What separates blogs from other forms of marketing is you guessed it, content!
Now what separates YOUR blog from the other millions of blogs established and being created every single day?
GREAT content, lots of it!
“Lots” is why it’s easy to find yourself at a loss for blog topics to write about. Everyone does from time to time!
*This post may contain affiliate links at no extra cost to you. See disclosure for details.
You start a blog to make money but to earn money from your blog you need to write not only blog posts that entertain and drive traffic but, well puts some money in the bank too.
How do you always know what to write about?
Where do you find blog topic ideas that rock?
Is there a freaking tool that just does all that work for you?
You’ll find all the answers plus some in this post.
What we’ll cover:
- How to write a good blog post
- Great blog post examples
- Common Blog writing mistakes to avoid
- How many times to blog a week
- How to easily find blog post ideas
- 108 Blog post ideas
- How to organize blog post ideas
- More blog writing tips
How to write a blog post that matters and how it helps with generating post ideas.
The number one reason loads of people struggle with finding good blog post ideas is probably this bad boy. –> Not really knowing how to write a blog post <–.
When you know how to write a blog post and the real elements you should be looking at, things get a whole lot easier.
In fact, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of blog post ideas you have to cover instead.
To write a truly great blog post you need to start with the scenes your readers do not see.
A great blog post is first searched for (like Christmas deco ideas), valuable, evergreen (seasonal counts too) and the best one your reader gets to see on the topic.
So how do you write one?
Step #1 Define your audience
Who are you writing for? What is she struggling with? Why would she be looking for what you are about to write? What process is she going through?
Step #2 Stalk your competitor
What keywords is she ranking for? What is her Domain Authority? What are her most popular posts? Who is sharing and linking to her posts? How would you be able to replicate her successes and outdo them?
Step #3 Snuff out the hot stuff in your niche
Free tools you can use for research include similarweb.com, seoreviewtools.com and buzzsumo.com (limited).
Step #4 Write posts that steal your competitors’ rankings.
Use google’s “People also ask” section and answerthepublic.com to find questions your post needs to answer.
Google search suggestions are also a great way to find stuff you should cover in your post.
Which blog posts rank for the blog topic you are writing on google and pinterest? How are they structured? What questions are being asked in their comment sections?
Always try to come up with something that beats the results you find and answers as many questions as possible because that’s what search engines want; the blog post that provides the most value.
For the actual writing process, two things are most important:
- Identify the main points you want to make and emphasize them.
- Format it in an easy to read and understand way. (See what I just did!)
Here’s what experts say about creating blog posts with viral potential.
Great blog post examples you’ll want to see
The best blog posts over deliver in value. There are indepth while still being easy to read, here are 3 perfect examples I’m loving right now.
- The 111 Benefits Of Breastfeeding – For Babies, Moms & Everyone Else
- How to Style Your Wardrobe Like a Parisian Girl
- How to Eat Street Food Without Getting Sick
Common blog writing mistakes to avoid (even when you have the best blog post ideas!)
Pay attention to this one, it’s a biggie.
Mistake 1: Blog Posts and Blog Goals Don’t Align.
Blog writing isn’t just for fun, it’s a business (even though it can be fun). And businesses usually have plans! What is the purpose of your blog? To build your email list? To consolidate your expertise on a particular topic and serve as a portfolio? To generate passive affiliate income? To bring in ad income? The blog posts you write depend on that one goal, and the easiest way to make sure they align is to plan things out.
Mistake 2: The Copycat Syndrome.
One of the blogging writing secrets in that expert roundup post I shared earlier is authencity. Nicole who’s been blogging for over 8 years shares authenticity as her no. 1 unique selling point, the secret that makes her blog sticky, why readers come back. It’s always worth a try.
Mistake 3: Writing “Interesting” Things About You.
Everybody likes a good dose of “me” but with blog writing, it isn’t the smartest move. Especially since your audience is also interested in “me” and let’s face it, since you want to make money off them, their “me” is much more important than yours. duh.
Give them something they love. Every blog post you write should answer the question “what’s in it for them?” without doubt.
Mistake 4: Defying Google
Pinterest and facebook traffic are great but nothing is as sustainable as pure google traffic in the long-term.
Every single blog post you write should have a strong SEO foundation built in. It starts with proper keyword research.
What this means is that while you may write some posts that give you a quick traffic boost and then die down, what you really what is evergreen posts that people are always searching for. AND, you have to make it possible for your posts to be found.
- Great user experience.
- Proper use of keywords to send the right signals.
- Interlinking your posts.
- Proper headings, meta tags, relevant alt tags. No pin descriptions in there! Use the “data-pin-description” to describe your pin instead.
Mistake 5: Spending Too Much Time + Writing Like You’re In Preschool:)
Outlines keep you organized, templates save you time and proofreaders keep your readers happy! Simple as that.
Here’s a must watch video from Brian Dean of Backlinko teaching how to organize your posts in a way that keeps your readers hooked!
Mistake 6: Trying to make everything perfect.
I know this seems contradictory to the previous point but this is potentially the biggest time and productivity suck when you allow it and I used to be sooooooo terrible at this.
Now I say just make something good enough and put it out there already. Somebody needs that information since like yesterday.
Tomorrow you can still go in and add all the bells and whistles you want and you’ll even get rewarded by google for updating your content!
For Pete’s sake don’t stop to read until you are done with that first draft, tweaking your words for the gazillionth time probably won’t make it any better. Not until you’ve let it sit for sometime anyway.
Mistake 7: Offering The Whole Post For Free!
People go to blogs everyday, take insane amount of value and leave just like they came. Don’t let that reader you’ve just wowed take your stuff for free and go away never to find you again.
Ask them to pay! Ask them to leave a comment, bribe them to join your mailing list if it’s relevant, and command them to share your awesome post. Just kidding.
Raelyn Tan adds a very sweet message to the bottom of every post and the results are insane!
Psst! Would you please pretty please share this post to support my work, I’ve added share button right below *wink* *wink*.
[social_warfare]
How many times should you blog a week?
While the answers for this one are all over the place (naturally), a general rule is the more QUALITY content you can afford to get published the better.
With newer blogs, posting more often means you get more traffic and insight into what your audience truly loves.
Believe it or not people find they pivot from what the intended to write initially after a few weeks. What this means is that you’ll start getting more relevant high quality blog post ideas to write about sooner rather than later.
By the time you get to about 50 to 100 quality posts, you should have steady traffic and become more concerned with converting that traffic, optimizing your existing blog posts and getting more eyes on them.
How to Find Blog Posts that Rock Everytime
1. Steal from your competitors – This is my absolute favorite way to get blog posts to write about.
- Use Buzzsumo to find their most shared posts.
- Check their sidebar to find their most popular posts.
- Type their url in google and see their highest ranking posts.
- Check the blog comments of those posts to find recurring questions. It means you can create a more indepth post on that topic.
2. Your own posts
Find your top performing posts and see how you can approach them from another angle or expand on some subheadings.
3. Use google
4. Use blog post idea generators
Some great ones are:
- Blog Title Generator by SEOPressor
- Hubspot blog topic generator
- Tweak Your Biz’ free blog title generator
- Content Idea Generator by Portent
- Upworthy Title Generator
5. Use pinterest
You could search for a seed word and see what suggestions pinterest brings back. I like to use both the keyword suggestions I get and the top blog posts ranking for it.
6. Check facebook groups using the technique in this post about creating optin freebies. There are endless ways to quickly find and brainstorm post ideas!
Done For You Blog Post Ideas.
You can take these, write them and start driving traffic to your blog immediately.
First blog post ideas for beginners
- The ultimate guide to ____________ (doing something niche relevant) + 3 Secret ways you didn’t know existed.
- 10 ___________ (your niche) myths holding you back and how to stop them.
- How to __________ (do something relevant): A step by step process for getting the best results
- 5 Easy to follow/customize/Use __________________ (something relevant) schedule/templates/printable that actually give results!
- How to _____________ do something better and faster in 7 easy steps
- 55 ______________ (people in your niche) share how they do ___________ (something in your niche)
- 25 _______ (your niche) blogs to follow for the best ________ (your niche) advice.
- 101 free __________ (your niche) resources every smart/good ________ (your audience will love.
- How to use _____ (something ordinary) to _______________ (achieve a great niche relevant result) everyday.
- Create a list of hacks that help solve some problem quicker.
- 25 _________ books/podcast/ted shows that will change your life and the way you _________
- Is ___________ (popular product) worth your time? An unbiased review of how it works.
Fun and creative blog post ideas for anyone!
- Top 10 Worst __________ (your niche) advice ever shared.
- Interview an influencer in your niche
- 30 Lessons Learned from being ________(something relevant to your niche)
- 10 _______(Your niche) blog posts every _______(your audience) should read today
- 7 Things I wish I knew before ________(doing something niche relevant you did).
- How I use/do ______ (something): A sneak peek behind-the-scenes
- 10 Reasons You Shouldn’t Do/Listen to/Believe _________ (Something Hot in your niche)
- Share your opinion about recent news or events.
- 101 Powerful Quotes that will inspire you to ________ (do something relevant) today.
- 10 Secret Hacks/Easy Ways/Quick Ways to _________ (do something difficult in your niche)
- 15 __________ (niche) Mistakes that are hurting your _________
- 10 Epic Photos/Memes that describe ___________ (your niche) fails
Blog Post Ideas by niche
Fashion blog post ideas
- 5 Secret Fashion Hacks No One Has Shared Before.
- The 7 Best Fashion Resources For Petite Girl.
- The 5 Biggest Fashion Trends Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid
- 10 Gorgeous Ways To Rock Scarves and give your style some oomph
- Top 10 Best Fall Fashion Trends and how to totally rock them on a budget
- How to look like Kim Kardashian for under $100
- A Fashion Gift Guide for special occasions, e.g. Valentine´s Day, Easter Holiday, Black Friday
- 3 New ways to wear a belt for an effortlessly stylish look
- 10 Fashion blogs that are worth your time (and their very best posts)
- 5 Gorgeous Accessories that take your outfit from ordinary to chic in an instant
- What to pack checklist before a trip
- Top 10 Curvy girl fashion must haves
Beauty blog post ideas
- 10 Gorgeous Back-to-school makeup looks and how to recreate them
- How to pick the perfect lipstick on a stringy bugdet
- 10 Best drugstore beauty products and 5 you should never buy
- 10 worth-the-splurge beauty products and 5 that are complete trash
- 3 Beauty essentials you should never leave home without
- 5 of the best makeup brushes on the market
- 10 Hair styling tools and products that will take you from uhh to ahhh on a bad day
- Top 3 Easiest hairstyles for busy fashionistas
- How to blend hair extensions to look like your hair
- How to self-tan (the ultimate guide + the best self-tanning products to use)
- How to easily store/organize your makeup (from a girl who has too much!)
- Where to get the best makeup products for $5 or Less
Photography blog post ideas
Note this one depends on who your audience is. People learning photography for themselves or potential clients for your photography service.
- 10 of the cutest DIY photos on the internet
- Best photography tools to buy for under $50
- How and why you should prepare for a photography shoot before time.
- 10 Ordinary household items that make great photo props
- 10 great photo shoot locations in New York (+ 21 Pose Ideas to try)
- 15 Incredible Before and after pictures to inspire your next shoot.
- The ultimate list of DIY photography essentials for beginners
- How to make a DIY backdrop for under $100
- How to get the perfect lighting for your photos
- 8 Maternity shoot pose ideas (+ outfit inspiration)
- 3 Easy ways to take your photos from ordinary to breathtaking
- 10 Professional photographers share their best tools and photos
Mommy blog post ideas
- The best apps for kids that don’t require wifi
- How to clean a pack and play in under 10 minutes
- 10 Clever ways to get “Me time” around your kids’ schedules
- Should you have another baby or not? Here’s the full lowdown
- Simple playroom organization hacks you can start using today
- 30 Mothers share their favorite kid activities (and the ideas are insane)
- Is the ABC Mouse really worth your money? An unbiased review
- 10 easy ways to save money on groceries every month
- 5 Reasons you should never breastfeed/bottlefeed/spank your child again
- 3 Date night ideas for busy parents
- How to create a schedule that works for everyone
- 50 best toys, books and products for kids in 2018
Lifestyle blog topics
This one is a little tricky because most lifestyle blog adopt the anything goes method. My best advice for finding blog post ideas for a lifestyle blog is therefore to look at what others have successfully done and your most successful blog posts.
- 5 Travel essentials to always carry on you.
- How to properly pack a suitcase (to save time and space)
- 100 Inspirational quotes that will change your life
- Top 5 beauty products of all time
- 3 Smart Monthly goals that will help you become a better person everyday
- 15 Best Productivity Podcasts to listen to today.
- The Fitness routine that takes me 15 mins a day and keeps me shredded
- 10 Iphone apps to boost your productivity and improve your mood
- 5 fun things to do with your friends frequently
- 15 Inspiring Instagram accounts to follow (for a daily dose of inspiration)
- 10 Healthy snacks you can make in 30 minutes or less
- 15 DIY gifts for Christmas everyone will love
Travel blog post ideas
- How To Pack a Suitcase in 30 Minutes
- 20 Tips for Traveling With a Pet (that will save your life)
- Most Under/Overrated Cities in the World: A look from a traveler’s perspective
- 5 Creative Ways To Save Money For Travel
- 15 Best Destinations For Your first Trip away from home
- Where Should You Travel Next? A look at the worlds’ most exotic locations
- Travel Essentials: Things to never leave behind
- How to travel the world, eat their food and not get sick
- How to travel the world on a bugdet
- How to make money while traveling
- 10 Lesser known ways to travel the world for cheap
- 101 reasons to start traveling today: The complete beginner’s guide
Seasonal Blog Post Ideas (Christmas, Fall, Thanksgiving, Halloween…)
- 7 Cute New Years Eve Outfit Ideas
- 5 Smart Goals to set for 2018
- 10 Best Movies/TV specials/activities to see/do during the holiday
- 5 holiday dessert recipes to try this season
- 10 Lovely Christmas outfit ideas you can put together for cheap
- 15 Halloween nail art ideas that totally rock
- How to find the perfect Christmas Gift for your kids (+ 10 great ideas)
- How to make a surprise valentine dinner for your SO with $200
- 10 Fun Places to go this Christmas
- 10 Summer decoration ideas you can do for cheap
- 15 Back to school essentials every child should have
- 7 Creative Halloween Treat ideas every child will love
How to organize the gazillion blog post ideas you’ve found
In truth the real problem with generating blog post ideas most times is not coming up with ideas, it’s organizing them!
Here’s how to easily organize your blog post to avoid overwhelm.
- Use an editorial calendar like the Editorial Calendar plugin, CoSchedule, or even Google Calendar as visual post boards. Some people use trello too. I use the Editorial Calender Plugin and my computer’s stickynotes. Stickynotes all the way!
- Use a secret pinterest board to save ideas
- Use a blog planner or journal, or even a plain notebook to write out ideas and outlines so you don’t forget.
More blog writing tips
The Headline You Choose is Everything, Craft The Perfect Bait!
Wishpond contributor James Scherer says, “recent studies show that while 80% of people will read headline copy, only 20% will read the rest. This is the hidden importance of great titles, and why getting them right is so vital to a successful blog.”
The first thing people see is your headline, make sure it packs a punch. Use power, emotion and action words like Quickly, Now, Today, Ultimate, Gorgeous.
Hook Them With Your Intro
That brain dean video I shared above already covered this but to recap, you want to build anticipation with your writing. State the problem right off the bat so people know they are reading the right post, then promise a great result.
Use stuff like:
What does this mean?
How did she do it?
But that’s not all!
Here’s what to do?…
These work great in the body as well.
Make Them Feel Special
Speak to only one audience, your target audience in your post. Better still, speak to only one person!
There’s no point writing for everyone when your blog isn’t for everyone. Especially when you run the risk of losing “the ones”.
Sink Them With Value
I would like to think that this post is a good example of this. Answer questions your readers didn’t even know they had.
Go overboard to make it easy for them to understand and believe with photos, charts, and proof.
Wrapping Up
Let me first say that I love you for coming this far, you = awesome!
Secondly, if you want some sort of conclusion this is what it is in one sentence.
There’s no need to constantly seek out new blog posts, build on you and your competitors’ already tested successes and you’ll banish writers’ block forever.
Thirdly and most importantly, don’t be a saint. Ask for something in return and you’ll most likely be given! In fact, here’s a chance to get good karma for all your future asks. Here’s a pretty pin, pin it!
Freelance writer, graphic designer and mother. Lily helps young moms who are eager to break into the online business world quickly build online empires of their own through blogging smartly. Her motto, “Do smarter, have all”. Find her sharing smart blogging tips on her blog or interacting with smart blogging moms in her facebook group for Mompreneurs.
This is great! It can be super tough to think of post ideas!
Yes Hannah, I’m glad you found this round up of blog post ideas useful!