Where To Find Blog Topics
You’ve poured some coffee or tea and sat down at your computer. You’ve signed into your blog’s admin panel and added a new post. And now you’re staring at the blank page on your screen as the cursor blinks.
So, uh… what next?
Figuring out what to write about can be the hardest part of writing. Why else are creative types so concerned about finding and keeping their muses?
When you’re pressed to come up with new posts regularly, it can sometimes seem like you have nothing to say. I promise you, however, that there is always something to say. You just have to find it.
Here’s what to do when you’re desperately searching for blog topics.
Go into stalker mode. Keep close tabs on your industry. Subscribe to competitors’ blogs and popular bloggers in your field of interest. Set up Google alerts for a handful of keywords and set a number of articles to be emailed to you each day – that way you always have new information at your fingertips.
Respond, react. Is everyone in your field all aflutter about an important news story? Chime in. Offer up your perspective and link to the articles that you read. Explain why you do or don’t agree with their opinions.
Partner up. Reach out to other bloggers you can team with. Propose exchanging guest posts on each others’ blogs, or combine your efforts into a jointly-showcased writing series. Partnerships like these are mutually beneficial in terms of both content and traffic.
Own up. Confession time! What mistakes have you made in the past? What have you learned from them?
Show and tell. Everything – and I mean everything — has a story behind it. Sometimes the most innocuous occurrence can spark a connection. Perhaps an experience at the rental car counter taught you a lesson about your own customer service, or maybe the way a unique flower looked in a park inspired a new product color. Share what you have!
Get out there and do something. Conferences, tradeshows, and meetings are a great way to get ideas churning again. Write about who you listened to, who you talked to, and what you learned.
Process it. From accounting methods to organizing client contact information, everyone has different ways of doing things, and sharing yours just might help someone else.
Write ahead. Make a schedule and stick with it. Write furiously when the inspiration strikes you, and save the extras for future posts. Once you’ve stored a number of posts in your virtual “bank,” a blogging dry spell doesn’t seem quite so dire.
Split it up, spread it out. Once you start writing, you’ll often discover mini-topics that have been hiding inside of a main topic. Break them into a series – you’ll get more posts and less-fatigued readers.
Take a break. Still coming up empty? Forget about it. Go engage in a mindless activity. Your brain often comes up with the best solutions under the least likely circumstances!
