If you're a blogger, you're constantly trying to come up with new ideas. This is usually not a problem if you're focused on newsworthy events. If you just read the papers there are a whole bunch of things you can write posts about. And you know people will be searching for them, too.
But with a blog like this -- which is focused on blogging itself -- it can be a problem. There are just so many other blogs like this. It can seem like pretty much every topic has been well and truly covered a hundred times over. So it can be tough to come up with ideas that are original and relevant -- not to mention evergreen, and useful.
Feelings are powerful
One effective method of generating new ideas is to tap into your emotions. If you feel strongly about something you'll want to express yourself. Usually you'll be unable to stop describing all the feelings swirling inside you.
They will usually come out as a bit of a mishmash. But if you walk away and come back to what you've written later you'll usually be able to discern some excellent new insights that you never knew you had. Each of these can be the basis for a new and original post.
Try something new
So, the challenge is, how do you get those emotions working? Well, one effective technique is to to just try something new.
If you do this, you'll be out of your comfort zone. The experience will bring new feelings that often include excitement, trepidation, exhilaration, confusion, and ultimately satisfaction. Recording all those powerful emotions is sure to give you lots of good original material to work with.
In this blogging niche, an example of a new technique might be to conduct an interview with a well known blogger you admire greatly. Doing such a thing, particularly for the first time, is sure to provoke some strong emotions. Just the question of whether he or she will agree to your request in the first place would be a bit scary. And getting knocked back would generate other emotions, of course. Whatever ensues, you'd surely be out of your comfort zone during much of the experience and therefore have lots to write about.
Remember something old
Another way to generate emotions is to think about things you used to do in the past. The most obvious feeling this will generate is a sense of nostalgia, or longing. It could also make you feel regretful.
One idea that comes to mind in this niche is for me to recall when I started blogging. Back then, it was never a chore and always a joy. (I still enjoy it, of course. But there are certainly more downsides now.)
The reason I had so much fun doing it back then was mainly because I wasn't worried about SEO, or how many readers I had. I was just savouring the freedom of self-expression that blogging afforded me.
If I reminisce those early years there are plenty of emotions there to mine ... And I think I will do so in a subsequent post!
Get annoyed
There are many emotions aside from enthusiasm and longing for the past. Anger, though negative, can be a strong creative force.
There are many frustrations that bloggers have, for example. We're constantly dealing with spam comments, plagiarism, overwork, lack of time, lack of targeted traffic, and Google's constantly changing algorithms to name a few. Why not write about those?
Odds are there'll be several pet peeves that come immediately to mind. You can list each of them in turn along with your preferred method for dealing with them. As we all know, those list posts are often very popular with readers.
Anger can produce humour as well. This will make your blog post more fun to read, as well as helping it stand out amongst the pack. So you should include that where appropriate, too.
But with a blog like this -- which is focused on blogging itself -- it can be a problem. There are just so many other blogs like this. It can seem like pretty much every topic has been well and truly covered a hundred times over. So it can be tough to come up with ideas that are original and relevant -- not to mention evergreen, and useful.
Feelings are powerful
One effective method of generating new ideas is to tap into your emotions. If you feel strongly about something you'll want to express yourself. Usually you'll be unable to stop describing all the feelings swirling inside you.
They will usually come out as a bit of a mishmash. But if you walk away and come back to what you've written later you'll usually be able to discern some excellent new insights that you never knew you had. Each of these can be the basis for a new and original post.
Try something new
So, the challenge is, how do you get those emotions working? Well, one effective technique is to to just try something new.
If you do this, you'll be out of your comfort zone. The experience will bring new feelings that often include excitement, trepidation, exhilaration, confusion, and ultimately satisfaction. Recording all those powerful emotions is sure to give you lots of good original material to work with.
In this blogging niche, an example of a new technique might be to conduct an interview with a well known blogger you admire greatly. Doing such a thing, particularly for the first time, is sure to provoke some strong emotions. Just the question of whether he or she will agree to your request in the first place would be a bit scary. And getting knocked back would generate other emotions, of course. Whatever ensues, you'd surely be out of your comfort zone during much of the experience and therefore have lots to write about.
Remember something old
Another way to generate emotions is to think about things you used to do in the past. The most obvious feeling this will generate is a sense of nostalgia, or longing. It could also make you feel regretful.
One idea that comes to mind in this niche is for me to recall when I started blogging. Back then, it was never a chore and always a joy. (I still enjoy it, of course. But there are certainly more downsides now.)
The reason I had so much fun doing it back then was mainly because I wasn't worried about SEO, or how many readers I had. I was just savouring the freedom of self-expression that blogging afforded me.
If I reminisce those early years there are plenty of emotions there to mine ... And I think I will do so in a subsequent post!
Get annoyed
There are many emotions aside from enthusiasm and longing for the past. Anger, though negative, can be a strong creative force.
There are many frustrations that bloggers have, for example. We're constantly dealing with spam comments, plagiarism, overwork, lack of time, lack of targeted traffic, and Google's constantly changing algorithms to name a few. Why not write about those?
Odds are there'll be several pet peeves that come immediately to mind. You can list each of them in turn along with your preferred method for dealing with them. As we all know, those list posts are often very popular with readers.
Anger can produce humour as well. This will make your blog post more fun to read, as well as helping it stand out amongst the pack. So you should include that where appropriate, too.
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