Finding inspiration for blog posts can be a tedious task. Whether you follow the ultimate writer’s block tip or follow our other , you can still find it hard to come up with inspiration for any blog posts. Sure, you can go outside, or work out in an attempt to clear your mind. But honestly, how many people can say they actually do that? It gets suggested over and over again but you know you probably won’t do it.
So, with that being said I would like to present you with a list that will actually have an affect on you when it comes to writing new blog posts. All ideas I created without even leaving Blogussion.com.
1. Look at your comments
Your commentators are your community, and whatever they say you should listen. It is very likely they will have some kind of questions you can answer. They might even flat out tell you what they want you to write about, or even want a follow up on your last post.
2. Look at your favorite part of your blog
Now, this might only be a tip exclusive to me, but for some reason when I look at the footer of Blogussion I feel like writing. I suddenly got into a good mood because I think the footer looks good and is my favorite part of the blog. I honestly can’t explain this one very well, but just glance over your blog, look at the best design aspect, or your best article, etc. Whatever it is, look at it and think happy thoughts.
3. Set challenges for yourself
Check how many comments, views, trackbacks, etc. one of your posts got and try to write an article that will get a bigger response. Setting goals and challenges for yourself is a key strategy to effective blogging in my opinion.
4. Look back into the past
Check your old articles. Read them. You may find some information you want to expand on in a whole new blog post.
5. Look at your pages
I have found inspiration from the pages here at Blogussion. For example, check out our Guest Post page. There is so much information in there on guest posting. If you have a page with a lot of info on it like we do, there’s bound to be something there you can take from it and write about it.
6. Teach people how you did something
If you added some kind of code, or made your own design, you may want to think back how you did it and write about it. I’m not saying give out the whole PSD to your design, but to just write up a tutorial on something you did to your blog.
7. When you do find that one post to write…
If you do find a post you want to write, be very aware of what you write about. You can spark a ton of ideas from one single post. I remember when I had my old blog on my self titled domain name, I came up with 5 post ideas from just one blog post (yes, I keep records like those!). Pretty good, huh?
8. Read your blog not as the blog owner, but as a reader
This is hard to do, but if you ever get so lost you should try going through your blog posts and put yourself in your readers position. It is a good time for you to really give yourself a better insight on your writing style, and it will give you time to go through your posts and pick out small bits of information you want to write about.
9. Set up a guest post page
If you don’t mind other people writing on your blog, then set up a guest post page. People can go to your blog, read your guest post page and possibly want to write on it. It’s easy, free content that you don’t even have to write.
10. Scout your categories
Are there any categories that are lacking in posts? Check them all out. If they seem unbalanced, try to create a balance by writing posts in the ones with fewer posts in them.
Concluding Thoughts
So coming up with post ideas doesn’t have to be as hard as going outside (if you consider that hard). Just stay on your blog. You’ll be surprised how inspiring you truly are!
Do you have anything to add to the list? Post them in the comments section, and I will surely add it to the list.
22 Discussions
Rocking post, a really different read from the usual posts you read to get inspiration.
Couldn’t have said it any simpler myself there FarrHad!
I was struggling to write up something for tonight but after reading Alex’s post here – I was inspired to follow up on my previous post on Preventing Hackers with Strong passwords!
@Farrhad: Thanks for the comments bro. I have used this method previously, but only recently has it crossed my mind to write about it.
I use tips number one and six frequently. Comments can be a great resource for finding post ideas, especially on Diligent, where the community suggests new posts all the time. Most people go scouting for information by using other blogs, but that can lead to “information regurgitation.” Often times, follow up posts are really popular, like when I did a follow up to my “tips for when you’re sick” post. People like continuations.
Hey Corey,
Thanks for stopping by.
I used to be one of those people who would just visit other people’s blog and basically rewrite what they said (this was on an old blog, I wouldn’t dare do it here!). I have never really written a follow up post before on any blogs. If it works as well as you say it does, I think I might have to set that up sometime.
Kind of off topic here – but I’m guessing BBD is keeping you busy? It has a new look every time I visit it. :p
Great article some excellent tips there, keep it up.
Thanks! Is there anything you think should be added to the list?
@Alex
It’s a really unique project and designing a screencast site is insane! I think I’m finally getting closer to a better look. Navigation is pretty simple and the video is being presented in a way that I can tolerate for now. I should just hire another designer and be like “you do it! I give up!”
And I never really regurgitated other information. My teachers have beat into us the troubles of plagiarism and I guess a lot of my English class carries over into my writing techniques. I do, however, expand upon ideas.
Yeah, it really is a unique site. Haha, it seems I’m not along – I can never be happy with a design I do for a site of mine. I’d say what you have now is pretty nicely set up. Maybe add a few gradients here and there, I always love gradients (if you couldn’t tell from this design)
Why not subscribe to Alerts on your blogging niche and write a post about anything new and hot in your area of expertise.
I use Alert Services to inspire me once I fall into a writers block. Whenever something new comes up in my area of blogging, I wanna be the first one to spread the news around the blogosphere. This inspiration itself cures my writers block and boredom and I am back to blogging with all energy and enthusiasm.
This probably won’t work for everyone as you are already bored and expect research and reading to be the last thing on your to-do list. But give it a try. Subscribe to an Alert Service and see if it works for you….
What kind of Alert services do you use? Are you talking about RSS feeds, or something else?
I think the best thing that should inspire is when you blog about what you are doing in real life, this is the basic idea about blogging the way I understand it. This is how I have tones of idea to write about them, new stuff everyday.
Thank you fo sharing nice tips. you made me think about the past and the feature of my blog while reading!
So basically you’re talking about a personal blog? I have been thinking of starting up a personal blog since they are the easiest blogs to write for IMO. It looks like that’s what your blog is too, so I definitely agree that writing about what you do in real life is the easiest to write about.
Wow ! That’s realy very deep thinking keep it up. And write it a blog about of real life.
Thanks for the comment on the article!
Simple and effective. good ones, I am a bif fan of comments and making posts of of the comments
It’s amazing what a sentence or two in a comment can turn into in a blog post!
Amazing tips. I never really thought of getting inspiration those ways. I especially liked the one about the comments. I have even went to other blogs in my niche and looked at the comments. They easily launch ideas. Looking at users seems to be the way to create a plethora of unique blog posts.
That’s a great idea to go to other bloggers blogs and get ideas from there. Sneaky, but good!
Do you think you should link to the blog where you found the post idea though?
I think the last one is the one I use the most. I feel that a blog looks really empty if it has a category with only 1 or 2 posts in, even if the other categories have tens of posts in. Don’t know why, must be one of those weird psychological things
I find my favourite way of getting ideas is to just think about my blog. Eventually, one thought will lead to another and eventually I’ll have an idea for a new post
Simon | Teenius’s last blog post..The Importance Of A Good Logo
I always find teaching people and “how to” posts the easiest to write, especially when its something your passionate about.
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Very good tips here, thanks for sharing them! I only use the first one but will do the guest post page soon.
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