Friday 14 August 2015

20 Super Awesome Blog Post Ideas

What's the number one, most suckiest part of being a blogger for you? Is it the time you put into posts that sometimes feel they're not getting the viewing you wanted? Is it that you haven't got the audience you really wish for in the first place and have to spend so much time finding those people? It could one of 100's of things, but for me, the number one suckiest part of blogging is having the creative explosions for discussions.

Quite often, I'm a fountain of topics, anything from how your blog can benefit your CV and how I create my graphics, to how I get my physical review copies by working for Lovereading and why I hate when books use sexual assault and rape as character development - all of these discussions were created just because the idea came to me and was achievable, but believe you me, I have creative dry days too. I can go days, even weeks without a new creative idea or something to discuss, and this can be down to anything; other bloggers saying it before, feeling mentally busy elsewhere, or sometimes, I'm just not feeling it, and when you're a blog that deals with sharing knowledge, experiences and chatting about exciting topics or subjects I find interesting, creative dry days can suck. Big time.


That's where todays post comes in. Creative dry days are bad, they can make you feel inadequate and lower your confidence and therefore your want to blog, so instead of staring at a brick wall and establishing that nothing is happening, here's 25 simple, yet juicy blog post topics that will have you typing in no time.
  1. Round up some of your favourite posts or bloggers. Sharing a collection of your favourite posts or bloggers is a really easy way of creating top-notch quality content that doesn't require hours of time, or a mega creative mind. You could share a collection of your favourite design posts, blogging advice, bloggers who specialise in - anything, and the best thing? There's no limit to how many you share, or how often you do it. I personally create monthly collections of my favourite posts from the month before in Blogger Love, and they go down really well, and my viewers appreciate the time and effort, and love seeing themselves featured.
  2. Feature or share your love for somebody. Networking is not only a great way to gain more exposure and create long-standing relationships with people, but it's also fabulous when you're feeling a little dry on ideas. Ask a close friend or blogger you know well to write a guest post, or share your love for a blogger or business in any way you know how. If what you're saying comes straight from the heart, it'll make great content.
  3. Write something you share a differing opinion on. Sharing your opinion and having the world and their uncle agree with you is one thing, but sharing something others may have a differing opinion on is always a great way to create great content. Sure, what you're saying may split a crowd, and you may feel a little tetchy about it to begin with, but nothing gets noticed like a differing opinion. (Bare in mind, saying you dislike something is one thing, hating on it and causing people distress or pain is another - never be the latter.)
  4. Share something behind-the-scenes. If you're a designer, show off your methods. If you're a blogger, so us how you brain storm ideas, or what stimulates you. If you're a business owner, give insight on how you plan, function well and stay organised. Sharing a little about what goes on behind the scenes of your blog can make you look wonderfully human, and instantly makes you more relatable.
  5. Talk about your blogging platform and why you use it. I have a post myself similar to this in my drafts currently being written, but why do I want to write it? Because Blogger gets a lot of stick and is always compared to other platforms in a negative light, when in fact, it's a pretty good platform. Lauren at Elle and Company talks in depth about Squarespace, and Ashley over at Nose Graze sings Wordpress' praises, and their posts are some of their most popular, which goes to show that talking about something simple can make a big impact.
  6. Share things people in your industry shouldn't do. Tips on blogging are ten a penny and everybody and their aunt is getting in on giving advice, but sometimes, the more niche your advice, the more people that'll be interested. Got advice on on what not to do when you're designing, or things you shouldn't do when starting a blog, or even better, things you've learnt when putting together a business, the narrower the topic and the more experience you have, the better the post.
  7. Share your highlights, and celebrate your milestones. You should never be afraid to share your achievements, people like to know how you've made it to where you are. Making a big deal out of your achievements can improve on how many people like you, and celebrating your milestones can even help you promote your posts.
  8. Share the story behind your blog name. Has your blog name got an interesting story, or have you changed the name many times, or are you considering changing your name - these are all fabulous ways to share stories about your blog name while creating great content. I personally thought Nellie's story wasn't post worthy, but you can find out why Nellie and Co.'s is named exactly that in my FAQ's. Speaking off FAQ's..
  9. Answer some popular asked questions. If you're somebody that gets asked a lot of questions, whether it be about your blog, your job, your hobbies or your business, taking the time to answer some of the more popular questions can please viewers and subscribers, as well as save you time answering them in future, and sometimes even money.
  10. Recreate, recycle or repurpose your old content. Your old content should not be forgotten about - you should recycle your content, share it and get it back into the world once more. Rewrite old posts and add some new content and republish it. Make changes and repurpose it. Share it in a round-up, just don't let them get forgotten. Or, you can do one better by creating a follow-up post and create a mini series. something I've done with my series relationship.
  11. Talk a little about social media. Have any social media outlet you use more than others? Got some tricks and tips on how to use an outlet to the best of your ability? People want to know these things, and it's always good to talk. Say it, share it, and show them how it's done.
  12. Have a story to tell? Share it. When I got Simba, I never for one moment considered writing a post on my first week with him, and yet, it turns, I know a lot of my followers like cute animals with fur, so it's always worth a shot sharing a story. If it's funny, even better.
  13. If you have services or sell products, highlight them. Design blogs for other people, help code websites, are you great at specialising brands, whatever it is you're good at, highlight it, make people want to work with you, show them what you do and how great you are - it might just get you more work.
  14. Create an infographic and share some information. Got something to share that would look so much better with images to go alongside it? You don't have to be a creative whiz to do it, use programs such as Inform.gram and Piktochart and create stunning infographics that are oh so easy to share. I did this with my Popular vs Underrated: Contemporary Edition post and it went down really well.
  15. Take a reader survey. People always love to know more about you, but they also like to share what they think about you too. Always wondered whether a specific topic you post about is liked, or whether or not you should be considering posts on another subject? The best way to find out is to ask, and of course, share the results afterwards.
  16. Share personal updates. Many bloggers take part in monthly wrap-ups and share personal dealing then, but I personally am starting a new 'There's Always Time For Time and Cakes' - my own personal catch-up feature at Nellie and Co. where I talk about all of the exciting things that have happened. It's not monthly, or bi-weekly, it's whenever there's enough worthy of sharing, and I just know that people are nosey like I am, and sharing a little now and then is always good.
  17. Share your secrets with the world. I sometimes fear sharing the things I know, especially when it comes to designing, there's a line that says 'this is my secret' and 'I want to help people' and it's tough, but sometimes sharing what you know, no matter how awesome, can be the exact right thing. Everybody wants to know something, so tell them.
  18. Host a genuine giveaway. Everybody loves getting something for free, but do more than just '$10 worth of books' or a gift card, go crazy, offer the winner something you love, something you would buy for someone, make it something that's worth it, not just what everyone else is doing. In fact..
  19. Share your love for something you don't blog about. Got a hammock you adore, or a brand of clothing you can't help but buy? Got a special someone that deserves some love and attention and a nice talking about? Your blog is your outlet, and sharing your loves is what you do best, but explore other outlets and other subjects, you'd be surprised who's interested.
  20. Write a list full of advice. Everybody loves a list, right?

Some of these ideas sound easy as pie, and others, not so much, but blogging is about challenging yourself, pushing yourself further and achieving greater things the longer you've been doing. Nobody likes to pure time and effort into something and not see growth and development through it. So, to make things just a tad bit easier, here's some examples on how I turned some of these ideas into posts.

Round Up Favourite _____


Write Something You Share a Differing Opinion On


Share Something Behind-the-Scenes


Tell A Story/Share Personal Updates


Share Your Secrets With The World


Creating blog content doesn't have to be a chore, nor does it have to be hard and pressuring. Some ideas, no matter how simple or boring to you, are actually perfect for your followers, and it could be anything, you never know, people might want to see you compare cats to book covers, it all comes down to how you write it. Simple blog post ideas can become some of your best content, so make every second count.

Do You Struggle Coming Up With Blog Post Ideas?

8 comments:

  1. Ooh, this is fabulous advice. :D Sometimes I feel a bit dry on discussion topics and I usually revert to tags or reviews, but right now I'm like ALL DRIED UP ON REVIEWS. hehe. I mean, I have the reviews ready, but it's too early to post them. #bookbloggerproblems. XD I find it difficult to know when to share secrets or not too. I mean, I WANT to help, but I also like to do something original and when everyone starts doing it exactly the same way I am, it's not as fun.
    *whispers* Oh and I don't think small giveaways aren't genuine. I think sometimes people can't afford to give more, you know? These things happen.

    FABULOUSNESS IN THIS POST, AMANDA.

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    1. Thanks Cait! That's the problem with sharing things, it's not just yours anymore, and it sucks to see other people with the secrets too, but it's beneficial, I think, in the end.

      I definitely don't think small giveaways aren't genuine, I myself struggle with funds, but I think it's better to giveaway a something, like a specific book, or a specific prize, something they can tangibly see and appreciate and know that you sent them, rather than money or money equivalent :)

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  2. I super duper love your tips Amanda! Thanks for this one! I struggle with writing discussion posts and even when I have an idea I get lazy to actually write it! Ugh I'm terrible.

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    1. Thanks Angel! I think motivation is a huge thing when it comes to blogging! :)

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  3. This is such an awesome post, thank you! I'm definitely going to be checking out more of your posts - especially as I'm thinking of reworking my blog. Thanks again!

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    1. Thanks Jo! Hope you enjoy more of my posts and they help :)

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  4. There is so many fabulous ideas over here! I'm feeling all motivated now to go blog and I have been in a blogging slump for most of August! *gives you triple chocolate cake*

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    1. Thanks Kristin! I'm so glad I could help you get your blogging mojo back! :D

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