When writing a blog, one must regularly come up with interesting topics that will keep the readers focused and wanting more. However, constantly keeping up with the demands for new ideas is a challenge to every blog owners.
When you’ve been writing for so long, you tend to write about the same things repeatedly without even noticing it. Your topics become irrelevant to your niche, and you’ll eventually find them monotonous with less thought-provoking concepts. Though you know you need to come up with something new and exciting each and every time to maintain your blog’s readers , it’s very frustrating to begin writing when you do not have any good topic in mind.
Finding topics to write about that readers will be very interested in can be a difficult process, so listed below are a few great ways to help you keep up.
Look To Others for Inspiration
* Read your competitors.
– The next time you are drawing a blank with your next blog topic, surf the Internet for what others in your niche are writing about. It does not mean you are stealing ideas from others, but use the topics to develop an idea and get inspired.
* Get a critique.
– Any writer can find criticisms to be the building blocks of a good blog. Have a mentor to teach you the ropes, and learn from them as they point out what makes your blog good or bad.
* Do an interview.
– A simple and quick Q&A will bring some new ideas to the table worth tacking on. Take note not only of the answers , but also the questions that you want to ask, because it may be in itself a great topic to write about.
* Have a deliberation.
– Sometimes conflict can bring about new topics you can write about. It is good to have someone who is strong with their opinions and will argue with you over it.
* Make use of a popular post.
– Capitalize on an established blogger’s thoughts by posting your reaction to their latest blog topic. You will not only have something to write about, but also attract some traffic to your own blog.
* Read comments.
– Reply to those comments directed to you. Whenever you can, look at other blog’s comments and see what other readers have to say. Write down their views and questions.
* Have a guest blogger.
– Sometimes, having someone write a post for you takes the pressure off and gives you time to recuperate from all the thought-process you’ve been doing. A different perspective is also refreshing.
* Ask for ideas.
– Let your online social connections do the work for you. Ask for ideas on facebook, twitter, and so on; most likely, a lot of people will oblige.
Use Other Sources As Reference
* Try a new medium.
– Don’t limit yourself to reading blogs. Watch Youtube videos or TV shows, listen to podcasts or radio broadcasts.
* Read gossip or news websites.
– More than looking for topics to write about, you are updating yourself with trending stories that matter to people. Read the headlines and collect interesting links for future reference.
* Scan newspapers and magazine stories.
– Know how news affects the lives of your readers and talk about it. Your audience will come to rely on you to address their concerns basing on the current news.
* Ask yourself questions.
– The questions in your head when reading about various topics on different sources can be a source of ideas. If there was something missing, or a subject that has not been dealt with, write about it.
* Read small publications.
– If you have a niche blog, check relevant brochures, booklets and other writer’s columns in local papers or business weeklies. These are usually not read by most people; you can develop the topics or recycle them.
Think Outside The Box
* Mine your hobbies.
– This will allow your readers to learn more about you and your interests, and gives them a personal opinion on your topic.
* Talk about your experiences.
– People love to hear about real stories on how others overcome struggles , adventures, and truthful narration of what you learn from your experiences.
* Change your ambience.
– Sometimes our environment can be stifling. Change your view so you can get inspired. Go to the park, a museum, or even your own backyard garden. Leave your usual writing area to have a picnic on your lawn. Bring something with you to jot down your ideas as they come to you naturally.
* Take a vacation.
– Even if it’s just a day off or a two-week getaway, you’re bound for a fresh start the next time you tackle your blog. If you can’t afford taking time off, a few minutes to relax, like taking a nice bath or a long walk, will stimulate your mind and release your creativity.
* Create a poll.
– This will let you know what your readers would like to read about. You will also be able to determine what topics matter to them.
* Hold a contest.
– Encourage your readers to share their insights and reward them for it. You can persuade them to create topics and the best idea wins. This will also give you lots of options to choose from those non-winning entries.
* Keep a journal.
Just as doodling inspire art, forget about the technicalities of writing for a moment and just let your mind flow as you write. When you don’t edit things as you go on with your thoughts, you focus on just the ideas that expand exponentially as you write.
* Do reviews.
– Who doesn’t want to be told if something they want is not really worth having? Do product reviews , movie reviews, or anything that will allow you to critique.
* Attend events.
– Whether it is a local community or industry networking event, chat up people and spread the word about your blog. Ask them if there is any topic they would particularly be interested in. Go out of your usual group and expose yourself to a wide array of minds.
* Take deadlines as a challenge.
– When you have a deadline, it forces you to get things moving no matter what. So if you need to find a post idea in the next hour, you tend to have instant courage to go out of your usual habits, chat people up, and squeeze ideas from everything around you.
* Create a regular feature.
– When you have a particular topic that you need to cover for a certain day every week, you won’t fret too much because you know you at least have on day covered. It also helps your readers as they expect a particular subject to be tacked on a regular basis.
This is a guest post by Ally T , if you want to write for WebTrafficROI, check out our guest posting guidelines.
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