The main problem of blogging is needing a steady stream of content, so you’ll need a consistent supply of new ideas. Since you don’t want to waste time developing ideas each time you sat to write a post, create a strategy for developing content in advance. Here are some sources where you can find tips for your blog posts.
1. Social Media. Check your social media feed for conversations and see if one of them offers an opportunity to contribute something useful. Also, check the people asking questions to see if any have requested answers you can supply.
2. Blog Comments. The same goes for blog comments. Occasionally a reader poses a question or offers a suggestion that you can use later.
3. Competitors’ Blogs. Bookmark a few examples of your competitors’ websites for future reference or inspiration. Do not replicate an idea verbatim but consider incorporating your perspective or finding a similar topic they’re not discussing yet.
4. Question and Answer Sites. Websites like Quora allow you to see what questions people are asking on which you might provide a response, which would make for an appropriate blog post.
5. Bookstores. Explore the local bookstore or Amazon, especially if you’d like to learn more about the category. Search for publications out there in your niche to get advice for potential topics.
6. YouTube Videos. Use YouTube to hunt for keywords related to your topic area. Find out what is popular on YouTube in your subject area to brainstorm ideas for what you are likely to post on your topic.
7. Keyword Search. Search on Google for related terms. Google has excellent tools for generating blog ideas. Use Keyword Planner, a more powerful resource for search functions.
8. Expand on Existing Content. Write a follow-up post. Always infuse your content with a follow-up post if you would like readers to follow along with the story.
9. Repurpose Old Content. You can also repurpose old content, such as updating an old blog post, taking a piece of content and using it for information products, or turning videos or audio into blog posts. Old content, like a blog post, could obtain more mileage if you make it new.
10. Share News. Subscribe to a couple of periodicals written about your niche, and share news and your insights and opinions.
11. Accept Guests. You can compose excellent blog material by encouraging your site visitors to make posts of their own or inviting influencers to guest post for you.
12. Ask Your Readers. Let your readership know what specific topics they’d like to see you cover.
13. Random Title Generator. An online random title generator allows you to generate titles that are highly relevant to your niche. Enter some keywords and the website will give you several different title ideas.
14. Industry Magazines and Newsletters. Subscribe to a few industry magazines and publications, and check out the issues they publish.
15. Follow Influencers. Look for influencers to follow on social media. View what they are posting about.
Create a file called “Ideas” and name it whatever you want whenever you sit down to begin writing. Add some ideas that are relevant to your work to the file and you will never run out of them.
