This is a guest post by Tina from Life Without Pink.
5 Tips For Finding Blog Post Inspiration
Have you ever wondered how some bloggers can generate such fabulous content week after week? It just seems to naturally flow from their brain and every post is better than the last. For the majority of us, coming up with topics, content and ideas, is something we battle with at some point in our blogging career.
I know for myself, I have experienced this quite often. Since I write for a few websites, it becomes challenging at times to find creative content and new ways to spin an idea.
Here are a few of my best strategies for coming up with new blog post ideas;
1. Review Blog Comments
One of the best ways I find for coming up with new ideas is to go back through past comments on my blog. Every time one of my readers asks a question – I think, “how could I spin this into a new post.â€
Don’t forget when you are visiting other blogs to make sure to pay attention to their readers’ comments and questions that are being asked. This is another great way to give you a few new ideas.
2. Read Your Past Posts
It is always fun to go back through your previous posts and think about new angles that you can explore with that topic. Maybe you want to write a follow-up post, or continue the story from a new perspective. There are many different ways you can breathe new life into an old post.
3. Change Your Environment
Sometimes just stepping away from the computer and doing something outside like taking a walk, going for a run or even playing with your children, can help refresh your mind and unleash new creative ideas.
A few months ago, I was able to sneak out by myself and take a nice walk around my neighborhood. Between the fresh air and the ability to clearly think, my mind was overflowing with ideas. However, one thing I learned….bring a voice recorder! When I got home, I immediately ran to my kitchen to write down all of the ideas that were flowing through my head but unfortunately that fast I lost most of them. This was definitely a lesson to be learned!
4. Tapping Into Conversations
This is something that happens in every day life and an easy way to transform into a good blog post. The other day my mom started telling me a story and instantly I thought, “this would make a great post.†Even listening to the funny stories your children tell you, or conversations that happen around you {which are particularly interesting}, are a surefire way to get the creative juices flowing.
5. TV, Books and Magazines
All of these are never ending resources for good content inspiration. When you read an interesting story or article, think about ways that you could spin this to fit your niche or how can you put a twist on it to make it more interesting for your readers. I have a subscription to a few magazines that I find very helpful to me. I love flipping through articles and finding fun ways to create blog posts from the material I read.
One final tip; always choose quality over quantity.
It is really easy to put together a quick post but remember what keeps readers coming back is the creative and original content you produce. If you are unsure about a post, do not publish it. Keep the post in your drafts folder, walk away and come back to it later. You will be surprised at how many tweaks you will make after having a chance to take a step back.
Remember, inspiration is all around you!
Now it’s your turn! Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts?
This post was written by a guest blogger. See the post for information about this blogger.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer Brown Banks, Grow With Stacy. Grow With Stacy said: 5 Tips For Finding Blog Post Inspiration http://goo.gl/fb/FdsRt [...]
Hello!
It is good to read the past posts. I did that actually today and i didn’t remember i had some good articles written!
Many ideas came to my mind i could write from a new perspective as you said!
Very great post! Thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
Great post! Changing environment always works for me. Whenever my mind goes blank, I go ahead and step outside for a while and enjoy a change of scenery, to just relax and think nothing and after sometime once i got the rest I needed, ideas come.
[Reply]
I found a great idea for the month of December. I think I was just reading random tweets when I stumbled across #reverb10. It’s this amazing initiative that one person started to recap the year and get ready for the next. Each day there is a different prompt. I have been posting my responses since Dec. 5 (it started on Dec. 1). Anybody can join in anytime. It’s given me great ideas plus ideas for follow-up posts when Jan 1 rolls around – or sooner if I just can’t wait!
Patti B. invites you to read… Christina Aguilera- Meet Jim Morrison
[Reply]
Good ideas! I look at photos all the time for inspiration. Sometimes I find what I like or dislike about a particular wedding and write about that.
Jonette invites you to read… 10 Stunning Color Combinations
[Reply]
I have tons of posts in my draft folder! Sometimes, I have an idea but it’s just not “right”, so I file it away for another day. I’ve found that I’m either overflowing with ideas or can’t come up with one. :-/
[Reply]
I agree with all of these, but reading comments in particular is one that works for me. My readers are amazing and come up with all kinds of stuff that I never think of! (I give them credit for the idea, of course)
Gina invites you to read… What do you think Google is really for
[Reply]
Great ideas. Especially going over past posts.
I am often struggling to get something out on “paper” … often its not a shortage of ideas, its a struggle to translate the ideas from my brain to the computer …
Meg invites you to read… Click to Donate Water
[Reply]
I have a small clutch of readers that I poll for ideas when I get stuck. These are not my friends in RL but people who I’ve met online through my blog and are some of my most dedicated fans. Sometimes, I ask them – what would YOU like me to write about and I write for them.
[Reply]
Quality over quantity – yes! I will not follow a blog with poor design or where it feels like the author is just throwing stuff together so they can post more often.
I came over from BlogFrog.
[Reply]
Thanks for these tips; they’re very helpful!
I found that by joining a writing prompt meme, that helps me along at least one day during the week
Unfortunately, I suffer from lack of motivation as much as lack of inspiration and time.
[Reply]
This is really helpful!
I find since I’m not a mommy blogger or do anything exciting, I have a hard time with what to write at times.
Venassa invites you to read… My Best Friend
[Reply]
I get inspired a lot by memories.
Today I was inspired by a conversation with my sister about life balance. But I like all of your ideas too!
Charlene invites you to read… Five Holiday Stress Relievers
[Reply]
Great ideas! I’ve put a few of them to practice recently. Thanks for sharing!
Hockey Wife invites you to read… Matching Goose Eggs
[Reply]
I use a few of these strategies already, but I never thought of reading comments on OTHER people’s posts for more inspiration. Great tip!
[Reply]
Tina,
Great ideas! I have had the best ideas when I went for walks before as well. But like you, I forgot most of them by the time I got back home. So bringing a voice recorder is a brilliant idea. I have one, just need to find it and dust it off
Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Ilka
Ilka Flood invites you to read… What Exactly Is A Pyramid Scheme And Are You Involved In One
[Reply]
This is a very helpful post for me. I usually step out of my desk to take a little 2 to 5-minute break and then after that, I can think and work clearly.
[Reply]
Hi Tina and Stacy!
This is a great topic with some excellent tips. I often struggle to find ideas for content, and this was a good reminder to look for it in the every day things around me.
I recently ran a contest and got a lot of great content ideas from asking the participants questions – and they got bonus points for answering. I now have several topics to keep me going for content for a few weeks – and I know they are topics that my readers are wanting to know!
Jess @ Irresistibly Quirky invites you to read… Q & A- How to Keep Business and Personal Separate on Facebook
[Reply]
Hi Tina and Stacy,
Great ideas. I especially like the idea of of turning questions in comments into posts. I have to say I like trawling forums to do the same thing.
If more than one person is asking a similar question then there must be a need for content on the topic. Also sometimes the original questions lead me to other ideas on the same topic.
~Marcus
[Reply]
really agreed with what they were saying and thought I would share it with you all…
was surprised by this so thought I would share it with my readers…
[...] out my guest post, 5 Tips for Finding Blog Post Inspiration at Grow With [...]
This is really very challenging to get inspiration for fresh contains of blog and it is more challenging if you don’t have the environment with you.
Really inspiring things you had discussed here.
I really use all this things for my next post and i hope getting better results for mine.
Thanks for this great post how to achieve readers engaging contains.
[Reply]
Stacy, thank you so much. Iam just starting out and I am so grateful to you and other bloggers that are helping me. I have many thoughts are subjects or topics to write about…but I cannot get them from my brain to the computer.
Again, I am very grateful
[Reply]
Stacy Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 4:46 pm
I’m glad that this helped, Gladys!
[Reply]