Ever have one of those days where you know you need to post something but you just can’t come up with a good idea? We all do. Blogging is not as easy as some people would like you to believe. But there are steps you can take to assure you don’t hit that slump. Here are nine steps to help you come up with more – and better – blog post ideas.
Make Time For Writing
It seems like the more you’re pressed for time the harder it is to come up with a great idea. That’s because you’re more worried about the clock and all the things you still have on your To-Do list. Set aside a regular block of time to focus on producing great content. It can a set time each day and you produce one blog post, or a larger block of time two or three times a week where you produce multiple posts. Either way, carve out a niche and stick to it.
Write Your Title First
Sometimes you just have so many ideas floating around in your head you don’t know where to start. Consequently, you never start. When this happens to me I sit down and start writing titles, focusing on one keyword and one specific problem. Sometimes I put together a list of titles before I hit on the best idea for the day but that just gives me more ideas for the future.
Keep A File For Ideas
Great blog post ideas probably pop into your head all day long and you think you’ll remember them the next time you sit down to write. Of course, that never happens, right? Start a file and when you have those great ideas jot them down and save them for future reference.
Watch Trending Topics
You’d be surprised how often you can relate a trending topic to your own niche. Watch Google Trends to see what’s hot for the day and take advantage of that extra online interest.
Pay Attention To Stats
Watch your own traffic stats to see what content is attracting the most attention and then expand on it.
Expand An Idea
Go to one of your list posts or one of your links posts and choose one item or link to write about. As a plus, you’ll be able to link back to that original post and get additional page views.
Read Other Relevant Blogs
As I’m reading other blogs I’m always thinking about how the information applies to my own business or life. You probably do, too, and you can use these comparisons and ideas for your own blog content. As you’re reading make notes and put them in that idea file you created.
Plan Ahead
I like to sit down and map out a week or a month in advance. Some of the best blog posts I’ve ever written or read have been series posts. And planning ahead allows you to map out a linking strategy between different online properties you own. Even if you’re not linking building or writing a series, if you sit down and map out your week you’ll always know what you’re going to write about that day.
Have A Goal For Each Post
Some of my best blog posts have started with: What do I want my readers to do today? I’m I focusing on building my list? Am I trying to get more RSS subscribers? Start by deciding what goal you want to achieve and let that determine your content for the day.