7 Ways To Come Up With Blog Ideas
I’m often asked how I come up with things to write here on my blog every day. Honestly, sometimes it comes easier than other times. Sometimes an idea is fresh on my mind, and sometimes I really strain to come up with a topic. Since I started blogging several years ago, there are a few things that have helped me to capture the inspiration of life.
7 Ways To Come Up With Blog Ideas:
- Journal. I’ll confess that I’m not always the most consistent when it comes to keeping my journal, but I must admit that when I do keep a journal it helps be capture the memories and thoughts of each day. It provides a rough draft of things that may one day appear on the pages of Jon Stolpe Stretched.
- Become a student of the every day. Life is always happening around us. It’s easy to let life race by without paying attention to the details and without taking time to reflect. There are blog topics happening all around you. It’s just a matter of paying attention. Keep your eyes and ears open, and take notes. Keep a note-book in your car, on your desk, and on your nightstand.
- Ask around. Don’t be afraid to ask your readers what articles they like the most from your blog. Also, ask your audience to tell you what they’d like to read from you. I have learned a lot by simply plugging into The Stretched Community.
- Read other blogs (and books). It’s important to be original, but it can sometimes be healthy to read what others are writing. This can be that catalyst or springboard for your own ideas. I read between 75 and 100 blogs on a fairly regular basis. It’s exciting to see the creativity and writing genius of other bloggers.
- Plan ahead. Many of my posts are created the night before or the morning they are published. But many of my ideas have been brewing for a while. I often plan 2 to 4 weeks ahead leaving spaces for momentary inspiration. Sometimes I deviate from my plan, but the plan helps me stay on track and avoid times of writer’s block.
- Collect guest posts. Guest bloggers can be a great assistance when you need a break, when you’re on vacation, or when you simply want to interject the thoughts of others into your blog. I’m so grateful for the posts that others have shared here, and I’m always excited to share The Stretched Community Platform with others who want to share their STRETCHED story.
- Take regular breaks. Over the past couple of months, I have taken Saturday and Sunday off from blogging. This has provided a greater opportunity to spend time with my family, to take a break, and to cultivate new ideas for the week ahead. Many bloggers think they will fail if they take a day off. I understand the importance of writing consistency, but consistency doesn’t help if the content quality is poor. Breaks provide an opportunity to improve content quality.
How do you come up with ideas for your blog? What kind of Stretched posts do you like most?