Write Better for a Better Blog Series
How I develop unlimited ideas for blog posts
I use my life experiences
Anytime I can find a way to relate a life experience to blogging, I do it. Life experiences can enrich your blogging because they are more engaging and create deeper meaning.
Using your life experiences can help you clarify a confusing idea without becoming super technical. And it also gives your readers an opportunity to get to know you better – this maximizes your online socialization and builds trust.
I use my unique personality and perspective of the world to my advantage
I doubt there’s anyone else who can match the effect and insight that comes from my strange mix of economic background, education, ethnicity, gender, etc.
Who else do you know grew up in the inner city hood, has parents from down south, read over 200 books during fourth grade summer break, ran track, played volleyball and basketball, worked a first job at Burger King, was inducted in the Junior Honor Society, loved hip-hop music, got pregnant at the age of 15, graduated with a tie for 10th place (Top 10), was a secretary, became a nailtech, graduated from college with honors (Cum Laude), taught english, and loves to write?
Okay… I’m sorry to bore you. But each one of those tidbits grants me a different perspective of the world that meshes with all of my other perspectives in a way that I can use to my advantage – I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll discover how your own perspective gives you better insights into blogging.
I’m not afraid to use my unique view to point out oversights in widely accepted opinions and ideas. It contributes to how I feel about SEO and is the reason why I don’t allow it to rule my blog. I just write what I think people need read about, then if I can go back and optimize it a bit, great – if not, it’s still great. Search engines do not determine what I blog about or influence my ideas.
I use movies to relay a point whenever possible
The movie, Julie & Julia, since it was about blogging, was an obvious pick. But if I had to, I could find a way to relate almost anything to blogging. You’d probably ask, but how could you relate a movie like Avatar to blogging?
I’d tell you that the minute we open up our internet browser, we link up to a new world – the blogosphere. Instead of using our own bodies, we send our Gravatars to represent us. We link up to sites, like the blue people linked up with their animals and influenced others to take actions – retweet, share this, do this, buy this…
Okay, enough I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point.
I use what I know about music whenever possible
When I was young, the idea of sampling old music to create something new was very popular – but there were some criteria then. You couldn’t just take any old song. It had to be a song that people hadn’t heard in years, it couldn’t be a song that had already been sampled 50 times already. In fact, the more rare the old song, the better.
I use the library
You know, the place with the books that hardly anyone goes to anymore – there are some great untouched resources there. You can find things about your niche in a library, that you will miss every where else. Don’t worry if it’s an old book – Julie Powell, took Julia Child’s old book and decided to cook her way through it, and blogged about the experience. In fact, an old book about your niche topic may be exactly what you need to revive your blogging efforts. Find something that is unique and hasn’t been revived in a while or overused- the possibilities are endless.
I revisit those old college course notes
Chances are you’ve taken a class that you can relate to blogging. No, I haven’t taken any official blogging courses, but the things I’ve learned about language, writing and literature help me when it’s time to write. I’ve learned that if you’re creative enough, you can take an idea that’s been reiterated a thousand times before, add your own twist to create something new.
That’s a relief because there really aren’t very many totally new ideas that wouldn’t make you appear totally nuts. No, probably no one has ever tried to make a dress out of potato skins – that’s a new idea, but it’s not a good idea since potatoes smell horrible when they start to rot! Sure it’s unique, and you definitely won’t find anyone else on the red carpet in that dress, but your career may suffer if you’re caught wearing it in a public place and you might get a free ride to the loony bin as a consequence.
But, even with the threat of being committed, never be afraid of being creative. Some ideas will flop, but the ones that don’t will be the ones that will separate your blog from thousands of others. (Ever hear of MyMilkToof blog? A great idea for blogging with pictures by the way …don’t ask!)
These are a few of the ways I come up with ideas. But what about you? How do you find ideas for blogging in unusual places?
About Kiesha Easley
Twitter: abhibalani
says:
WOW… What a post, with so many ideas. :-) Enjoyed reading it. :-)
Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?
I can definitely see how you write your experiences. I for one, write about everyday stuff…nothing major or trendy, just stuff and how it relates. I think people appreciate honesty and “regularness”. Thanks for sharing all that you do.
michael recently posted..What A 5 Year Old Taught Me About Giving Thanks
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Michael,
Thanks for stopping by! I figure, you can’t be trendy and major everyday, so the only way to really stand out is by relying on your own zany mix of personal experience stories. Who else has that? No one but you. :)
Very nice read, I use newspaper to get my blogging ideas in some of my niche, Newspaper gives lots of ideas to write and that too which are very current, also have an eye on advertisements and classified in the newspaper , i bet , that gives you great ideas.
Hi Kiesha,
Regarding SEO you said, “I just write what I think people need read about, then if I can go back and optimize it a bit.”
I agree with your statement 100% and I feel the reader is the most important piece of blogging.
Do you feel that using SEO in articles can make them seem “spammy”?
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..What is Your Website Grade? =-.
I am trying to work life experiences into my posts more and more. Really, I think this is such a great way to take any old blogging topic and make it truly unique. Not to mention, I think it’s a really fun and creative way to write.
.-= Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..How to Graduate to Your Next Level of Blogging =-.
Your own experience I think that will help the most the people
I personally use my everyday experiences when updating my blog. It gives it your own signature touch as it involves the stuff you like and hopefully it can attract people who like the same things as well. I think these are really good points. Each one of us has an interesting point that we have experienced in your lives and we should share that, not something copied off from the style of others.
All very good ideas for generating blog post ideas! I think it’s important to step away from the computer for a while to find ideas. When you spend so much time online like me, you start to subconsciously repeat the same information and patterns. I definitely want to move away from that! I also come from a pretty unusual background/upbringing, so I’m trying to think of ways that I can tie that in with my blog writing. Thanks for the great post!
.-= Kathleen O’Connor´s last blog ..Friday Link Lounge – May 14, 2010 =-.
Great ideas Kiesha! This has helped give me a lot of great ideas!
.-= Kevin M.´s last blog ..Favourite Links Friday 5/14/10 =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Kevin!
Glad you found these tips to be helpful.
Hey Kiesha,
Well, i’ve got to tell you…you are right. I don’t know one other person with those same backgrounds and experiences. You are unique and God created you to be an individual with extra-ordinary skills and adventures to learn from and overcome.
I agree that using our own life experiences is an absolutely great way to connect with bloggers.
Brandon
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..Warrior’s Stumble – Breaking Through Barriers =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Brandon,
Yes, I am very grateful to be so blessed – I’m trying to use those gifts and talents to the best of my ability. I’m hoping by sharing my experiences that someone else will also be helped in the process.
How we are as individuals will always determine the type of content we write or the way we relate to things we are face against. I think everyone has their own uniqueness to their writings that were generated from the person they once were.
This is an excellent post and could make some people re think what makes them write the way they do today. P.S. 200 books over summer break is insane you should be proud of that. I have not yet read a book front to back.
.-= bbrian017´s last blog ..The Blog Engage 45 day SEO keyword Challenge =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Brian,
Yeah, I think everyone should be using their uniqueness to their advantage instead of trying to be like someone else. And thanks for the compliment, I was able to read so many book because my best friend had moved away and so I guess I had too much time on my hands. :)
I also like to post opposing points of view to previous blog posts I have either written myself or read online.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Ms. Freeman
Yeah, that’s another great way to come up with ideas. It also adds depth.
Hey Kiesha,
Thanks for sharing your story with us. I believe people like to hear the truth. That is why you have loyal readers. People like to hear your stories. You make the effort to connect with your readers. Thanks!
Have a great weekend…
Josh
.-= Josh Garcia´s last blog ..If You Don’t Install SI Captcha Plugin Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later =-.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Josh!
I’m glad you enjoyed this one today – yeah, I’m pretty weird, so I’ve learned to just use it to my advantage to stand out from everybody else. :)