The biggest challenge bloggers face is coming up with a constant stream of ideas for fresh content.
It was not surprising that when I asked what problems you faced in your online business, one of the most popular answers was what to write about on your blog.
To help you overcome this barrier, I have identified a way you can generate an unlimited supply of new post ideas which you can either use on your own blog or as inspiration for several guest posting opportunities.
Where a lot of bloggers get it wrong is they try and come up with something completely brand new for every post they write and this is difficult to sustain.
What I suggest in this post, is using one seed idea and then expanding on it to think of numerous angles and types of post you can approach it from.
Identify Your Core Topic
All you need is a single idea from which to generate numerous blog posts.
You can get this idea from a:
- previous blog post you have written
- question / comment left by one of your readers
- blog post you have read written by someone else
- video you have watched
- article you have read in a magazine
- presentation you heard from a key speaker
- … many other sources, just use your imagination!
As you can see from the above list, even a brand new blog which doesn’t have a back catalogue of posts to draw inspiration from can use this method because you can borrow an idea from somebody else and go to town with it!
I didn’t even have to come up with the core idea myself because a number of people commented they had difficulty driving traffic to their blogs, squeeze and sales pages.
This isn’t a new idea for content by any means but it’s one which can be approached from so many different angles…
Expanding the Core Topic
First of all, you need to write down your core topic, either on a piece of paper (like me) or on a whiteboard if you are really professional.
All you have to do now is use your brain and spend a few minutes thinking about ways on how you expand on that core topic, such as:
- Using a question a reader has left in your comments
- Approaching the idea from the opposite view
- Producing case studies based around the core idea
- Interviewing experts who can help to achieve/solve the core idea
- Writing an opinion piece on a recent news post
- Expanding on ideas you briefly mentioned in previous posts
Using How to Get More Blog Traffic as the core topic, it took me less than five minutes to brainstorm seven ideas for blog posts I could produce:
Squeezing Those Topics Further
While seven new post ideas is great, I spent another few minutes thinking about how I could get even more mileage from those topics and came up with 16 blog post ideas in total.
Some of the ideas are not restricted to a one-off post and could lead to a series of follow-up posts, weekly columns or case study updates.
Plus, there is also scope for more ideas or expanding on what I have come up with below even further:
Writer’s Block – GONE!
Did you just see how easy that was?
You can come up with numerous blog post ideas in a matter of minutes!
The above was achieved using just one core topic. To get the most out of this technique you should use it at the beginning of every month and brainstorm as many blog post ideas as possible across several core topics.
The result? At least one month’s worth of blog topics in less than an hour and you can then schedule your writing accordingly – no more wasted time wondering what to blog about!
This method will also generate far more post ideas than you can realistically use on your own blog and the excess can easily be turned into high quality guest post material so make sure you do not overlook that opportunity either.
I hope this post will help you overcome the writer’s block most bloggers experience but if you have anything to add to the method outlined here, or have your own ways on generating new content ideas, please share them in the comments below!
Hey, David!
Thanks for this insight.
Everyone sooner or later gets some form of writer’s block.
This post gives a great remedy to that old problem.
Thanks again…Great Stuff!
Hi Dave, must say you do some stuff and give excellent advice.
How about ‘Amazon’ where you’ll find books on almost any subject or the local library where i’ll cost you nothing to brouse and take notes!
This post is very helpful. I sometimes have difficulty thinking of new blog post ideas on several of my blogs. Eventhough I blog about things I love, it does get difficult coming up with new post ideas at times.
Hi David,
Great post today. Loads of excellent information and I love the use of mind-mapping.
When I started blogging I was also concerned about what to blog about but it is surprising just how many things you want to write about once you get started. There ends up with TOO much to write about!
But I loved your post and will refer to it when I am thinking of my next post.
Cheers
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the comment and I am glad you found value in this post.
Having too many ideas to blog about is a good thing. It means you can pump out lots of high quality content to keep your blog fresh.
David
Thanks again David for such a great post.
Writers block is definitely something that hinders us on producing quality content for our readers and this is an awesome technique for overcoming that.
Now it’s time to apply it.
Thanks again.
Cheers, Smiles, and Success,
Crazy J
.-= Crazy J Rotnem´s last blog ..Self Esteem is Important =-.
Very good, helpful post David. My friend Ford Harding (who’s not in the internet marketing space, but writes a blog about business development for professionals) has written three good posts on coming up with blog ideas:
http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2009/03/02/keep-them-coming-ideas-for-blog-posts-2/
http://www.dailyblogtips.com/using-formulas-to-generate-ideas-for-blog-posts/
http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2009/07/20/keep-them-coming-3-ideas-for-posts-from-other-people%E2%80%99s-blogs/
Ian
.-= Ian Brodie´s last blog ..How To Get More Referrals Part 2: A Get Clients Video Tip =-.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for sharing these links, they have added value to this post and are a great resource for blog post idea generation!
David
Hi David
You have just answered my questions to myself on what next to blog about apart from Alex’s Launch that is.
Richard
.-= Richard´s last blog ..An update to my JV Giveaways page =-.
After having a blog hacked recently, I’m regrouping and starting all over. This article was an inspiration to get moving again. If we get in the habit of creating the mindmap (or the outline I was taught decades ago in the Evelyn Woods Reading Dynamics course!)when we’re feeling inspired, it will carry us through those flat days.
Great post, David. Glad I found ya! Thanks.
Ah, I knew I liked this blog. Way to go.
First of all, researching your own list by asking us what to write about. And then delivering big time.
Thanks for this – no more writer’s block (yey!)
Gil
Excellent advice as always, David.
I’ll remember to use the visual aids as I think that’s a great idea. Certainly stimulated the old grey cells!
All the best
John
.-= John Coates´s last blog ..Resale Rights Roadmap by John Thornhill – Product Review =-.
Hi David,
This advice is top drawer stuff. I am on a few internet marketers email lists and this post will rank as one of the highest info delivering posts that I have read to date.
I also find that a slightly alternative way to source info to talk about on your blog and also help with product creation is to scout around http://www.dummies.com where there are unlimited book titles on what people want to know about or how to do. Even “doing business online” is a topic covered from “adding Paypal to a site” and “social-media-for-dummies” etc etc.
This source gives you ideas of a particular subject which you can then expand on to create your own style of info for your readers.
Thanks again. This post is a “sticky one” for me.
Cheers
Mark Hughes
.-= Mark´s last blog ..Making Money Online – Why You Are Doomed To Failure =-.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for leaving me a comment and for alerting me to the dummies site. Like Ian’s links this is another great resource for coming up with new blog post ideas.
David
Hi, David!
Thank you for reminding me to use the mind-maps!
Although I have no problems to come up with ideas for my blog, I realised that I should be also focusing on balancing the topics.
Thank you for making me aware of it!
Kat MacKinnon
LiftMyDepression.com
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Chomping depression away: lessons from hungry caterpillars (part 1) =-.
Good post, David. As usual!!! I also keep folders on my computer of interesting tidbits that would make a good blog topic for the future. Oftentimes, when I go back to the tidbits they are “dated material” and I can’t really use them. But, that doesn’t matter. They are a springboard to what I might use to write about today — I always get some idea of where to go from my original ideas.
.-= Meghan´s last blog ..SOME HELPFUL GUIDELINES TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT INSURANCE POLICY =-.
David,
As usual, you have come up with another winning idea. I keep folders with ideas, too, but I’ve also been guilty of trying to come up with brand new content for every post. As you point out… not sustainable. As soon as I find myself floundering, it’s depressing. I think you just helped me out of my writers’ block. Thanks.
.-= Roberta´s last blog ..A Little Bit About Goals =-.
Hey David,
Thanks for that.. fantastic blog post and it’s certainly going to leave me with some kinda reference when my mind is facing writers block.
It was this exact problem which put me off having a blog for a couple of years.. now that I have begun writing it, I’ve loved every second. Perhaps I can use some of your tips to help me improve the blog ideas I do have.
Thanks!
Marc
David
Great post, just goes to show how easily you can overcome writers block and expand out what may initially appear to be a limited idea or range of ideas into a whole raft of new topics and posts.
Thanks for the thoughts
Tom
.-= Tom Harvey´s last blog ..2009 Draws To A Close and Looking Forward to 2010… =-.
Hi There.
As I am not as far down the Blogging route as you, thanks for this post as, YES, what am I going to write about next? You can tell you truly understand the blogger.
Thanks
Chris
.-= Chris Slinger´s last blog ..Law of Attraction Lesson 1 =-.
David,
Great info! I really like the use of the mind map to illustrate your article–show n’ tell.
Tim R Walls
Very helpful.
How about offering a printable version of your topics?
Hi John,
These topics are personal to me but there is nothing stopping you from printing them out.
I am in the process of brainstorming blog post ideas from the reader generated problems in this post and may even produce a short PDF report from it, giving you plenty of blog post ideas to use yourself.
David
Hi David
Thank you, I will give this a try, I just can’t get my head and thoughts together,but this looks promising and something I might be able to do. Thanks for sharing.
Luis
Oh my Gosh, David, I just heard your interview with Sally Neill and came over here to poke around and this is exactly where I am stuck!! Blogging and not knowing what to write about.
Thank you for this. I am going to print it out and get right on this mind mapping.
Thanks again!
DUH! It’s so easy!
You Pro Bloggers ROCK!
Lisa~
P.S. Are you going to put Sally’s interview on your blog, too???
Great post David – looks like you have really made blogging your own thing mate.
Its true there are so many directions to take in IM, which way you go with creating content can be a real pain sometimes.
I believe you must narrow your topic focus to a few areas you are good at though I have yet to come up with something that I want to stick with
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