How to Come Up with Topics For Your Blog
Sunday, April 26, 2020, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
As freelance writers and content marketers, it can sometimes be hard to come up with fresh, innovative content — especially when pressed with deadlines.
Our job is to generate content that attracts, engages and converts. But, how can we keep the creative juices flowing, when running low on ideas, to ensure consistent traffic and leads?
Everyone deals with writer’s block in their own ways.
Nonetheless, below I will share a few tips and tricks that have helped me as Spanish freelance writer to come up with topics for my blog continually.
These tips can be used by any type of blogger or writer to create a blog post, a weekly newsletter, an article for a website, or any other piece of writing!
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Ask your audience
The best and easiest way of coming up with interesting blog topics is by asking your readers what they want. As a writer, you want your content to solve problems, to be useful and relevant. Thus, simply ask your followers what it is they want you to write about— it is that simple!
Engage in conversation, whether it is by e-mail, social media, or by reading blog comments. Look for repetition! Are you noticing any trends? Are people always asking the same questions? Is there a particular topic that genuinely resonated with your audience?
Start there, and you will probably have at least two or three leads that you can then shape into appealing articles.
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Surf the web!
Surfing the web might seem like a no brainer, but more often than not, we forget how powerful this tool can be. Search engines are everyone’s go-to-place when looking for answers. Therefore, by analyzing what people are looking up on Google or Bing, you can have a relatively good idea of what type of content they crave.
Research keywords and terms related to your field of work. For instance, if your blog is about technology, lookup phrases such as “technology trends,” “tech news,” or “new technologies.” You can then filter the results based on your blog’s needs.
In other words, if you find that “artificial intelligence” is in vogue, think about how you can use it to your advantage. But remember that anything and everything you write about must be in line with your website’s tone, style, and audience.
Thus, do not just write about certain topics because people are searching for them online. Go deeper! Find a way of bringing a new perspective or shedding new light on an already popular subject.
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Use Amazon’s “Look Inside” Feature
Amazon’s “Look Inside” is a feature that can truly help you come up with innovative blog titles in a fast and efficient way. It is a very straightforward strategy, that if used correctly, can go a long way.
The first thing you need to do is head over to amazon.com and enter your query on the search box. For example, if you are running an interior design blog, you might want to type “interior design.” After a few seconds, a list of books, e-books, and other media will pop-up.
You can then go over the results. Look for the titles that have the “Look Inside” logo and click on the one you find most interesting. Scroll through the table of contents. Here, you can find dozens of new topic ideas.
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Conduct a brainstorming session
As a writer, I profit from regular brainstorming sessions! I find these to be excellent tools to dig deep inside our heads and come up with new ideas. For me, the most productive brainstorming sessions are those done in a group.
Hence, ask your co-workers, friends, or family members to join you in your next brainstorming session. There are many techniques you can work with until you find the one that works best for you.
Below are a few strategies to get you started:
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Gap Filling, here you start by writing down a statement and figuring out how you can reach your goal.
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SWOT Analysis, by analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of any given topic, you can come up with a solid idea of what it is that could work to your advantage.
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Driver Analysis, work as a group to pinpoint the drivers of the problem you are trying to solve. By doing so, you will be able to draft an outline for your next piece.
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The Five Whys, if you want to immerse on a particular topic, start with a problem you’re addressing and ask your group, “why is this happening?” Once you have collected a few answers, ask the question again (and again) until you’ve come to the root of the issue.
Note that you do not need a group to embark on a brainstorming session and use any of these techniques. However, having one or more people, you can bounce ideas with can come in handy.
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Don’t overthink it!
How many times have you heard that the best ideas come when you are in the shower? I have experienced it many times. The truth is, it has nothing to do with the effect of water touching your head. It is more about the fact that your mind is at ease.
Inspiration has a way of creeping in when you least expect it. Thus, the worst form of dealing with a writer’s block is by forcing yourself to write or come up with a “great” idea.
Therefore, give yourself a break! Step back from the computer or put away your notepad, and engage in a different activity. By doing so, you are putting your mind at ease. And while your subconscious will continue to think about topic ideas for your blog, your conscious self will be preoccupied with something else. Before you know it, an idea will pop up! If it does not, you can pick up where you left off with a refreshed mind.
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These are my five go-to strategies when looking for new blog title ideas. Not all of these techniques will always work. But, they certainly can be a good starting point!
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