Whether you just started a new blog or you’ve been blogging for a while; often, getting inspired on what to write about is the hardest part. The truth is, inspiration for your next blogpost is everywhere: you just need to know where to look!
Frequently asked questions
Think about the questions you consistently get from your customers. Which ones do you get frequently? Which ones are simply great questions? For example, if you’re a hotel, perhaps it’s “what are fun things to do in the area?” which would be the perfect inspiration for “The Top 10 Things To Do in Boston, Massachusetts”.
If your customers are asking you, chances are they are also searching for these questions online; so why not be the first resource they come to?
Tell a great story
While you should never think of your blog as being “all about you” or a News/Press Release section, a great story like a recent job you finished, an exciting change for your business, or even an employee spotlight is great every once in a while.
People like doing business with people, so by showing a little personality, you could take someone from a blog visitor to a customer!
Watch your competition
Do your competitors have blogs? Make sure that you that you subscribe or check them regularly. Don’t repeat the subjects that they use; simply use them as a way to get inspired. For example, if you are a cupcake bakery, you might use a competitor’s post about the slack the cupcake industry is getting about causing Americans to make even more unhealthy decisions to write a post called “5 Substitutes to Make Your Cupcakes More Healthy”.
Use what you’re already reading
You probably already read about issues, stories, and blogposts in your industry; why reinvent the wheel when you could use this for inspiration?!
Take articles written in your favorite websites, blogs, or articles and use them as points to jump off from. Feel free to continue the discussion (giving them credit, of course), explaining your own take on the situation, or even taking the opposite viewpoint. This is a great way to get links back or bring over new readers to your website (but we’ll discuss that all a little later).
Use Google to your advantage
Google is not only a useful search engine, it’s also a helpful tool for blogging inspiration; specifically the two products below.
- Google Alerts
If you aren’t signed up for Google Alerts already, go over and sign up for them now! You can put in everything from your business name to your major keywords. For blogging purposes, though, keywords are an excellent way to get inspired. Simply set your Google Alerts to update you based on any keyword, timeframe, and you’ll get reports emailed to you regularly.
Similar to the articles you already read, scan your Google Alerts in order to get inspired for your own post. One of the biggest benefits of a Google Alert is timeliness: you’ll have the opportunity to write about time sensitive material in your industry, as you’ll only receive information that was just published.
- Google Analytics
Using Google Analytics for blogging inspiration has got to be one of my favorite tricks. Once you’ve had Analytics installed for some time, simply log into your account and go to Traffic Sources > Sources > Search > Organic. Here, you’ll see the list of keywords people have used to find your website.
Now, scroll all the way to the bottom, where you’ll find very long phrases (what we call “long tail keywords”). Here, you’ll more than likely find a ton of interesting options for blog inspiration. Take search terms people have already used to find you and spin them into targeted blogposts.
That should get you started and inspired! Let us know what your favorite tricks for blog inspiration are in the comments below!
