Weekly I get asked how I manage to come up with blog post ideas. When people discover that in 2008 alone I will have published more than 500 articles, people get really interested. Fact is, it’s easy …. when you know how …
The thing with blogging is, after a while, ideas are the hardest part.
To begin with you have to think about the mechanics of everything, the technicalities, but the ideas flow along with your initial burst of enthusiasm. After a while the technical geekery becomes automatic and the ideas become the main constraint.
This is where many people give up.
It doesn’t have to be! If you are truly interested in your topic then you have a vast resource of ideas out there waiting to be tapped.
The answer is to find people who are interested in the same subject and have conversations with them! Twitter, forums, chat, real life, skype, and so on.
Most of my best ideas come from just talking to people. I am mainly in niches where I have a real fascination with the subject so I love to discuss them, and inevitably something inspires a post so I note down the ideas I have.
The only time I have to really work hard to generate post ideas is when I have no interest in the niche outside getting paid. A lesson right there.
So find folks who share your interest and get talking. Not only will you have lots of stuff to write about, you might make some friends and have a lot of fun into the bargain!
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I get a lot of idea from places like that and from other programs like Stumble. Not that it’s plagiarism but something on one of the sites will jog something that I had forgotten about. Or maybe someone will only take a subject so far and I see where it will apply to me and my readers.
Good topic!
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Good point, I think if you are inspired to write a SU review or comment, it doesn’t take much further thought to make a blog post out of it
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Great tips. That is how I get most of my ideas. I surf other blogs and comment on them, or I twitter. One great source of ideas are discussion boards, or WordPress support forums. Finally, I also look at my stats. I look at the search terms that users use to find me. And then, if there isn’t an article on a search term, I will write one.
There’s an endless source of ideas. And I generally have a long list of things that I want to write.
Of course, sometimes my long list doesn’t translate into viable articles, but all it takes is a trip to Digg or my favorite blog, to generate a nice spin-off idea.
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Another suggestion is to look at:
http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2008/12/100-conversation-topics.html
Which then will spark conversations with other people which is a fantastic source of topics.
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It is probably worth mentioning that having conversations is a great way to gather ideas, but make sure it is done with some constraints.
I used to spend TOO much time discussing various topics, and then when it came down to things I had much less time to devote to other important aspects of my blogs such as promotion, design, and the actual writing of the posts.
Having said that, I think it’s an excellent way to grab some ideas and get the ball rolling. Just remember to keep tabs on the time you spend communicating with fellow bloggers and twitter friends.
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Excellent. I used to struggle with this issue. But ever since I joined twitter and followed like-minded people, ideas came tumbling.
Thanks for the tips! :)
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Wow, thanks for sharing, I have learned so much here on your site, thought I’d let you know your efforts are appreciated. Great tips by the way…
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I must express my appreciation for your kind-heartedness supporting folks that should have guidance on the topic. Your personal dedication to passing the message all around has been amazingly useful and has truly encouraged professionals like me to achieve their objectives. The insightful hints and tips signifies a great deal to me and still more to my peers. Thanks a lot; from all of us.
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I have observed that sensible real estate agents all around you are getting set to FSBO Promotion. They are seeing that it’s more than simply placing a sign in the front property. It’s really concerning building connections with these suppliers who one of these days will become customers. So, after you give your time and energy to helping these retailers go it alone – the “Law connected with Reciprocity” kicks in. Interesting blog post.
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