9 Keys To Developing Consistent Blog Content
I’ve been at this blogging thing for over seven years now. The first few years, I was fairly inconsistent, but now I publish at least five blog posts every week.
How do I find ideas to write about every day?
This is a question I get often from readers and fellow bloggers. (And to be honest, this is a question I sometimes ask myself.)
Blogging takes effort, and coming up with content for my blog doesn’t happen by accident.
Today, I share my keys to consistently developing content for blogging. After reading today’s post, I hope you’ll have some fresh ideas for developing your own blog content. And even if you aren’t a blogger, I think these ideas may help you get a little more out of life.
9 Keys To Developing Consistent Blog Content
- Conduct regular brainstorming sessions. I grab a blank piece of paper from time to time and write down thoughts as they come to me. If you’ve done any brainstorming before, you know there is one main rule for brainstorming: There are no dumb ideas. Brainstorming gives me the opportunity to write down ideas. Some of these ideas turn into blog posts, and some ideas never get used on the blog. Either way, brainstorming is a great way to start developing blog content.
- Become a constant observer. There are blog ideas happening all around you. Observation is key to capturing those ideas as they happen around you. If you read my blog yesterday, you will see how a 15 second interaction turned into one of my longer blog posts. If you want to develop more consistent blog content, pay attention to what is going on in your life.
- Take notes. This is critical. I have so many ideas that come and go. Without writing them down, I easily will lose most of these thoughts. Start a journal. Keep track on Evernote. Or find some other way to document your thoughts and ideas.
- Ask others. I’ve thrown it out there on my blog for my readers, and I sometimes ask people what they would like to read on my blog. Some of the bloggers I follow have implemented an annual readers survey. I’ve discovered that readers will often give me great ideas. It’s okay to ask. Don’t be shy. (And if I ever ask you, please feel free to share your thoughts.)
- Learn from your blog traffic trends. I’m a numbers guy. It’s just part of my nature. For a long time, I kept very close tabs on my daily traffic. This was somewhat excited on the good days, but it was also somewhat depressing on the slow days. I’ve backed off on checking my numbers every day, but I do take time to assess each month to find out what worked well and what didn’t work well. My month in review posts are as much for me as they are for my readers.
- Consider sticking with a theme. I’ve done this more than once on my blog over the years. For example, I blogged about quality for an entire week. My recent annual trips to Guatemala have given me plenty of writing material. And generally, I write about life, leadership, family, faith, and personal growth (stretching). Think about a theme or a couple of themes that resonate with you and write about it.
- Welcome guest bloggers. Guest bloggers provide a different perspective. And they also fill gaps when you need a break for one reason or another. Guest bloggers help to keep things rolling on your blog when things might otherwise be interrupted. Note: Guest bloggers are a great idea occasionally, but readers generally want to read what you have to say. In other words, don’t overdo it with too many guest bloggers.
- Pray. God’s Word and God’s wisdom is the ultimate source for inspiration. A little prayer can go along way to developing consistent content for your blog.
- Live life to the fullest. Life does not happen on your blog. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve met a lot of great people on-line. I’m so thankful for these friendships. But here’s the deal: There is life waiting for us outside the on-line world. Real blog content is happening when we chose to live life to the fullest.