Coming up with blog post ideas consistently can feel like a daunting task. As a blogger, you want to produce content that resonates with your target audience and helps move the needle for your business. But how do you continually uncover compelling topics worth writing about?

Don’t worry – finding endless content ideas for your blog is very doable with the right approach.

In this post, I’ll share my top strategies for generating captivating blog post ideas as a blogger or business owner. Implement some of these tactics and you’ll never run out of subjects to write about again!

Understand Your Audience

The first step to brainstorming content ideas is getting crystal clear on who you’re creating content for. Defining your target audience will make idea generation much smoother.

Ask yourself:

• Who is my ideal reader?
• What are their interests and pain points?
• What type of information are they likely to find valuable?

You can create audience personas to represent your ideal customers or readers. Include demographic details like age, location, job title, goals, and challenges. Refer back to these anytime you need inspiration. Writing for a specific person will help narrow your focus.

Pro tip: Conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups with current readers to gain additional insight into what resonates most with them.

Research Competitors and Influencers

One of my favorite ways to uncover content ideas is by studying what my competitors and industry influencers are publishing.

Search for blogs similar to yours and subscribe to them. Then analyze their posts:

• What topics are they covering?
• What types of posts get the most shares and engagement?
• Are there any noticeable content gaps you could fill?

This competitive research will reveal current trends and themes to tap into. It may also highlight underserved angles ripe for a new perspective.

You can put your own spin on popular subjects that are working for others in your niche. Just make sure your content offers something unique so it doesn’t feel redundant.

Leverage Tools

There are a variety of free tools that can make content ideation much easier. These will provide tailored suggestions based on your target keywords and topics.

Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research is crucial for uncovering high-demand subjects to address. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google’s Keyword Planner will reveal keyword search volume and difficulty data.

Look for keywords that are highly searched yet have low competition. This indicates opportunity! Long-tail variations often make great content titles too.

Pro tip: Pay attention to questions people are asking about your topics. These commonly make for compelling posts that provide helpful answers.

Blog Topic Generators

Sites like Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator and Topic Finder allow you to plug in a focus keyword or topic and will provide related suggestions you can write about.

Google Trends

See what topics are rising in search interest over time with Google Trends. Pay attention to trends spiking in searches that may be worth covering.

Social Media

Monitor hashtags and keywords related to your niche on social media. Popular and recurring themes show what readers are engaging with right now.

Stay on top of your audience’s interests by tapping into these tools periodically. They will bring fresh angles on your core topics to the surface.

Piggyback Off Current Events and Seasonality

Tying your content to what’s happening in the world is an easy way to make it feel timely and relevant.

Look for ways to connect your expertise back to major news, events, holidays, and cultural happenings. Seasonality also offers lots of inspiration for evergreen content.

For example, some ideas:

• Holidays: Valentine’s Day gifts for him, Delicious Christmas cookie recipes
• Seasons: Spring cleaning tips, Fall fashion trends
• Current events: Small business marketing during coronavirus, Remote work productivity hacks
• Awareness months – Mental health podcasts for Anxiety Awareness Month

Google what’s happening right now or check calendars of upcoming cultural events. Get creative with how you can link these back to your niche in an educational way.

Leverage External Sources

Keep your eye out for interesting content from non-competitors to fuel ideas as well.

• News Sites: Curate reactions or commentary on a widely covered news topic within your industry.
• Research Studies: Report on and analyze newly published research in your field.
• Product Releases: Provide tips, reviews or “how to” advice on popular new apps and products.
• Forums: Monitor forums for commonly asked and discussed topics to weigh in on.

Repurposing and expanding on external content is a great growth tactic, as long as you add your own take. Don’t simply re-hash the news.

Sources for Inspiration & Content Ideas

Here are some additional sources I would suggest using to find blog topics and content ideas:

Other Leading Blogs: Check out blogs from thought leaders and influencers in your industry. See what topics they are covering and consider writing your own take. You can provide an alternative perspective.

Books: Scan best-selling books related to your niche. Write posts that summarize key insights or provide actionable tips based on the concepts.

Popular Posts on Social Media: Monitor trending hashtags and viral social content related to your field. These often indicate what people are most interested in currently.

YouTube Videos: Look for widely shared YouTube videos around relevant topics. Create content that provides commentary, critiques, or expands on the content in a video.

Reddit: Search popular subreddits in your category. The most upvoted and engaged posts hint at what your audience cares about. Offer your input by writing on the same topics.

Research Papers: Academics and scientists are constantly publishing new papers with insights. Report on and analyze these papers through an accessible lens for your readers.

Course Sites: Enroll in a popular course related to your expertise area from a site like Udemy. Then write posts on the key lessons and takeaways from the course.

Medium: Search Medium for popular publications and writers within your industry. Follow them to get alerts when they post new content. Study their articles to see what topics resonate.

By keeping an eye on these additional channels, you open yourself up to even more possibilities for inspiration. The key is to put your own spin on any content you find rather than copying it directly. Repurposing and building upon existing ideas from authoritative sources in new ways is a proven path to captivating blog posts your audience will love.

Encourage Suggestions

Your readers and social media followers are a goldmine for content feedback. Engage them in the brainstorming process.

• Ask outright what topics they want to hear about. You can use polls, surveys or simple comment requests.
• Note the types of posts and topics that get the most engagement. Chances are your audience wants more of that.
• Pay attention to the questions people ask you or your support team. Address these in upcoming content.

Empower your community to weigh in and they’ll be excited to see their suggestions published!

Track Your Own Questions

As you go about your day, pay attention to the types of questions and problems that arise organically for you. Chances are these issues also plague your target audience.

Keep an ongoing list of questions you encounter and LATER turn these into content pillars and titles. Here are some examples:

• How do I stop procrastinating on big projects?
• What are the best inexpensive fitness trackers?
• How can I boost my confidence before a job interview?

Answering your own questions is often the easiest route to helpful, relatable content. These make great blog post topics because they start from genuine interest and curiosity.

Mine Internal Resources

Tap your own existing materials for reminders of what topics to cover.

• Look over past blog posts and categories that performed well and spin those into new angles.
• Review old transcripts or recordings from webinars, podcasts, and presentations. Repurpose what resonated.
• Revisit your list of expertise and services. What content could help illustrate those offerings?
• Scan through your newsletter archives for good evergreen topics to expand on as blog posts.

Repurposing past content with a new twist can uncover endless ideas you may have forgotten about. There are likely goldmines of topics hiding in your archives.

Go For Walks or Showers

This sounds counterintuitive, but some of my best content ideas have come to me while disengaged in other tasks.

Step away from your desk and go for a walk or hop in the shower. There’s something about doing mundane activities that seems to stimulate creativity. Keep a running note on your phone to jot down any inspirations that bubble up.

Allowing your mind to wander without pressure can work wonders. Some of my most popular posts were born this way!

Maintain an Editorial Calendar

Getting ideas is just the first step. To ensure you have an ongoing pipeline of content mapped out, maintain an editorial calendar. This is essential for pacing out your ideas over time.

Plot your posts weeks or months in advance. Include title ideas, topics, and deadlines.

Revisit this calendar when you need inspiration for what to write next. It takes the pressure off having to constantly think up new ideas while also keeping you organized.

Pro tip: Use a tool like CoSchedule to centralize your calendar and easily drag and drop posts to reorder as needed.

Make it a Ritual

Like anything, maintaining a steady stream of content ideas gets easier with practice. Get into the routine of setting aside regular time to utilize some of the above strategies.

Add a brainstorming block on your calendar. Set a recurring reminder to ponder new topics or whip out one of your go-to ideation tactics.

Soon it will feel natural to set your sights on the next round of content possibilities. Establishing the habit is key.

Some of my favorite times to brainstorm include:

• Sunday evenings planning the upcoming week
• Morning pages journaling
• While sipping coffee before starting the workday
• Morning walks to refresh my mind

Figure out which blocks of time work well for you to ponder new ideas without distractions. Then make it part of your usual routine.

Recap: How to Find Endless Content Topics

Generating a constant pipeline of captivating content topics is crucial for growing your blog and keeping readers engaged. But continually dreaming up new ideas can feel challenging.

Use the strategies outlined in this post to remove any friction from the brainstorming process. Tap into these tips on a consistent basis to unlock an endless wellspring of subjects worth writing about.

To recap, here are some of my go-to ways for finding blog post ideas:

• Get clear on your target audience and what they want to read about
• Research what competitors and influencers in your space are publishing
• Use keyword and topic research tools to uncover in-demand subjects
• Tie content back to current events, holidays and seasonal hooks
• Crowdsource ideas directly from your audience
• Track your own questions and problems to solve
• Repurpose and expand upon your existing content and materials
• Let ideas flow during downtime like walks or showers
• Maintain an editorial calendar to map out your pipeline
• Make ideation a consistent ritual through scheduled time

Content creation is a truly never-ending process. But you’ll feel empowered, not overwhelmed, with the right game plan. What are your best tips for finding new blog post topics? I’d love to hear them!