Do you subscribe to Google Alerts? If your answer is “no” and you’re a blogger, today’s the day to start.
1. Set up Alerts
Start by visiting Google Alerts. You’ll see the following screen where you’ll be able to enter a search term, result type (news, blogs, etc.), language, geographic region, frequency of email updates, number of updates, and where you receive the alerts.
So that you get an idea of what your search will show, Google Alerts will show a real time snapshot of your query. You may find you’ll need to sharpen up or generalize your search term depending on the results you get.
2. Get Alerts
Once you sign up, you’ll start receiving alerts (via email works the best for me, but you may choose an RSS feed). They’ll appear in your email like this:
While many may appear like this – perhaps a press release or news story – you’ll also receive some great gems.
3. Get Inspired
Often, you’ll find that the “gems” in your Google Alerts will give you great inspiration for new blogposts. Instead of having to scan the Internet for new and fresh ideas, Google Alerts are delivered right to your inbox!
For example, you may find:
- Brand mentions are another helpful Alert you can set up. This way, you can see what people are saying about your company. If it’s positive, you may want to reach out to them!
- Different take on an old issue. I’ve often found that Alerts give a refreshed viewpoint on an old story. Whether you take the opposite viewpoint on a post you’ve already written, or simply a different angle, Alerts can be very inspirational.
- News about a new product, service, or finding in your industry. You may not have been the first to “cover” this story, but you’ll certainly find out about it more quickly this way.
What inspiration do you use for writing blogposts?
