Have you ever had writer’s block? It’s so hard to carve out time for blogging only to realize you have absolutely no idea what to write about.
Instead of wasting time sitting around, it’s helpful to have a repository of ideas before you sit down and get to work. Here’s how to find inspiration for blog post content easily and systematically.
Define your niche
Before going any further, it’s important to take a look at your niche and try to define it, even if it’s vague. This will set the tone for the rest of the suggestions on this list and will help you streamline inspiration for blog post content.
Podcasts
Podcasts are great for listening in the shower (with waterproof speakers), while walking your dog, on the train in the car – basically whenever you need to use your eyes but can still listen in. It’s a very passive way to get ideas and there are a lot of quality podcasts specifically for bloggers and also for specific niches and industries. Find one or many to add in to your daily routine.
Blog articles
What better place to find inspiration for blog articles than by reading other related blog articles? I keep a “swipe file” of good titles, content ideas, or imagery to inspire my own future posts on a secret Pinterest board.
Current events
Current events offer a great way to create blog post content that allows you to ride the shirttails of a trending news topic. The caveat – news gets old fast. Don’t try to follow current events unless you update your blog more than once a week.
Popular culture
Taking advantage of themes in popular culture is a great way to benefit from trends without the short lifespan. If Lady Gaga is big with your readers, and you’re a fashion blogger, write a post about 5 accessories that her stylist would recommend. Use your imagination combined with what you know about your followers.
Books
The organization of books into chapters and subtopics make them a natural source to find inspiration for blog post content. Again, be careful of trending topics unless it makes sense for how often you update your blog!
Conferences
Industry conferences are a wealth of ideas between the speakers, topics, and people you’ll meet and converse with. Topics at conferences tend to be on the cutting edge of an industry so use what you learn to establish thought leadership and expertise.
Conversations with similar bloggers
Join a blogger community online or in your area that you know bloggers in your niche are active in. Go out for coffee and drinks and brainstorm together – having a sounding board is invaluable. And having a blog squad is necessary.
Quora and Facebook/LinkedIn groups
Finally, if you’re all out of ideas, sit back and let them come to you. Visit websites and online forums like Quora and Facebook/LinkedIn groups in your industry to see what questions people are looking to answer. It’s really that easy.
Reader Feedback
Where do you find inspiration for blog post content? We’d love to hear your unique perspective in the comments!
Got to love the shower research, talk about productivity hack. As always, you’re awesome and know your stuff! Thanks Maddy!