10 easy ways to create new ideas for your blog
As a business owner, you probably already know that blogging regularly is a great way to bring new customers to your website - if the jury’s still out on that one for you, take a look at my archive post Why have a blog for your business?
However, coming up with new and interesting ideas for content every week can sometimes leave you feeling less than inspired. We all get writer’s block from time to time, sitting at our desks looking frustratingly at the flashing cursor on a blank white screen. So what can you do about it and how can you get the creative juices flowing again?
1. Hop onto Facebook
Facebook groups are a great place to find new content. If you’re in any industry specific groups (business support and freelance writing groups are great for me) then you’ll always find people asking for advice - and that gives you a topic straight away.
2. Ask Google
One of my tactics when the ideas dry up is to Google a keyword that I’m considering writing about. If I plug the word in and hit search, it often comes up with a few ideas that I can use to pad out my thoughts. A top tip is to look a little lower than the first few results to the section which has ‘related searches’. These can often be fantastic ways to find a topic.
3. Steal from others
First up, I’m not suggesting that you steal whole blog posts here! However, looking at your competitors’ blogs or other related blog posts when you do a web search can give you a ton of ideas which you can then put your own spin onto. Side note, we all do it, and they’ll be doing it on your blog too!
4. Use a topic generator
Plug a keyword into something like Hubspot’s blog ideas generator is a brilliant way to come up with a list of ideas. Search engine keyword generators can also help.
5. Keep an ideas file
The best ideas will come to you when you’re doing something completely random, so creating a way of recording these on the go means that you can capture inspiration when it hits. I love using Trello which can be used on both your desktop and via a phone app.
6. Write a guide
Sometimes, the simplest ideas can work the best. If you have some really useful knowledge, you could put a guide together in your blog post. You can grab my guide to blogging here.
7. Ask your audience
If you’re in Facebook groups or on Twitter, you could create a post to ask people what they currently need help with, and then write answers to their problems.
8. Get some help
If you’re working in a large business, you could get your team together to brainstorm topics for the next month, or ask other team members to write posts. With one of my employers, we had a team of 4 meaning that we only had to write one blog post each per month. Solo entrepreneurs could consider accepting guest posts from other business owners.
9. Interview somebody
Whether it’s an industry expert or somebody in your own team, you could interview them to gain insider knowledge from a professional and then share that with your readers in a blog post.
10. Follow the news
Topics which are trending in the news can be great ways to generate new ideas for your blog. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic meant that lots of people were working from home for the first time and as a freelancer with a few years experience of home working under my belt, I had some to share with people.
Summary
Hopefully, choosing one or more of the suggestions above will help to give your inspiration a little va va voom, but if you’re really struggling with writing regular blog post updates then have a think about contracting it out so that you can concentrate on the things which really get you excited.
Jacquie Budd is a content writer and strategist, helping businesses, charities and not for profits to connect with their customers.
Get in touch to chat about working together.