When you first started writing blog posts for your company, the number of topic ideas probably seemed endless. Running out of topic ideas might not have even crossed your mind. But then you reach that point. The point where you feel you’ve exhausted every topic related to your industry and you simply have nothing new to say. If you’re struggling to come up with new blog posts, don’t throw in the towel just yet. In content marketing, there are always more topics to write about – you just need to know where to look.
Here are five places to look for inspiration when stuck in a topic rut:
1. Older posts
When you’re in a time crunch, looking at older blog posts is one of the easiest ways to come up with new ideas. Read through your old posts and look for concepts that were only touched on briefly or mentioned in passing. If a lot of your articles have bulleted or numbered lists, take a bullet point and expand it to become an entire article. Anything that could be discussed more in-depth will work.
2. The news
The news is always changing, which allows you to find fresh topics no matter how long you’ve been writing your blog. Stay up-to-date on current events and draw parallels between the news and your industry. You’ll also want to look more specifically at industry related news. If there are big changes happening in your field of work, write about them and share your views.
3. Questions customers/clients want answered
What are some of the questions you are continually asked by clients or customers? Maybe they are questions regarding a product or service you sell. If you have a question that comes instantly to your mind, write about it. Content marketing is all about providing useful information and answers to people’s questions. You can even look at the FAQ listed on your website and expand one of your answers to become a longer blog post.
4. Other industry blogs
No, this is not considered cheating. Reading other industry blogs is a great way to stay on top of conversations taking place in the industry. It is also a great way to get inspired for topics of your own. Maybe you will see an article that you don’t agree with – write an article featuring your take on the subject.
5. Social media
Social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn allow users to start conversations about topics and then discuss them. Look at the different conversations revolving around your industry. One tweet or LinkedIn post might be all you need to think of an idea and start writing.
Thinking of new and relevant topics to write about can certainly be a challenge at times. When you’re in a topic rut, just look to these five places to get inspired.
