How to come up with blog topics

Are you ever stumped on what to write about? I think it’s safe to say that this happens to every blogger, whether your blog is on something specific like paying off debt or something more general like an all-encompassing mommy blog where you share everything from parenting tips, favorite products, marriage advice, DIY projects, simple dinner recipes and more. My blog is specific in that I blog about personal finance, but I also include my life on the blog which gives me a broader range of topics. Even still, I sometimes have trouble coming up with topics and thought I would share with you my tips on overcoming blog-topic-brain-freeze.

Sometimes coming up with blog post ideas is almost too easy – there are times I’ve thought of five great, pinworthy, shareable post ideas just while driving to the grocery store. Then there are other times I want to write, I have time to write and I just can’t think of anything to write about (nor do I want to write on any of the great ideas I had previously thought of). So then, what do I do? Instead of simply “posting to post” (which, by the way, I think is completely fine! You’re still connecting with your readers and not every post has to be planned a month out), I brainstorm. Here are my ideas for how to come up with blog topics your readers will love!

I think about challenges in my own life. To me, the most interesting blogs are the ones that I feel I can relate to, so I really try to discuss any challenges or hardships I may be going through. This can be anything from my thoughts on money versus quality of life to my thoughts on living in a big house versus a small house to eventually my thoughts on living in a big house. While this particular series of challenges wasn’t that deep, it was still something I wanted to share with my readers. If you’re struggling on coming up with a post idea, why not just be real and share something you’re going through?

I reflect on my own experiences. We are all experienced in certain areas of life and we can all learn something from someone else. What I lack in cooking skills I make up for in time management skills. If I’m stumped for a post idea, I’ll try to think of something I’m either currently good at or something I did in the past that I was proud of (like paying off debt) and share that in hopes of helping someone. If you look through my posts, you’ll notice I’ve written a lot about being productive when working from home with kids. Hopefully, some people have found value in this. Eventually, I will no longer be balancing working from home with raising little ones as they will be in school full-time and then I look forward to sharing new experiences and tips I’m learning along the way.

I look at my future goals. I don’t know about you, but I happen to love reading what other people’s goals are for the future. If you’re stumped for a topic, try looking at your future goals and making a post out of that. If one of your goals was to save a certain amount of money, update your readers on your progress and what your budget is looking like. If one of your goals was to read three books for fun, let us know which ones you’re reading and how you like them so far! Posting more in depth about your goals is also a great way to make sure you’ll actually achieve said goal.

I try to jot down ideas as they come to me. If you run a blog based mostly on your personal experiences and day-to-day life, you can most likely come up with topics by simply just living. But…if you run a blog geared towards something (personal finance, cooking, travel, etc) it’s good to jot down your ideas as they come to you so you don’t forget about them. I keep a running “note” on my phone of various ideas. Some I like to write about immediately and others just sit there until the time is right. When I’m having trouble with a topic, looking at my list is one of the first things I do.

I hold a brainstorming session. I not only write my own blog, but I also write for various other blogs and websites. Some sites give me the topics but normally I have to come up with ideas on my own. Once a week, I devote around 30 minutes to brainstorm different ideas. Sometimes I can come up with a quite a few on my own, but oftentimes I look to other sources to spark my creativity. I’ll read my favorite blogs, check out my favorite websites related to the topic I’m brainstorming and even Google “—– article ideas”. This helps me see what’s out there that’s been successful and what’s been covered too much. Of course, NEVER copy the content of another writer, but there is nothing wrong with using other writers as inspiration for yourself!

And if I’m just really not feeling like writing, I don’t. I’d rather wait a day or two until I’m feeling more inspired, and that’s OK!

What about you? Do you ever have trouble coming up with blog ideas? How do you overcome this challenge?

photo credit: Flickr via Daniel Rashid