stand for.
Teach your readers something
A mini-tutorial on a specific element of your business is a great way to show your knowledge and give something to the reader, without giving away the store! Example? If you were a yoga instructor, you could write (with pictures) a short piece on how to master a specific pose, one that you have found most of your students struggle with. It doesn’t have to be an exhaustively long post, but if it answers a question that you’ve seen come up again and again, you’ll know it will be one that others will ask too!
Interview someone else
Do you know someone whose knowledge would complement your own and your business? Interview them and post that on your blog! It will give your readers a different and interesting perspective on the line of work that you do, and can open up questions and queries that you might not have thought of, which could lead to more topics for more posts!
Keep a notebook
Ultimately, the ideas for blog posts will come at odd times. Me? I sometimes get them in the shower. You? You might be at a party and someone asks something about what you do that it never occurred to you people didn’t understand automatically. Ding! Blog post idea. Have a note file on your phone or a book in your bag to keep handy and make a quick note so that you can go home and add it to your blog schedule!
Google it!
Google your area of interest, your business, and see what others are saying/asking/wondering about it. This isn’t about checking out the competition so much as seeing what the general lay of the land is in your area of expertise. You might end up coming across some information or news item that you weren’t even aware of that could end up being a very timely ‘news item’ type post.
In an ideal world, you’d have your schedule set up months in advance, but even when you do, you can hit a rut where the words just aren’t flowing. When that happens, just relax and try one of these ways to get your mojo going and you’ll find the ideas!
Looking for more blog knowledge? Check out our blog tips section.
Do you have a way that you get blog post ideas that you want to share? Do so in the comments!
