How to Think Of Blog Posts

November 5, 2009 · Comments

blank paper The secret to blogging every day is a blend of three things: discipline, practice, and ideas. That last part is usually what I find people asking me for help with, so let’s talk about that today. Ideas don’t just grow on trees. But, you do have to harvest ideas the way you’d pick apples. Why? Because they’re everywhere. Here are some of the ways I find ideas.


How to Think of Blog Posts

  1. Answer questions. You get emails with people asking you for your thoughts on X. Write the post instead of just replying to the email.
  2. Take pictures. I see strange things out and about. When I snap them with my cameraphone, I have a post waiting to happen, when I think about how that thing applies to the people I write for.
  3. Read blogs way outside the scope of what you write about. I use Alltop to find topics far outside of my blog’s topic. Amazing what I learn about from fishing blogs.
  4. Think about what’s next and work backward.
  5. Mash two ideas together and explain them in your own words.
  6. Write about ways to improve your industry or space.
  7. Write speeches that you’ve yet to give on a stage (see also: How to Start Speaking At Events).
  8. Rant. Yes, I’m afraid that good old rants and complaints are still a powerful anchor tenant of most blogs. Know who rocks this well? Justin Kownacki.
  9. Point out people doing the good stuff. That’s what I prefer to do instead.

Those are just some ways. How do YOU think up blog posts? Where do you get your ideas?

photo credit, Kristian D

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  • Get the hell away from your computer. That's the quickest and best way to come up with new ideas for blog posts. More importantly, they stop you writing in a derivative way. Your inspiration isn't impacted by what you just read online, or the website you got distracted by. It's your thoughts, original and you.

    I recently went to the coffee shop for an hour or so with just a notebook. I left my laptop behind. I was intending to write down five or six ideas for blog posts for the next week or so. Instead I ended up with seventy different article topics, enough to keep me going for at least three months.
  • Swimming helps me clear my mind.

    Some of my best thoughts are when doing a few laps. It cleans away the junk.

    Ivan
  • Rants definitely work, my poor neglected blog get's most of it's search traffic from a rant I did about an annoying guy who interrupted me on Facebook. I chuckle every time I look at my keyword stats.

    Doug
  • I agree with dougmcisaac; rants do work wonderfully. Mine can fill up pages and on rereading, it sounds beautiful and poetic :-) Got the hang of it now; when I get mad, I power up the laptop and just let my fingers fly. Questions help too and so would a quiet walk by the sea
  • Great ideas, Chris. Here's a couple other thoughts:

    Read books and then riff off what you find in them - maybe you have a different approach or a different idea or you've reacted to something you read there. That could be a blog post.

    Also, read magazines and magazine articles you don't normally. Yesterday I read an interview with Taylor Swift in an airline magazine while I was flying. It gave me an idea for a blog post.
  • Mark, I do the same. I know I am reading a great book when I end up with several blog posts. I don't think we are ripping off the authors ideas. Instead it is like a stream of thoughts coming from a great inspiration. Heck, I was working on a similar post to Chris's on the subject. I will still write it but with my own tips and trick as well as attributing Chris with a good deal.
  • John - we are on the same page. By 'riffing' off I mean reacting to ideas in the book with more ideas, not copying them. Like you, when I'm reading something that gives me lots of ideas I know it's a good book.
  • Good post Chris. I find that reading magazines like Inc and Fast Company help me create ideas. Same with hanging out at the bookstore...I recently had to change my scenery because of a bout of wicked writer's block.
  • musingsofahousewife
    I write mostly about my life. It's a goody-bag full of post ideas. :-)
  • The link to Alltop is messed up, just so you know.
  • human3rror
    :) link to AllTop (or just before) has a typo... or whatever!

    Great list here. I agree 100%. love answering emails as posts!
  • Thanks for the help Chris, much appreciated!
  • Christine
    Great post Chris! I always marvel at how people think of thing over which to write! After attending the trust summit in NYC a few weeks ago, I was tempted to write about it, as I was well outside my comfort zone for a while. It was a great experience and may still turn up as a blog post somewhere.

    Thanks for the help!
  • All great suggestions. I'm still in the "stare at the screen for 3 hours until my neck/eyes/brain hurt" mode. Need all the advice I can get. Much ppreciated Chris.
  • Love your idea of thinking about what's next and work backward!
  • Hmm, I've got a picture of a Checker cab on my phone, I wonder what I can make out of that. I also like to read Archaeology magazine (when all else fails, ask your mummy for help - ha ha).

    There's a typo in front of Alltop, by the way.
  • Great post!
    This will definitely help me keep on track with my own blog. Every now and then I get totally stuck on what to write about. Sometimes I just need reminding that there are tons of things I could write about right in front of me :)

    My blog is a personal/portfolio one, so I try to do a variety of postings just to give people an idea of who I am. I post recipes, videos I like, and comment on the world around me. Also, sometimes I have friends suggest topics to write about. That's the great thing about blogs. You can always get topic ideas by asking your readers - and that feedback is so invaluable!
  • Chris,
    Wish I had seen this yesterday. Bad timing on your part... I head up Atlanta Bloggers Community and this was our discussion last night. How to continually write killer content. Alltop or Google Reader are great catalysts.

    My inbox is the number one way I get my posts. I write for business so I will get a dozen or so emails on either a past post or my clients will have similar thoughts and questions. If one has it, then probably many more do so I write about it.

    I also believe in following thought leaders like yourself, Seth Godin etc. Next year I am going to add interviews & guest posts which I think will add variety but also great content.

    My favorite on your list was think of the trends and whats next and work backwards.
  • Chris - thanks! This is a great addition to the ideas you covered about a month ago in "How to Blog Almost Every Day" (if you haven't read it, it's here: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-to-blog-almost-e... )

    Blogging seems to be one of the most important things I can be doing right now and stuff like this helps it to be a less painful process with more interesting, relevant results.

    Thanks again!
  • I definitely agree with taking photos to spark interest! My camera is constantly glued to my hand - and while sometimes it's just snap snap snap, an interesting story or blog post can really come alive.
  • I've been thinking up blog posts mostly looking at what's next, taking several ideas and mash (I love that word!) them together to make a post. I've not been so big on ranting, but I've done that a bit too.

    I've also added several off-topic blogs to my blogroll over the last month as I also noticed that there are some amazing blogs out there that I can learn a lot from, even thou I don't know anything about the subject (before reading those blogs that is)
  • Although I haven't spent much time ranting, I definitely need to get on that!
  • My favorite is to see the topic or problem from some other person's perspective -- how would I explain this to my niece's 3-yr old, to my mom who hasn't a clue about computers, or to an alien from a world of organic technology?
  • Most important thing I do is think about my readers. What would they want to hear about? Will they find this interesting? I use that as the filter through which I review things I see, hear, experience on a daily basis. If it's interesting to me, great. But if it's potentially interesting to my readers and their needs, then I'm getting somewhere.
  • I've been seeing a lot of posts answering questions lately, and it's usually very interesting. I'm not so fond of super-long personal FAQ posts, but a thorough answer to one question can make for a good post.
  • Thanks for posting this great list of inspiration.
  • READ READ READ and talk to other people - those are the two biggest things for me. I read a ton, and I'm actively involved in the comments of other blogs as well as my own - intelligent conversation inspires good writing.
  • Often, when I'm outlining a response to a marketing challenge for a client, I'll rewrite it to make it a more general post so as not to give away any client secrets. It's a response to a client challenge that other green marketers find helpful, and since I'm writing it anyway, it may as well become a post. Works great.
  • Chris, I remember reading these suggestions in the past. I then began opening up one liner blog entries in Google docs. Even if I had a one word idea for a blog I would capture that. It really helped form a stew pot of great ideas that I could revisit. Some of them have made it to the blog, some have ended up being posts on friends blogs and others are still sitting there waiting to be revisited. I really like the picture idea as well. Another key point I would add is something I just read in Crush It by @garyvee. He advises to only blog on your passion topic. I think this is very true ( I know some of us blog for companies and on topics we might not be terribly passionate about). For your own successful blog, it has to have passion or I agree with Gary that the well of ideas will dry up.
    Thanks for the great post!
    @johnflurry
  • I've been replying to emails individually, not thinking that I should use the interest to spark a post THAT I KNOW will help my readers.

    Great.
  • Some great ideas on this post Chris.

    I agree with answering questions and rants. I do some ranting on medical discussions on my DadWritings blog. I like to take emails or find questions from others and write posts on them as well.

    I never thought about the photo idea. I will have to remember that. I have lots of photos to get ideas from.

    Thanks again for another great post.
  • I really like your number 9 - point out people doing good stuff. When you take the selfless road, it has the potential to come back to you exponentially - so it's good for others and good for you at the same time.
  • Great ideas to gain inspiration to write. Reading other blogs outside social media, advertising and marketing I have to agree is a fantastic way to get tons of ideas for new posts. Writing about people who are doing good stuff works and needs to be embedded in people's minds. Too many times we see a post about a well named blogger which is awesome (for the 100th time that week) as they are doing great things by teaching us all but what about the person who is giving back to the community. I guess that is my rant post - stop writing about the same old people over and over again. Find someone new and introduce us to them.

    Blogs have the power to make a difference with each post.
  • RichardTimothy
    I post mostly humor and satire that I either make up, experience, or observe on a daily basis. To assist me with that I always make sure I have a pen and paper with me at all times. When I see something, or think of something, or experience something I make a quick note and then add it to my ever growing list "post" ideas.

    Even when I am reviewing my idea list I sometimes get additional idea or topics that can be broken out into multiple posts instead of just one. Once I cover an item on my list I put a check mark next to it, but I don't take it off the list. You can always go back to something you've written and do a review of an old post to either reiterate on an old idea or exchange or add to it with something else that works better that you didn't know about at the time, or didn't exist at the time.

    The options and ideas can be endless. At this point I just make sure that I add at least one thing to my list every day.
  • This post is great - and the comments section even better. For me - I usually only write when I'm in the zone. I'm kind of a compulsive blogger - fortunately I'm writing about stuff that I'm passionate on a fairly regular basis. I don't have a set schedule because for me, blogging is fun, and not something that I HAVE to get done. It happens when it happens. (I'm also testing how fb connect and disqus work on your comments bc i just hooked up disqus myself - but no fb connect as of yet).
  • I sometimes go through my sent emails and ask myself if the answers I'm providing there could be edited into quick blog posts.
  • Great ideas Chris. I get alot of ideas from my family. With 3 kids there is alot going on around here. Also get ideas from other blogs and things I might read in magazines or the newspaper. Thanks for sharing these tips.
  • I am constantly reading books, blogs, magazines, etc. and always manage to find an angle that hasn't been explored. I seem to get my best ideas when I am away from my computer. The best blogs out there are written from people who don't just talk about their topic--they believe in "living" their topic as well (like you!).
  • You are absolutely right about reading things unrelated to what you blog about - I read you to stimulate my thinking for posts about marriage!

    Thanks!
  • I like the idea of taking remarkable pictures and then relating an image to your industry or company in some way. I love how Seth Godin does this because it gets you thinking beyond how he relates the image to the text, which is great for your thought process.
  • We get this question all the time by clients and friends as well. I find having a good RSS reader with feeds from bloggers (like you) who I follow provides me with lots of good ideas to write about every day. Alltop is great. Also, Tweet Deck to keep an ear to the ground on what is being tweeted for the keywords you are following.
  • My blog topic is directly related to my day job. I used to walk around the office shaking my head saying "I should write a book." After a while, I took my own advice. Blog ideas come from interesting ways we attack problems at work, sidebar topics that we don't fully explore, or unfinished thoughts. Just carry something to jot them down with -- and then post on them later.
  • Try writing a blog for sales and marketing executives. I have never seen a more over-worked group of people in my life. When they read your post it better make their life better... in three paragraphs or less. Writing a 20 page wite paper is easy (nobody reads it anyway). Writing a short relevant post, that is interesting, is much harder
  • 1day1brand
    Some great tips here. I'm working up the nerve for my second post!
  • Ian
    Best way to come up with great blog ideas? - try to have great conversations with great people. (Especially my wife.) Never fails to inspire me.
  • Great tips, especially the pictures one. What do you recommend for the other two: discipline and practice? In essence, you can think of blog posts, but how do you think like a blogger?
  • avilbeckford
    Chris,

    This is such a timely post. In the past week, this has been a topic on forums, where people have wanted to know how you get topics to blog about. I particularly like the idea of taking pictures and writing a speech.

    I am a walkaholic, and one day while returning from High Park (Toronto), I saw a band, a mobile band set up in a truck, there were two guys in the van playing and a third outside on the sidewalk. The truck was parked in front of a pub. These guys were awesome and all the pub patrons were on the sidewalk participating. I stopped and got out my cell phone and recorded the scene. The music seeped into my soul and moved me deeply. When they played Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire, I was in heaven. When they left and I continued walking I was writing the blog post in my head.

    When I returned home, I quickly wrote the post and uploaded the video, but the quality was crappy. I felt so cheated. I know that my readers would have appreciated the video.

    Thank you for always sharing. Avil Beckford http://www.twitter.com/avilbeckford
  • I truly enjoyed reading this blog post. I was thinking of writing a new blog so, I was waiting for some good idea to write about. Finally I landed up here so that I can learn some tips to write a blog and get some tips to get an idea. I like the third tip given about to read blogs which are out of scope what we write about. Thanks for sharing incredible information.
  • 10. Post video reviews that don't review and be "that guy" and flog your book and your blog theme religiously.
  • tombaker
    Great ideas. As soon as I'm finished commenting I'm heading over to Alltop. Thanks for the info. I also find I come up with the best ideas (or so I thought) for posts when I have absolutely no way of writing it down to remember.
  • NancyWest
    Sometimes the challenge isn't only to "get" an idea but to "capture," or retain, an idea. Blog topics flit through my mind all the time...and are gone. WRITE THEM DOWN. Never let forgetting an idea be an excuse. Post-it notes, reporter's notebooks, little portable recording devices, the back of your ATM receipts: whatever it takes, jot down those ideas. Yes, we all get our best ideas when we are somewhere other than at our desks or laptops: running, driving, showering, in the waiting room at JiffyLube. I keep a running list of potential blog topics. Sometimes I can't imagine what I had in mind when I wrote one down...but then the challenge becomes figuring something out to do with it even when I can't remember why I thought it ever mattered.
  • AnatomyofaDinnerParty
    Always looking for great blog post ideas. And I blog everyday.

    Thanks, Chris!
  • Nice post! I find that I sometimes come up with ideas when I'm focused on something totally different. For example, I was watching Popeye a while back and related his quick fix spinach eating to marketing. And I agree with fogofeternity, get away from the computer. It forces you to expand your mind!
  • i personally go for number 2 and yet to invest in a good digital camera! I've been using an old-school one but have to take 2 -3 pictures of each just to get a good shot. lol.

    but seriously, when you are passionate about some particular things, ideas do come even without asking for it. I find some people who run video blogs and still be popular with it. some do great with pictures. but what really matters is their opinions even if it has to fit in 100 or so words.

    I always find your posts helpful. such an inspiration. thank you very much! :)
  • Nice ideas. It is imperative to think like a visitor and not like a blogger. And offcourse, the heading is the most important part. When i publish my posts, i spend as much time thinking of the heading as i spend for writing the post itself. It is not that difficult as almost all my posts start with "10 ways to...". But now in the un-official category, i have to use my brain now and then! Nice post anyway. Thanx.
  • Nice ideas. It is imperative to think like a visitor and not like a blogger. And offcourse, the heading is the most important part. When i publish my posts, i spend as much time thinking of the heading as i spend for writing the post itself. It is not that difficult as almost all my posts start with "10 ways to...". But now in the un-official category, i have to use my brain now and then! Nice post anyway. Thanx.
  • My ideas come from things and events around me. They're also triggered by other posts that I read that may be totally unrelated to the content I post about. If I have a desire to know about something I begin to think of how to turn what I've found out into a blog post. I have a notebook with over 30 different blog post ideas just waiting to be expanded upon.
  • 100% agreed that rants still very much have a place on blogs. always will. Own your voice...ranting on occasion keeps it real and shows you're human.
  • For me, I find that real life activities can greatly contribute to my posting ideas. It's very different from when I started blogging, when the only inspirations I can get is from the top bloggers or hottest news (which of course, still valid in some situations). Now I'm getting more observant. Commenters can be such great idea-givers; also the conversations I had awhile ago that got me thinking, the incident that captured my attention although it's not even blogging-related.. this makes me fall in love with blogging even more. To be who I am, sharing the thoughts and knowledge obtained from others; while input own ideas within. Personalizing, that's what I like to call it. ^^

    @wchingya
    Social/Blogging Tracker
  • I think of my topics through daily exepriences, and as you mentioned from questions others may ask me and my thoughts on the matter!
  • This is the most heavy post I've ever found but I like it. Very deep insight and sharp analysis. I love the term of distribution, content, real time stream. Thank you for the valuable thought.
  • Asmita
    Nice ideas, I am doing a school project and this is really a very helpful start.
  • I appreciate the quick list, Chris. I especially like the idea of taking photos while out and about. Plus, with tools like Evernote, a blogger's life can be more organized and prepared to tackle the dreaded editorial calendar.
  • Great article. Always try to keep an open mind and think differently. Coming from and marketing and design side I look at ads and ask "do they grab your attention?" "are they effective?" "Do they make you buy something?" and "What's the target market?" A lot of times this train of thought leads me to ask how and why, which inevitably leads to creative thought.

    http://www.swichkow.com/Blog
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