Random fact #543: every 2.2 seconds a small business owner somewhere declares in despair, ‘Blogging will be the death of me!’ Or something like that 😉

Chances are if you’re reading this, you can relate. And you’re not alone.

No question, blogging is the in thing. We’re told here, there and everywhere by everyone, that we’ve just gotta blog; which means regularly coming up with new blog post ideas. But why? Well, because:

• Content is king;
• Establishing credibility by demonstrating our subject-matter expertise is a must; and
• In order to rank on Google, we need to add new content to our site at least once a week – preferably more.

But, for time-poor soloprenuers and small business owners, blogging is haaard with a capital H. Among the list of complaints, I regularly hear:

1. I don’t have time.
2. I suck at writing.
3. I can never come up with decent blog post ideas.

1 and 2 are harder fish to fry, but if your problem is 3, there’s hope for you yet. In fact, follow the tips below and I bet you’ll surprise yourself with just how much you actually have to say.

Awesome blog post ideas, come at me!

1. Ask yourself: what problems are my clients facing? And what advice can I provide around how to solve those problems (perhaps a case study or a step-by-step tutorial?). Voila! Each problem / solution becomes its own blog.

2. Log in to Google Adwords and take advantage of the Keyword Planner tool. Start by plugging in a general idea, and then drill down into the more specific Google suggestions. Also take note of the number of searches per keyword suggestion. The higher the search volume, the higher your readership is likely to be.

3. Have you read another blog recently that you loved or that really got your goat? Write a response and link back to the original article.

4. Use Google Trends to get a sense of what your customers might be interested in. Notice a hot topic? Throw your two cents into the ring, link to others and get a conversation happening.

5. Is there a well-known identity in your industry that would be interesting to your target audience? Approach them to do an interview on their subject of expertise. An added bonus? Your interviewee is likely to promote your blog to their list, pushing traffic to your site. Make sure you take advantage of this by offering your new visitors something valuable in exchange for their details!

6. Have a look at your Google Analytics and see which of your past blog posts have been most popular. Can you expand on one of these subjects, provide a new angle or write a sequel?

7. Review a product or service that’s relevant to your target audience. Perhaps you’ve had a great experience that you’d like to share? Or a terrible experience that you could warn your readers about?

8. You might already have some great content that you could repurpose – say a report, eBook or webinar. Longer pieces can be divvied up in to shorter blogs and then expanded upon. You can then use these as a teaser to promote the original, longer digital asset.

9. Ask your audience what kind of content they’d like to see from you. You can do this via an in-depth survey in exchange for a freebie, or keep it simple and ask via social media. It’s all about tapping into what you target audience needs and being of service.

10. Ask yourself: what do I really love? What can I share that I find inspiring, interesting or valuable? Most of the time, we place the emphasis on what we think our readers want to read (and rightly so). But, if you’re feeling really uninspired about blogging, sometimes it pays to write about something you’re passionate about. This passion will come through in your writing (leading to higher engagement) and hopefully it will kick-start some momentum to keep you blogging.

And a bonus tip…

11. If you’re really stuck, curate some great content by others. Some would say this is lazy and unoriginal, but I disagree. The internet is a big black hole and finding great content online is incredibly time consuming. Save your readers time and help them discover something new and valuable by creating a useful grab bag of content in one place. You could do a themed post or a random selection of resources that take your fancy. Promoting somebody else’s content is also a nice way of saying, ‘Well done, love your work’, and might lead to a fruitful relationship or collaboration.

So, there you have it. Hopefully you now have blog post ideas coming out your ears. And remember, don’t over think it. Be spontaneous, be of service, be you.

So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and prosper blog!

+++

Hold up! Before you go, are there any tips I’ve missed? What’s your go-to for new blog post ideas? Do you stick to a content schedule or fly by the seat of your pantaloons? I’d love you to share in the comments below.