Today is day #4 of my blogging challenge and it is All About Blogging Thursday!
I am one of those people who start a blog or other project and then drop it as soon as I draw a blank on the ideas. When I started this website, I made a promise to myself and my readers that I would not do that this time! I still have periods where life gets in the way and I may not be able to post as regularly as I want, but I will come back and pick up on it. One of the biggest problems I face is coming up with ideas to write about! I am positive that this is a problem with many others as well. So here is a list of things I do in order to get ideas. Don’t forget to have a notepad or something to record your ideas on because if you’re anything like me, they disappear almost as fast as they come!
1. Look at other blogs in similar niches. You can spend hours reading through posts and finding all kinds of ideas to blog about. Don’t copy though(it’s illegal)…make your blog your own, not someone else’s.
2. Get OFF the computer! Go for a 20 minute walk, or dance with your kids. Exercise gets oxygen to your brain, which in turn helps you think better.
3. Pick up a notebook (yes, real paper and pen) and jot down some ideas. I had 25 minutes during my daughter’s speech class yesterday, I brought paper and pen and literally brainstormed the entire time and came up with over 100 ideas for blog posts!
4. Sit down and just start writing. Write the first thing that comes to mind and see if you can write a post from there!
5. Look at old posts on your own blog, can you expand on an idea from one of those posts? If so, that will also give you opportunity to create an internal link to your own site which is good for SEO.
6. Read books in your niche. This is similar to looking at other blogs but for me, it seems to bring a whole new set of ideas!
7. Look at forums to see what kind of questions people are asking and answer them in a blog post!
8. Think about your day, anything that may interest people? Talk about your day or a project you are doing. You may be surprised about what kind of things will make others connect with you.
9. Join a blog challenge! This blog challenge is doing wonders for my creativity.
10. Ask your blog readers and other social media followers what questions they have and answer them in a blog post. You can also create a poll about various topics they may want to hear more about.
This is a list of some of the things I am doing to try to come up with blog niche ideas. Once I started implementing these things, I came up with more ideas than I have time to write about!
What kind of things do you do to come up with blog post ideas?
Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter!
nice…….
Anil kumar recently posted…Find Google Maps Search History
I do struggle with it. Sometimes I even have a whole page of ideas, it’s just that none of them are the ideas I feel like writing about! So the more I can come up with, the better. I also find it really helps to get away from the computer. I always get ideas on walks or in the shower.
Ruth recently posted…Thoughts on the Blogging Challenge – Vlog Day 29
I love this list. I do some of the same things.
I like going through old magazines. Sometimes those old ideas are wonderful because everyone else is concentrating on the new trends. When I find them, I try to put a twist on them.
Also, I like to talk to my children. They always see things totally different and provide a fresh prospective.
I agree Erica, this is a great list. I’ve found some great sites through Tiffany Dow’s challenge (this being one of them) and some of the titles have sparked something in my brain. I also keep a notepad next to me when I’m watching TV or reading a book. Sometimes something I see or what a character in the book says will give me an idea for a future blog post. I also have a spreadsheet called Topic Ideas and I use that if I’m stuck on what to write about.
Kathy Robinson recently posted…Celebrate Every Milestone
I try to keep a running list of ideas. When I run out for my home business blog, I look at what I am doing for my business or blog TODAY. Am I learning how to do something new? Am I making changes to my website? What’s going on that may help someone else? Even though it may be routine for me, it may be something new to someone else.
This is great advice! You are right, while we may have been researching and learning about for years, others may be just starting in on their journey!
this is a great list and it should help us remember that there are many places for us to get inspiration.
Thanks….I’m sure there are many more ways as well! We definitely have to find what works for us!