Guest Post: 5 Best Ways to Find Ideas for Blog Posts

By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

Do you struggle to find ideas to blog about? Don’t worry – it does get easier over time, especially if you learn certain “tricks of the trade.” With these tips, you’ll have more ideas than time to write about them…99.2% guaranteed!

I’ve been freelancing full-time for three years and blogging for two; my five favorite ways to find ideas for both articles and blog posts are…

1. Respond to reader comments and questions. Hands down, my most beloved way to blog is to answer reader questions or respond to comments on my old posts. For instance, on Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals a reader asked how to deal with a colleague who bosses her around all the time. In response, I wrote How to Handle Negative or Bossy Co-Workers (and responded to her in the comments section as well, of course). And on Quips and Tips for Successful Writers, someone asked what the benefits of writing for Suite101 are, so I wrote 10 Reasons I Love Writing for Suite101.

2. Dig around in your life. This isn’t something I do well – but I’m slowly learning how valuable it is! In Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, Jenna Glatzer writes, “If you’re coming up short [of ideas to write about], fill in these blanks and find out the many ways you’re already an expert.” Below are “idea starters” that work for blog posts, too. Jot down the answers to these half-finished sentences, and then turn them into blog posts:

I’ve worked as a:
I’ve visited/lived in:
My hobbies are:
Every school I’ve ever attended:
I know how to:
My pets:
My friends are interesting because:
My religion/spiritual practices:
I’ve taken lessons in:

3. Be specific and focused. If you use Glatzer’s “idea starters”, don’t just write an essay about your favorite hobby. Instead, find a hook your readers will respond to. Perhaps you could write about how you find time to do your hobby or brainstorm three ways to make your hobby less expensive. Be specific and creative about what you’re blogging about – and don’t be afraid of starting a little controversy! (For example, you could hint that knitting is a hobby for old people).

4. Jump on the “season du jour.” As I write this, Thanksgiving is approaching and Christmas is next month. I love writing tips-based articles for the holiday season, such as 7 Christmas Gift Ideas for Elderly Parents or Grandparents. You could even research the lesser-known holidays (Diwali, for instance) and write about those.

5. Secure a resource that helps you generate ideas. My current favorite Web site for brainstorming blog post ideas is 100 Ways To Find Ideas For Your Blog Posts by Steve Aitchison. If I’m stuck for an idea, I scroll through his list…and I find ideas to write about every time.

Fellow scribes, remember to keep your blog posts valuable, informative, and entertaining for your readers. Make sure each post as a peg for them to hang their hat on – and a takeaway that they can use.

Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen is a full-time writer and blogger who created and maintains a series of Quips and Tips blogs: Quips and Tips for Successful Writers, Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals, and Quips and Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility. She's also the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101