How to Come Up with Blog Post Ideas

There are lots and lots of ways to come up with blog posts and everyone has their own. I am going to share some of the methods and tools we use to create posts.

First let’s talk about the tools we use. I am the sort of person who can think of a great idea and 5 minutes later, totally forget what it was. We use the following tools so that doesn’t happen (as often).

1.    A simple notepad, notebook or post-it-notes. I actually use all 3 depending on where I am at. I have a big yellow notepad on my desk, plus some post-it-notes that I stick to my computer screen, when I want to remember something that I want to use right away. I also carry a small spiral notebook in my car in case I come up with something good while I am driving.

2.    A small voice recorder. A few years ago when I was at a JV Alert Seminar, I purchased a small Sony voice recorder so I would miss anything at the event. Now I try to keep it in my pocket most of the time, so I can record ideas easily when I am away from my desk.

3.    My cell phone. Even though I try and keep my voice recorder with me most of the time, inevitably when I come up with a really good idea I don’t have it on me and there is not a pen or paper to be found anywhere. Fortunately, I almost always have my cell phone with me. I just call my office phone and leave a message to myself with my ideas, or to remind me to do something.

I know this sounds very basic, but I can’t tell you how many times those tools have saved me from forgetting something important and I am sure if you tried implementing them in your daily life, it will help you tremendously.

Okay, so those are the tools you should be using so you don’t forget the ideas you come up with. Now how do you get the ideas? I see that question asked all the time, “How do bloggers come up with new blog post topics?”

I can’t speak for everyone else, but these are a few of the methods that we use:

Read, Read, Read, and Read Some More – By far the best way to come up with ideas for your particular blog is to stay on top of what is going on in your industry and related industries. Read books, trade magazines, news sites, blogs, anything you can find that is related to your niche. The more that you know and learn about your niche, the easier it is to come up with new ideas.

One thing I like to do is when reading is to take notes of things that I find interesting, and that I think other people would like to read about. Many times writers will write on very broad categories and address the sub-categories with only a few lines of text. I like to take one of the individual sub-categories and expand them to full blown posts.

Ask Your Readers What They Want You to Write About – Once your blog is established enough that people are actually leaving comments on it, it is time to start asking your readers what they want you to write about. For example, if you run a blog on Landscaping, simply create a post titled, “What do you want to know about Landscaping?” Then have your readers tell you what they want to know about in the comments section.

Search Your Comments for Ideas – A great way to come up with new topics for your blog is to read your blog’s comments and see what your readers are saying. I like to ask open-ended questions at the end of posts to encourage readers to leave comments… and as long as people are responding, it makes a great way to find new topics for future posts.

Mining Other Blog’s Comment Section – But what if your blog is new, or people are just not leaving comments? Then go and check out the comments on other blogs in your niche and see what their readers want to know. This is a great way to come up with new ideas, especially when your blog is just starting out.

Again, these are just a few ideas on ways to come up with ideas for posts. How about your blog? Where do you come up with new ideas for posts?