Never run out of ideas for blog posts
Sometimes I really struggle for ideas to write about. Other times, the ideas flow faster than I can log them. One of the biggest challenges I still face as a blogger is making sure my posting frequency doesn’t fluctuate along with the natural flow of ideas.
Here are some strategies I’ve used:
I regularly brainstorm ideas for posts and keep the ideas in a notebook. When it’s time to write, I can select an idea from the list. Hopefully I’ve also jotted down some of the key points to make in the post.
Another idea-generator is called “mind-mapping.” For me, this works best when I start with a post I’ve already written. I draw a circle in the middle of a sheet of paper and write the name of the existing post in the circle. From there I just start brainstorming ideas for follow-up posts, posts on a similar topic but from a different angle, “antonymnic” posts where I write about the opposite of the idea, and other twists on the existing topic. This usually generates at least 5-10 new ideas.
If I’m ”in the zone,” I’ll write several posts in one sitting and use my WordPress software to schedule them to post automatically on assigned days and times in the future. I’ve gotten as far as three weeks ahead using this method, which gives me time to work through any dry spells.
I’ll sometimes experiment with assigning certain types of posts to various days of the week, for example: opinion posts on Mondays, list posts on Wednesdays, problem-solving posts on Fridays. This at least gives me a guideline for what type of post my readers are expecting, and that makes it even easier to select something from my notebook of ideas.
I will also sometimes just select a type of post, and try to brainstorm a title based on that type. Some common types I’ve used include list posts (“Ten Ways…” “Five Things…” etc.), Q-and-A posts, link posts (link round-ups), and opinion posts (on a controversial topic).
Failing all of this, of course, you could just try snagging one of Chris Brogan’s 100 post ideas.
photo by Microsoft Clips Online
Where do you get ideas for blog posts?
Every blogger I know has hit the occasional dry patch when searching for ideas to write about. What we all have in common is that we feel blogging’s important enough to bust through the writer’s block and work to generate ideas for posts. Here are some of the ways I generate ideas for my blogs:
1. I read other blogs and react to their most compelling posts. I use this tactic a lot, in fact, because reading someone else’s blog almost always makes me think about my own take on the topic at hand.
2. I subscribe to news releases related to my niche industry and use them as the basis for posts. If you don’t have a niche blog, you can still do more general searches that may turn up some ideas. PRnewswire as a great source for news releases; one of my searches is simply the generic “women’s interests.”
3. I look at past posts and brainstorm ideas that might branch off of them. This can be especially effective with older posts, where new developments may have occurred that justify an update.
4. I subscribe to “alerts” from Google on various keywords relevant to my niche. These alerts are delivered to my email in-box so I don’t have to go looking for them. This not only leads me to other bloggers’ posts, it also gives me a notion of whether a particular topic is “hot” that day.
5. I react to conversations I’ve overheard in real life. Being a blogger doesn’t mean disengaging from real interactions, especially if you want to stay current in your niche. Mine the conversations you have, or that you overhear, for relevant blog posts.
6. I draw on my own personal experiences and challenges. Sometimes all it takes is a moment of personal reflection to ask myself, “What am I struggling with this week that might interest my readers?”
7. I read the daily news and comment on the most controversial or interesting items related to my niche. Or, in the case of my journal blog, on whatever interests me the most.
Have you hit the Blogger’s Wall yet? What was the strategy you used to bust through it?
Blog posting frequency
Q. When starting a new blog, is it better to roll out content slowly or to load it up quickly with lots of posts for readers to discover?
A. The focus of any new blog (or any established blog, for that matter) should be on the quality of the content rather than the number of posts. Yes, you want readers to have plenty to look at when they arrive. But think of it this way: when you come upon a new blog, which would you rather have: 10 informative, well-written posts or 30 thrown-together half-baked thoughts?
For a new blog, my recommendations are:
Two well-crafted posts per week. These are posts that have one or more of these components:
1. A primary point, supported by examples
2. Clean, clear, tightly-edited prose
3. One or two quality links out to other blogs, relevant to the point or topic of the post
4. Photo or other illustration
5. Overall tone of being informative, helpful, or thought-provoking (or all three)
Two ‘quickie-posts’ per week. A quickie post is something “short and sweet” that you add to the blog not because you’re in a hurry, but because it meets your blog’s mission and is interesting or especially timely, but doesn’t require a fully crafted post to be useful to your readers. Examples might include:
1. A video or photo
2. A thought-provoking question or “stray thought” you want to throw out there (try creating a poll or short survey)
3. A great quote or snippet from another blog post (be sure to give proper credit)
4. A link to a post on another blog you found especially compelling
This formula, 2+2, creates the sense that your blog is regularly updated but shouldn’t stretch your ability to maintain it.
