Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Sometimes I receive comments that say things like, “How did you come up with this” or others of that sort and I figured I’d do a post about it. Its not too uncommon to be sitting there and wondering what to blog about but its much easier when its a topic that comes to you when you’re not focusing on it. So, lets talk about some of the ways you can derive your blog post ideas.
1. Reading Other Blogs - This is one of the ways that I am influenced when it comes to writing my posts. I see what someone else has said and I think about whether I agree or disagree and if I think that I can add to it or explain it further then I find it a good post. If you read a post and you feel the need to respond strongly, then it can most probably be an influence for a blog post as long as the subject matter is interesting.
2. News - Sometimes news stories come around from Tech websites or the main page of Yahoo or MSN that really catch my eye. If the article pertains to the topic of my blog then I definitely use it to derive my blog post from. It helps me talk about a current issue topic and therefore it also displays in the searches better. Its a good way to discuss something that is more current and one that you can relate to your readers with.
3. Comments On Your Blog / Other Blogs - I’d say about 30-50% of my posts are derived from comments I see on my blog and other blogs out there. Some comments really turn the light bulb on, in my head. Its about how you view the comment too. See what the commentator is really trying to say and go from there. It will help you not only shed some light on them but allow you to help explain their concern which may be the concern of many others too.
4. Curiosity - I think curiosity plays a big part in some of my posts. If I see a new blog or a blog post I usually read up on the blogger and try to look into the details of the author of the post as well as the blog. Sometimes my curiosity has led to me discovering some interesting facts that I was able to compile into a post. Its not necessarily bad or sneaky things but it can be and those are the ones that usually make for good link bait posts resulting in increased traffic.
5. Experience & Time - This sounds like the weakest but this is the only one thing on here that will take time for you to develop if you’re a new blogger. Over time you naturally become used to the blogging schedule and know what sounds interesting and what isn’t. It also makes it easier for you to come up with post ideas as you have more background knowledge and can help showcase other blogs, plugins, tutorials or things of that sort.
So I hope you liked my post. I’d like to know where you get your ideas from. I’d really like to hear from all of you!
My posts actually come from ideas I get from what’s going on in the blogosphere. Then depending on what the topic is about, I either start a post about it or expand on the topic. I never try to write posts where the topic is already saturated. Being unique is the way to go.
Sly
http://slyvisions.com
I am somewhat the same way. I try to get inspiration from whats going on so that I’m current almost all of the time. But youre last sentence is the right idea. Being unique is definitely the way to go.
I often get my ideas from my own experiences and curiosity.
I get my ideas from my own posts, comments and questions by users, other blogs, digg …
Good tips Enkay, I try to draw from any and everything. I get inspired to write by the weirdest things. Today I was actually inspired by waking up late!
This entire list is top notch, good job buddy.
Hahaha, man I like reading your posts and the videos. Keep it up.
I saw a good tip on Bloggernoob’s blog a month or so ago. He suggested to use a magazine for inspiration. If you have an affiliate marketing related site, you could use the Feedfront magazine for inspiration. Use sticky notes and mark each page that gave you an idea for a blog post. Then refer back to the magazine when you need an idea for a topic to write about.
Thats interesting. I haven’t thought about Magazines as yet and I’d have to give that a thought.