How To Know What To Blog About

Writing blogs on a regular basis is one of the top things I recommend to people who want to get more business online, have free time and not a huge budget.
A lot of people have told me they find it difficult to keep coming up with good ideas for blog articles.

This blog article will hopefully give you some help to spark new blog ideas.

Blogging is a great traffic and branding strategy for businesses, but what happens when you don’t know what to blog about?

Some of the best bloggers in the world hit this same obstacle when starting their blogs, but over time, they learned how to come up with a never ending supply of topics. With a little work, you’ll never find yourself staring at a blank screen, wondering what to write about.

Incredible blog topic ideas are always there. You just have to know how to find them. Once you do, you’ll be able to fill your blog with high quality posts on topics that your readers will love.

Why You’re Coming Up Blank

You know your business inside and out, so why are you coming up blank on what to blog about? That’s actually part of the problem. You know so much about your business that you assume everyone else knows what you know or you just want to write about how great your business is. Neither strategy works out very well.

Another problem could be writer’s block. Some may tell you it doesn’t exist, but as you’ve found it, it’s very real. Don’t worry, though. It can be overcome.

Take a Glance at the Competition

This might sound like cheating, but it’s not. If you’re having trouble coming up with topics, see what the competition is blogging about. Check out their social media channels to see what types of posts readers are responding to best. You should never copy their content, but use it to spur your own creativity. Perhaps you loved one topic, but feel you could write it from a better angle.

Never hesitate to see what the competition is up to. Their blogs could be exactly what you need to always know what to blog about.

Consider Real Questions and Problems

One of the most popular types of blog topic comes from answering questions and solving problems of consumers. Tutorials, listicles and fact based posts often address questions and problems that consumers come to your business with regularly. Pay attention to what your consumers are talking about on social media or sending in to support. These always make great topics.

Dive Into Industry Forums

What are others blogging about in your industry? Is there something new on the horizon? What issues are businesses facing? Find industry forums and check out the discussions. There’s a wealth of topics right here for you. Places liked LinkedIn provide professional groups to discuss industry issues and bounce ideas off of other professionals.

Brainstorm With Others

You don’t have to come up with all the blog topics on your own. Gather your team, talk to other professionals and post questions on social media. Let others help you figure out what to blog about. It’s easy to fluster yourself and feel blocked. Let others lead for a while and you’ll be surprised at the ideas you get.

Send Out a Survey

Be proactive and send out a short survey to past customers.Multiple choice surveys are great if you have an idea of the area you would like to blog about but are not sure if there is audience who wants to read about it.

The above screenshot is from a short survey we sent out at the start of this year. This has inspired a number of articles and social content based around productivity and marketing. Open ended questions can get insight into what people are thinking. Ask people about their hopes and fears and you will get answers you never expected.

Use Keyword Research Tools

One of the reasons you’re likely blogging is to bring more traffic to your site. This means using keywords. Most bloggers will tell you the secret to great post that boost traffic is keyword research. This post from Robbie Richards asks 61 experts what their favourite keyword research tools are and it’s a great resource for brainstorming your own blog topics. ShoutMeLoud lists a few extras along with the pros and cons of each.

One thing to keep in mind is to limit yourself to just a few of these tools. Otherwise, it’s way too easy to get overwhelmed.

Try Topic Generators

Maybe you have a keyword in mind, but aren’t really sure what to blog about after that. Sometimes topic generators can help take you from keyword to incredible topic in just a few clicks. They’re also good tools for coming up with better titles when you’re struggling to find that perfect title.

While HubSpot’s generator is one of the most well known, WordStream has a great list of eight topic generators to try, including HubSpot. SEO.com also features several great generators along with a few additional tools for finding blog topics.

Always Know What to Blog About

You already have everything you need right at your fingertips to always know what to blog about. Take a few hours to explore the above methods and you’ll likely have enough ideas to fill your content calendar for the next several months or more.

I’d love to know how others kind ideas for blogs, what has failed and what has worked best. Leave a comment below with your own experiences.

Image: Parker Byrd