6 Quick and Simple Tips For Coming Up With New Blog Post Topics
I’ll be honest. Blogging sounds a lot easier than it actually is. So much goes into it—sitting down to write those topics, proofing, and editing, search engine optimization, image sourcing and creation. I could go on and on.
And, writer’s block is real, friends. Really real. Trust me! I get stuck from time to time staring at the flashing cursor as my mind wanders in all different directions in regards to how I want to start the dang thing.
But, what about when it comes to brainstorming topics to write about so you can establish authority in your industry and validate your expertise? Well, that’s where your mind can seriously freeze up.
You know you need to put your typing fingers to work to crank out new content for your budding blog. Unfortunately, however, you’re wiped clean of “fresh” ideas. I mean, is there any such thing as unique blog post topics these days?
I’m here to tell you yes, yes there is. And, share my favorite quick and simple tips that will help you come up with new blog post topics right away!
Full disclosure before I dig in, however. These tips will only help you be successful if you actually get into the minds of your people and think about what they’d want to read about. Not just what you want to write about.
Now that I’ve addressed that important nugget of advice, let’s get started!
1. Get to reading. A lot.
As Neil Gaiman, an English author once said, “To be a good writer… read a lot and write every day.” I couldn’t agree more. But, in this case, reading doesn’t just involve getting your hands on all the books you can that relate to the industry you’re in. It also involves scouting out the top blogs that relate to what it is you do.
And, no, not so you can swipe their content word for word and slap your name on it. It’s so you can feed your creativity when you’re feeling a bit lackluster in your pursuits to craft new content topics. Not to mention, gain free inspiration you need to put your own fun spin on what’s already been shared with the world so you can best connect with your readers and dish out nothing but valuable tips and tricks.
2. Poll your audience.
Chances are, you’re working hard to gain a solid following on the top social media platforms—from Facebook to Instagram. And, you probably have a good group of people who match who you envision your ideal customer or client being.
So, why not take advantage of the features on Instagram Stories in particular and poll your audience? After all, this gives you an opportunity to narrow down your content topic ideas and hear from your people.
Position the question in a simple way such as, “I want to hear from you! What do you want to learn more about?” Then, you can edit the Yes and No poll boxes to match the two broad topics you’re considering. For example, in my case, it might be “Content Creation” or “Content Strategy.”
And, from there, you should get the responses you need to further develop blog post ideas that speak to the hearts of your readers (more on this in a minute!), and give them the insight they want and need.
3. Begin mind-mapping.
Once you’ve polled your biggest fans and social media followers, this is where the real magic happens. And, if you’re a visual person, I have a feeling this will quickly become a favorite task of yours.
So, what is mind-mapping? Simply put, it allows you time to explore ideas for your blog before committing to them in any particular order. Begin by jotting down your overarching topics (think up to three main service or product areas of your business—ex. Content strategy, content creation, and proofing and editing). Just be sure you leave plenty of space around each because you might get a little idea happy!
Then, once you have up to three main topics down on paper, it’s time to begin mind-mapping. Take it one topic at a time and jot down as many sub-topics as you can think of—all while keeping your readers at the forefront of your mind.
I’ll give you yet another example as if I was going through this same exercise. Say I’m working on the topic of content creation. Some of the sub-topics around that might be any of the following: Types of Content Your Business Needs, The Anatomy of a Golden Piece of Content, and Reasons Why Your Blog Posts Are Going Unnoticed.
I will say, however, while you’re in the process of brainstorming, keep in mind that it’s not only important to identify topics your readers will care about, but also topics that align with the mission of your blog.
4. Make Google Search your best friend.
Now, if you’re completely stuck, you can always look to the ever-reliable and trustworthy Google machine to lend you a helping hand. Trust me; it won’t let you down! There are many non-free tools out there to help you out, but I’ve put this tip into action many, many times. And, it never fails at helping fire up my ideas and transforming them into top-notch content topics I just couldn’t think of in the brainstorming stage.
So, are you ready to hear how to utilize this tip in the best way possible? Sure you are. It’s pretty easy if you ask me! Once you’ve tackled the mind-mapping task, take one sub-topic at a time and drop it into the search bar on Google.com.
You’ve been warned, however, that as soon as you hit Enter on your keyboard, you’ll be #mindblown by how much your content topic ideas will evolve. Reason being, it helps you get a better feel for what’s already been written and how you can put a unique spin on it!
Also, upon getting the search results, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the “Searches related to your keyword” section. This will help you play around with your topic ideas. Best of all, it’ll allow you to create relevant and valuable content that your readers and Google love, giving your search engine optimization (SEO) a much-needed boost.
5. Turn a topic idea into a post series.
This may seem like a pretty obvious tip. But, I feel it’s one worth mentioning. Often, when it comes to generating new blog post topics, it might seem as if you’re cycling through your list super quick. Thus, you get content creation fatigue!
So, to avoid that altogether, you need to get smarter about the actual blog post topics you’re coming up with. Identify those from your mind-mapping session that may lead you to write longer-than-usual posts (think longer than 1,200 words), and consider splitting it into two or more posts. Then, just like that, a post series is born!
If you choose to go this route, be sure to provide some context within the intro of the first post, introducing the fact that you’ll be serving up a series to your readers. And, within the blog posts that follow, weave in some links that direct people back to other posts in the series. Not only will you build anticipation, but you’ll also give your SEO a nice little boost!
6. Give yourself a break.
Sometimes, our day-to-day routines can quickly cloud our creativity. Therefore, if all else fails, turn off your computer and unplug for a bit by getting some fresh air or doing whatever it is you love to do with the free time you have. As soon as you allow your brain time to refresh, you’ll without a doubt return to the task of creating new blog post topics with a fresh mindset and greater enthusiasm to cross it off your to-do list!
It’s time for me to hand it off to you now! There’s no doubt in my mind you have what it takes to come up with a list of creative topics that’ll power your blog for months to come.
So, what are you waiting for? Get to implementing these tips shared here today. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
