One of the biggest problems that bloggers are likely to face when churning out their posts is a lack of ideas.
Whether you’re new to the blogging scene or have been doing this for years, it’s not always easy to come up with new topics to write about.
Even I struggle when it comes to thinking up new ideas for my posts.
It’s not easy to stay consistent, and that can cause some bloggers to be disheartened and just give up.
Because in order to keep my audience engaged, I need to be consistent and keep coming out with new content.
Even if others have already repeatedly hashed out the same topic, the idea is that I have to find something new to say about it, or a new way to say what has already been said.
Did I just say the same thing twice but in a different way?
I’m awesome.
So, if you’re having this problem, here are a few suggestions to hopefully help you keep coming up with new ideas for your blog.
1. Read other people’s blog
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to copy what others have blogged about.
But reading other blogs can help you come up with ideas.
Some people come up with really unique, inspiring posts that can spark off your own creativity or start your mind thinking of new ideas.
Heck, you could even read your own blog posts.
No, seriously. Go over your old posts and reread what you’ve written. You might come up with ideas to expand on a previous post or ideas for a completely new topic.
You might even recall something that you previously wanted to write about but never got around to.
2. Stay in touch with current trends
If you know what’s currently the hot topic in social media, you’ll be able to come up with up-to-date content.
The easiest way to keep in touch with trends is to read other blogs and stay connected to the social media scene.
Of course, not all of us have this much time to spend online.
Thankfully, there are online tools that allow you to research the current online trends and inform you about what topics are currently popular, like this program called Bottlenose.
This is a way to consistently churn out content that is engaging and current.
3. Don’t over-commit yourself
You don’t have to be too ambitious.
It’s good to have goals where you promise to produce a new blog post every day but it’s not very realistic. Sure, for the first week or so you’ll probably be able to deliver but it won’t be long until you burn yourself out and run out of ideas.
When setting goals, be realistic about your time, energy and ability.
Try to aim for 1-2 posts a week, maybe 3-5 for blogs with higher traffic.
4. Network with others
Get some people who have similar interests and ideas whom you can brainstorm with and bounce ideas off.
You can discuss things, learn from each other and inspire each other.
Two minds, in this case, are definitely better than one.
Through networking, it’s also possible to find out what people like or don’t like, and this can help you figure out what topics to avoid or write more about.
5. Write everything down
Try not to be one of those bloggers who sit down in front of their computer and ask themselves: “What am I going to blog about today?”
Being spontaneous is good, but it’s not always a reliable way to maintain a blog.
You might have had a million ideas, but it doesn’t mean you can remember them all.
Take notes. Ideas can come to you at anytime, anywhere, and you don’t want to go back and find out you’ve forgotten what it was.
Even if you can’t remember to bring a notebook and pen around with you, there’s other options to help you take down notes about ideas you may come up with throughout the day, when you’re not in front of your computer.
Most phones have apps for storing notes or reminders, or you could type out an email or text message to yourself.
If you have to, use the Draft option. Type out your post, then save it. You might not be able to finish the whole post in one sitting every time, so save it and come back to it later.
6. Broaden your focus
It’s not about being “too mainstream”.
Even if your blog is only meant to focus on a certain niche topic, like say, cakes, you can still branch off and post about things that aren’t just about your topic, but related to it.
You could post about buying baking ingredients, your experience with certain ovens or baking utensils, bakers who inspire you, and so on… you don’t have to limit your posts to sharing cake recipes.
