Luana Spinetti — August 21, 2019 — August 21, 2019
Not having enough ideas to keep writing is maybe your greatest concern as a blogger, and you know that, as a niche blogger, struggling to fill up your editorial calendar could mean losing readers, traffic and even money.
In fact, unlike general or personal blogging (for which you can always find something to write about), niche blogging requires constant production of content that has to maintain high quality standards, since your reader is already well-informed about their niche, industry or hobby, and they come to your blog seeking information that would up their game, improve their lives or jobs, or any other activity of interest.
So, how can you have blog content ideas (that rock) always ready?
Here are 6 tricks to keep your editorial calendar filled.
1. Keep A Notepad and A Pen Handy
Everything in life can make good blogging material. Keep a notepad and a pen always handy so you can note down your ideas as they come to you. That way, you will always have some ‘backup’ ideas to use at times when you can’t come up with new posts.
I found this method particularly useful when it comes to pitching my clients during times I’m struggling with depression or I run into problems that push my creativity to a halt, so having notebooks filled with ideas and a few notes on how I’d like to perform such ideas definitely helps.
If you don’t like using traditional means, you could record your voice or use a dictation software, better if you can access this application from anywhere. Other good ideas are web applications like Evernote, a private blog or whatever software you deem worthy of your time and personal taste.
2. Take Note While You Read Or Watch TV/Other Media
The moment you are reading, watching or consuming media, it’s natural for your brain to start producing ideas based on what you are experiencing and processing in the background of your mind.
Keep your notepad or phone handy to note down ideas that come to you from consumption of media. I found paper to work better because it doesn’t distract me from the experience, but your phone or a voice recorder might also work if you don’t find it distracting.
If you are reading a book or a magazine, use a pencil or a sticky note to link your idea to the exact page you are reading, so you will also remember where that idea came from. Note down the page, title, etc. directly on the book or magazine in case you can’t use a sticky note.
3. Attend Conferences, Listen to Webinars, Participate In Forum Discussions
These are all live events, whether you interact directly or you only participate passively, and they all provide a wealth of new information you can turn into blog posts right away.
The easiest kind of post sparking from these events is a summary of the conference, webinar or forum thread where you inform your readers about how discussed topics can help them reach their goals.
Take copious notes every time you take part in a live event and keep them in an easily accessible file.
4. Subscribe to Newsletters and Browse Headlines
Subscribe to as many newsletters as you can. Get an email address (a Gmail or Yahoo! account will do) just for newsletters, like SmartBrief or TradePub — each issue will give you so many topics to talk about in your niche blog that you will come up with a huge amount of ideas in a very short time, especially since you will be getting new material to browse and read every day or week, so that there’s never shortage of it.
Of course, remember to write an angle that will be meaningful for your readers, and use HARO to get more expert feedback to increase the value of your content.
Also, browse headlines on niche news sites and go-to blogging directories like AllTop.com — read the main points of all the top articles in a category and try to put the input together to shape a new article idea.
5. Have A Poll Always Up On Your Blog
Make sure your readers have a way to constantly let you know what they’re interested in reading. You will do them justice by adding a permanent poll to your blog asking a simple open question: “What would you like to read next on my blog?”
The effectiveness of this trick might surprise you.
6. Check Out Trending Topics On Social Media
Trending topics can help you understand what is sparking the most interest in your niche at a given time. Building one or more blog posts around a trending topic could drive tons of traffic to your blog, especially if you combine your regular social media strategy with a smart use of hashtags.
What’s your most effective trick to generate blog ideas constantly?
Let us know in comments!
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