5 Surefire Ways To Collect Winning Blog Topics
The best resources are closer than you think.
How many times have you sat down to create a new blog entry and…
Nothing.
No matter how long you’ve been at the content creation game, this scenario is still inevitable. Sometimes it seems like we’ve said all we need to say on a topic. It’s not true, of course, but it can seem like it.
Whether it’s for pitching an article or a blog, finding the right subject and angle to start with can be a daunting challenge.
And damn that blank page.
Take heart. It’s not a hopeless situation. There is a world of resources within easy reach. Some of these suggestions may be familiar to you already. One or two may be somewhat new.
In any case, consider drawing inspiration from these sources, and your well of ideas will never run dry.
Talk With Others
Every couple of weeks, a bunch of us freelance writers gets together online using one video conferencing service or another (lately, it’s been Zoom) for an informal dinner. Armed with the takeout food of our choice, we engage in some much-needed socializing. We’ve been doing this long before COVID because a freelancer’s life tends toward isolation already — that, and none of us live anywhere near one another.
We don’t usually have any agenda for these gatherings. We talk about work, but we’re also just as likely to talk about our families or other things happening in our lives.
Then one week, the group’s unofficial mentor posed the question, “How do some of you come up with blog topics?”
That one leading question — which I’m sure he laid down on purpose — sparked a conversation that lasted the rest of the evening.
We talked about some of the methods I describe below. Some methods were old. Some were new. It was a great conversation. From there, turning into a brainstorming session where we pitched each other blog topic ideas.
I walked away with enough potential topics to cover a few weeks’ worths of posts.
Make use of your colleagues and friends to help generate ideas. It’s even better when their niche isn’t the same as yours because they aren’t constrained by the idea that a particular topic is overdone or unworkable.
It’s helpful to have fresh perspectives.
Industry News
Keep somewhat current with various online news sources related to your niche or industry. This is a great way to see what’s important to people in your area and what direction the discussions are taking. A lot of my writing involves cybersecurity, cloud computing, small-to-medium-sized business solutions. There is no shortage of websites with news and articles covering those topics.
You can do this in any industry. I’ve written for roleplaying game websites, real estate companies, estate law firms, and more. I’ve never been at a loss for related industry news to tap into for ideas.
A cautionary word — don’t copy or lift whole sections from your sources. That’s just heinous. And embarrassing if you’re called out on it.
Google Trends
This is a newer method I’ve recently been using. Prior to a few months ago, I’ve never considered using Google Trends for spotting the hot topics of the day.
Unlike traditional keyword research, Google Trends can tell you what search topics get the most views in real-time. This can be pretty useful if you’re exploring issues within a specific niche, such as music news or politics, where the news gets old quickly.
From there, use search trends to examine different sub-groups to get a more precise picture of what’s capturing people’s interest. Other functions include keyword searches that scan blog posts, trending news, and individual keyword search activity.
Using Google Trends, you can decide what topics will be sure-fire winners and which might be losing steam.
Social Media
Many people forget about using their social media to research topic ideas.
You can scan your Facebook and Instagram feeds, which will tend to send you posts related to topics you’re interested in already. Some of the posts these services show you can make excellent jumping-off points for topic ideas.
Then there is Twitter, which I consider a veritable gold mine of potential topics.
Using Twitter’s search feature on specific keywords revealed Twitter’s own take on trending topics and who’s talking about them. It was kind of like using Google Trends but on my phone’s Twitter app.
If you don’t feel like taking advantage of Twitter’s search features, just scroll through your feed. You are likely following people with similar interests as you, and they are, hopefully, interesting people with lots to share.
You can find a lot of great ideas in just ten minutes of Twitter scrolling.
User Forums
Remember them?
There are still websites with active user forums, and they can be informative places to visit. These are generally inhabited by the more dedicated fans or user base of a particular topic.
While many forums have search functions, you might surprise yourself by simply browsing forum sections — especially the newer posts — for topic ideas. These are the things people are talking about and are most interested in.
And you don’t have to rely only on private website forums as idea sources. Places like Reddit and Quora count as forums, and there is certainly no shortage of interesting conversations going on at those sites.
Ideas Abound
We all find ourselves in need of fresh ideas from time to time. Whether it’s for a blog, making an article pitch, or trying to figure out how to tackle a broader topic you’re currently stuck with, you have a choice of resources online to take advantage of.
Talk with your friends. Scan the news. Leverage Google. It’s all there, waiting to be used. Keep this in mind, and you’ll never run out of ideas again. You just need to put in a little bit of work to turn those sow ears into silk purses.
Thank you for reading. I’d love to share more with you via my Bi-Weekly Word Roundup newsletter sent to subscribers every other Sunday. It will feature news, productivity tips, life hacks, and links to top stories making the rounds on the Internet. You can unsubscribe at any time.
