7 Ways To Generate Blog Post Ideas

Have you ever wondered how some bloggers manage to stay inspired and are able to find new topics effortlessly while others (like you) struggle to find new ideas?

However, the truth of the matter is that many of those prolific bloggers didn’t start off that way.

Just like you, those prolific bloggers had periods of time when they couldn’t come up with great ideas and had no clue where to look for inspiration.

The difference between you and them is that they figured out how to overcome this challenge.

If you want to overcome this problem, all you have to do is find reliable sources of great ideas and then tap into them periodically to make sure you don’t run out of material.

Below, you’ll learn 7 useful strategies you can employ to generate great blog post ideas.

Let’s unpack this…

1)) Ask Your Readers

Not surprisingly, your readers know what they want to read about more than anyone else.

This is precisely why any attempt to generate new blog topics should begin with a frank discussion between you and your blog readers.

If you use WordPress or a blogging platform that permits it, consider using a plugin to conduct two different polls.

The first poll should ask what direction readers would like your blog to move towards in the long run.

And the second should ask which topics they would like you to discuss in an upcoming featured piece.

You might consider creating a new poll for the second question on a monthly basis.

In addition to soliciting readers’ advice through polls, you may also want to explicitly ask them to tell you what you should write about through comments or in an email.

This will give them greater freedom to explain what they would like to see on your blog.

Finally, if you do not already own a blog, you should start by soliciting this type of advice on relevant Niche Forums, Social Media Groups, or through your Email List.

Explain what you plan to do and then ask what people would like to read about.

2)) Listen to Your Readers

In many situations, you don’t even need to solicit your readers’ advice!

There’s a very good chance that simply paying attention to the comments section of your blog will yield all of the information you need.

Example: Was there a rigorous debate in the comments section over one of your previous topics? Or was there a blog entry that was accompanied by a flurry questions that you never addressed explicitly?

Have you started to realize a new blog post opportunity?

These are all things you may want to come back to in the future by creating a second blog post on the topic.

Tip: You should create a spreadsheet to document those potential topics so that you don’t forget them.

3)) Lurk on Forums and Social Media Groups

Lurking on forums and social media groups can be a great way to generate blog entry ideas.

If you don’t already visit forums and social media groups regularly, you can easily find some in your niche at the by searching using the following format; “[your keyword] forums” (e.g. weight loss forums) and “[your keyword] groups” (e.g. golf groups) using your favorite search engine.

Example: “golf forums” or “internet marketing forums”.

When you’re on the forums and in the groups, look specifically for hot topics.

For instance, if a thread has received hundreds of replies and has remained at the top of the forum for a sustained period of time, then there’s a good chance that it will prove popular on your blog, too.

Also, if a post proves to be controversial and draws a lively debate between forum or group members, it may also be something you should consider incorporating into your blog.

4)) Read Digital Newspapers and Magazines

Reading newspapers and magazines oftentimes provides a better way to get a detailed, in-depth, detached perspective of current events and hot topics.

Physical newspapers and magazines are moving online for obvious reasons.

So, grab a few virtual magazines and newspapers of choice and take notes as you read through them.

Look for topics that have the potential to be funny, exciting, useful, or controversial.

And then use them to stimulate discussions on your blog.

5)) Check Out Article Directories

As an Internet marketer, you’ve probably submitted many articles to directories. What you might not realize, however, is that these directories can be a goldmine for ideas when you need them most.

Next time you’re struggling to come up with an idea for your blog entry, visit article directories such as EzineArticles.com, locate the category that best describes your niche, and begin browsing.

Look for headlines and topics that catch your eye and then consider posting on the idea if it looks promising.

6)) Use Keyword Tools

One way to understand your blog readers better is to find out what they look for on the Internet.

One free way you can do this is by using the Google AdWords Keyword Tool.

Using this tool, you can simply enter a word or phrase, such as “golf equipment” and the tool will return a massive list of related keywords, including such things as “golf umbrella” and “new golf clubs.”

Here, you’ve tens and maybe hundreds of keywords that you can easily turn into ideas!

You can also sort these results by the search volume they received, which will allow you to isolate the most popular keywords.

Tip: I recommend that you use paid keyword tools, because they provide a lot more details.

7)) Continue an Interesting Conversation

Sometimes you won’t even need to come up with fresh ideas by yourself!

Here is how:

Next time you encounter a hot conversation on another blog, forum, or in a group, continue it on your own blog.

Mention briefly where you found the conversation, give an overview of the arguments on each side, and then support one or the other.

Since blog readers in your niche are likely to have strong feelings about such topics, you can expect a strong response.

Polarization equals engagement!

Conclusion

Coming up with new blog entry ideas can be difficult. However, it doesn’t need to be impossible.

All you have to do is create a list of places where you can reliably find good new ideas and then tap them as needed.

If you don’t use creative ways to generate blog topics, you’ll eventually run out of ideas.

That’s the last thing that you want to happen, because a blog without fresh stream of content is like a grocery store without food.

Using the 7 strategies I’ve shared with you above, you may find that it is much easier to recover from your next spell of writers block.