Blog ideas are all around us, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always easy to know what to write about. Sometimes we need a little jolt of inspiration to kickstart ideas for blog posts.
The infographic below, by Copyblogger, is one of the best that I’ve found for helping me to come up with blog post ideas.
Out of the 22 ideas listed, here are my top 5, along with the reasons why.
1. Curation.
Simply compiling a list of links to other blog posts (with some commentary) is a great way to write a blog post without doing a lot of actual writing.
Curation is an effective way to share valuable content with others, not to mention a way to tip your hat to another blogger.
2. Have someone write a guest post.
Lately I’ve started guest posting, and also allowing people to guest post on my blog. One thing I love about this is that it not only provides content for me, it also gives someone else a desire to promote my blog and care about its success.
3. Interview someone.
The great thing about interviews is that they provide an opportunity for someone else to provide input to your audience. Their perspective may be different from yours, which can bring a breath of fresh air to your readers.
Interviews also often do not take much time, particularly if it’s an email interview, where the person being interviewed does the bulk of the work.
4. Worst case studies.
Controversy is great for starting a discussion, and worst case studies are a good way to do that, using fact, rather than sheer emotion.
However, this is rather sticky, because it seems a lot nicer to, well, be nice. And I certainly think a bit of caution is necessary in order to use this method wisely. Unless your goal is to make enemies, use this method sparingly, and always do it graciously.
5. Take a walk.
This is a good one because first of all, exercise is a good thing, so even if by chance you didn’t get any great blog post ideas while walking, at the very least, you got some exercise, so in that sense, you really can’t lose.
But in addition to exercise, many people, myself included, tend to find taking a walk to be a great way to come up with ideas. Because of this, you might want to take a pen and paper or a recording device along with you so that you can capture the flood (or trickle) of ideas that come to you while walking.
Your Turn:
Which of the 22 ideas on the infographic are your favorites and why? 
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.
About Rebecca Livermore
You raise a very interesting point…
And apparently I didn’t type enough words into the comments
Yes, useful article, if you are in a situation without ideas,
and I think now o in the future, it can happen!
thank you.
great ……. had fun reading post :)
Twitter: semaglive
says:
these are really a nice tips and infographic is awesome………i wanna take interview on my blog do you have any suggestion….
hrmehrotra recently posted..Top 10 FREE GAMES for your iPhone
Twitter: bloggiie
says:
We have a great site called bloggiie.com, we have only just began developing it. But it will provide the user with blog post ideas and topics, it generates them automtically when searched for. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Twitter: Ajayudayagiri
says:
Visiting other blogs of same niche and by reading the comments we can get ideas for new blog posts. Even reading news papers can give us idea to write a new blog post.
Reviewriter recently posted..iPhone 5 Review
Twitter: australia_daily
says:
Hi Rebecca !
Thank you for sharing this article with us.I was thinking of writing a blog but a good idea was not getting.After reading your article i got some ideas.Thank for this post .
Twitter: Ajayudayagiri
says:
Hi Rebecca,
Interviewing great bloggers is a great idea indeed. we can even accept Guest posts in that situation. But, accepting too many guest post on our site may seems that we lost our authorship on our site.
Ajay recently posted..Update Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570 To Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1 Via CM10 Firmware
Twitter: iPhoneBloggen1
says:
Thx for sharing the tips… The one with take a walk always seems to work with me, a good way to clear your head and get new ideas
iPhone Bloggen recently posted..Overfør data fra din gamle iPhone til iPhone5 ved brug af iTunes
It’s really difficult of creating a topic specially when you go blank. That is why its important that the blog you are building is connected to your interest. One method I do is that I list topics that I am interest to write that are related to my blog. And I start to create one post at a time. In that way I have list of pending topics for future articles.
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Twitter: ChrisWFA
says:
Hi, I definitely like the idea of the interview part. I think that interviews make the whole blog formal. Or am I the only one, who thinks it?
Red Tiger Training recently posted..Real Estate Outsourcing
Twitter: ChrisWFA
says:
I am sorry, I thought my post got lost, please delete it!
Red Tiger Training recently posted..Real Estate Outsourcing
Twitter: ChrisWFA
says:
Hey, I absolutley agree with you about the part about interviews. I think making interviews not just that it is interesting, but it makes the blog more formal. Or am I the only one who thinks this?
Red Tiger Training recently posted..Real Estate Outsourcing
Nice sum up of content and infographics.
And curation of content is a good idea to take out ideas from the post itself.
Aditya recently posted..Manufacturing ERP Software Providers
Twitter: techtapper
says:
yes these are right but we can red others blog posts for more ideas, I usually do so when i have any idea for new blog post
Hamid Roshaan recently posted..Google Launches Credit Cards for small Businesses
Its rely a good and usefull blog. The content is good and easy enough to understand.
Nice sum of different topics…!!!
“The great thing about interviews is that they provide an opportunity for someone else to provide input to your audience.”
This is the best sentence from the article.
Thank you for your advice. It helped me a lot and improved my mood :) I will certainly use your hints.
I tend to go for a walk or a bike ride which clears your mind of other day to day stuff I then find ideas for blogs pop into my head. I like the idea of yours about writing product reviews. I might write a post regarding car cleaning products which I have used in the past and ones which I use now.
Richard recently posted..(Car Detailing) Restoring Faded Headlights
Twitter: christinamari21
says:
Hi Rebecca,
I am favor of “write a guest post” guest posting is current valuable trend to get good & quality link in Marketing! if good comment is posted on blog definitely it gives good back !
Christina recently posted..Fish Jumanji Charters
Twitter: BloggersGeek
says:
Hey Rebecca !! :) Nice to see your post again. Yup I agree we should bring some changes like taking interviews, asking someone to write guest post etc. This is a very good way to cheer yourself up after great work! BTW, very lovely info graphic! :)
Perky Seraph recently posted..Top 5 Reasons Why Forums Are Important
Twitter: Amarillindra
says:
Hai, Rebecca
Interviews is a better option to engage readers. Guests posts is not a good deal in some cases. If we follow 3:1 ratio while accepting guests post, we would be on safe side
Nice share Rebecca , Thanks
Amar recently posted..Top 5 Best Android Tablets under $200
Hi rebecca! thanks for this great tips, i just got back into blogging world and this is definitely a great help for me. :)
Daniel recently posted..How to Get a Flat Stomach!
Hey Rebecca,
I’d never given a thought to the time I might run out of ideas for writing. A great list of ideas to strike upon ideas. Group brainstorming seems quite an attractive option to go with. I’ll certainly try it out once, simply to fathom the imaginative power of my friends. But I personally believe that we feel the urge to write if we have an idea at hand, and not the other way round. But then again, blogging is a business after all. Thanks for sharing.
Twitter: CoolWPTips
says:
Hi Rebecca Livermore, Really Great Ideas! Most of the time when i think to write a post i will stuck without any proper idea what to write. This above ideas which you have listed will surely gonna help me a lot to improve my blog posts. Thanks a lot for sharing awesome ideas :)
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Taking a break really works for me – walking, petting my dog, washing the dishes, doing the laundry… that sort of stuff. Even the every day and mundane tasks sometimes spark creative blog ideas, don’t they? :)
Erika Jensen recently posted..Glas
Twitter: SamuraiTradingA
says:
“Share your failures” is a good idea and one that I’ve had on my list for a while and just haven’t got to writing about. As a professional trader, I have had MANY failures along my path to where I am now. No doubt many of those could be quite helpful for those who are just embarking on the journey. I definitely need to get on writing about some of them…
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Twitter: RaviBhushanSin4
says:
Hi,
You have share an excellent idea to write the quality content blog. These points are very helpful when we writing an article. Also Google Webmaster tool help in searching the very demand topic in the market. Thanks for sharing informative article.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Bhushan, thanks for your kind words. You make an excellent point about the Google Webmaster tool. That is something I haven’t done much with, so I appreciate the nudge in that direction!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..017: Motivational Minute[audio]: Celebrate Your Blogging Strengths
Twitter: howardsafedrive
says:
that is one of the best idea to making easy money a blogging is an remarkable thing to do get money what ever way you have.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Hi Frank,
Making money blogging is not an easy thing to do, for sure, but it’s certainly possible!
Best,
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Are You Afraid To Put Content Creation Prices On Your Website?
Yes! I agree it takes a lot of effort and patience to get your website to earn.
Daniel recently posted..Flat Stomach LifeStyle
There are so many articles out there on how you can come up with new blog post ideas.
India Higher Education
India Higher Eduction recently posted..Sankar Kumar Som: New director of IIT Kharagpur
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
You are absolutely right about that — which shows it is a huge problem people have!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Something Comes Over Me When I Write [Just for Fun Fridays]
Twitter: antonrsa
says:
Hi Rebecca,
Great post – Another useful place to look for topic is within Google webmaster tools – As the phrases / keywords searched for within Google can often times give you good ideas for topics that keyword driven and by doing so increase the rankings and impressions for the related keyword.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Anton,
Especially since you are now the second person to mention this, I’m definitely going to take a closer look at Google Webmaster tools! Thanks for that!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..016: Motivational Minute[audio]: Celebrate Your Blogging Imperfections
This post is great, I love all the tips that you have given, because it is hard to think of fresh content every time you write a blog. I think interviewing someone is a great idea, because you can find out their input on the topic and then some ideas may arise.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Thanks for your kind words Zita. Interviewing people, or interacting with people in various ways really does help because such interactions tend to spark ideas, which as you so aptly pointed out, we are always in need of!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..How to Become a Rich Blogger by Giving it All Away
Awesome infograph! I completely agree with asking others for ideas. Even if the people you consult have no idea about the topics you blog about you can still bounce things off them to see if they would read it.
Robert Koenig recently posted..Phantom Objects Hit Cars in Bay Area
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Robert — I agree; Copyblogger did a great job on the infographic! I also agree that talking with others is a great way to come up with ideas and to perhaps think of things you wouldn’t have –like problems they have with a certain topic. Also, sometimes talking with someone else really helps clarify your own thoughts.
Hope you have a great day!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Content Archive: Resurrecting Those Unfinished Thoughts for Killer Content
Hey Rebecca,
Excellent infographic! I personally love the idea of mashing two unrelated subjects into one post. I’d come across many blogs that apply the idea, but maybe I’d not quite observed it. I mostly review some over-hyped product or blabber on a controversial topic when I run out of ideas. Also, taking a walk seems to be quite an effective way to come up with unique ideas. Thanks for sharing this illuminating infographic.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Thanks for your kind words, Terry! It is amazing how combining two seemingly unrelated ideas works. It just gets your mind thinking in a different way. I also find that readers like it when you present that type of information because it helps them to see things in a new light as well.
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..015: Motivational Minute[audio]: Make Blogging Fun
Twitter: virtualgamr
says:
I know the feeling of not having any ideas to blog about. I usually do a google search and read up on some fresh content to post on my blog. I currently have several blog but at times it is hard to keep up on all of them with fresh new content. Guest blogging with definately help to get the creative juices flowing. I will allways encourage this technique
jay recently posted..Undisputed 3 Dominator Complete UFC3 Undisputed Guide
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Jay, you offer up some great suggestions as well! I admire anyone who manages to keep up with several blogs!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..014: Motivational Minute[audio]: Create a Blogging Plan
Twitter: 3mwindowfilmto
says:
Great topic and list Rebecca! I like all these ideas but my favorite our of the 22 would be curation because it allows you to share valuable content without having to come up with any of it and at the same time give credit to your fellow bloggers. As long as you offer great value to your readers it doesn’t matter if you come up with content yourself.
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Pavel, you make a great point with curation — it helps everyone. It does take time to find the content that you want to share since of course you only want to share really good stuff. But especially if you read great content regularly, it isn’t hard to do, and everyone wins.
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Are You Bothered When People Blog Differently Than You?
Twitter: Bloggerstand
says:
Hi Rebecca, these tips are really good to increase our post count as well as helps to cover the trending topics…
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Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Thanks for your kind words Deepa! I hope you’ll be able to incorporate some of them into your blog!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Do You Have Dreams of Being a Professional Blogger? [Infographic]
Twitter: WeLoveBDCom
says:
Hey Rebecca, This is really a great post ever i seen. This post really help me to add more content in my blog. Thanks for the post.
Rebecca
having someone write a guest post, or interview someone will definitely save the day
Kenny Fabre recently posted..Local Affiliate Marketing Lesson
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Kenny, you are so right — guest posting helps tremendously!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Are You Afraid To Put Content Creation Prices On Your Website?
Twitter: bbt0786
says:
Hi Rebecca!
Content curation should be used when anyone has no idea about to post and what to post.here should be use of some catching topics and new trends.
It can be a good source of a healthy blog posts.
Bhushan recently posted..Travel Software Development api integration
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Very true! Curation can be hugely helpful when it comes to sharing great content with your readers, while helping to shine the spotlight on other bloggers.
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..017: Motivational Minute[audio]: Celebrate Your Blogging Strengths
Twitter: JenaIsle
says:
Hi Rebecca,
I will try curation. Come to think of it. Yes, it is one good method for a blog spot. thanks for sharing.
Jena Isle recently posted..By: Holly Jahangiri
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Jena, hope curation works well for you. I’m glad you’re going to try it!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Something Comes Over Me When I Write [Just for Fun Fridays]
Twitter: davelucas
says:
My suggestion (and this ALWAYS works for me) – throw something up and see if it sticks… I call ‘em “junkposts” – and you would not believe how many of them still attract at least one or two visitors every single day! They were posts about some random topic or incorporating a phrase that I’d been hearing a lot of the last few days before uploading the post. Thanks for reminding me about this – after I leave my comment I already have a junkpost in mind – just have to put it together and hit the “publish” button!
Blog On and Prosper!
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Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Dave, you make a good point — not being afraid to put stuff out there. Sometimes people get stuck because they want everything they do to be awesome — so they end up doing nothing, or very little. Glad to hear your approach of getting stuff out there is working well for you!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..016: Motivational Minute[audio]: Celebrate Your Blogging Imperfections
Twitter: slrlounge
says:
I’ve found that using netvibes and google reader is a great source of inspiration for my photography blog. Though I would never take an article directly from another site, the types of articles, the subjects of the articles, and the formatting usually gives me a good idea of what is popular with the community.
Thanks for sharing your tips.
Christopher Lin recently posted..Nikon D4 Used by Usain Bolt in London Olympics Up for Charity Auction
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Christopher, you make a good point about how it’s possible to get a good idea from someone without stealing from them. Often just a title or photo will trigger an idea for a blog post, so it’s a great way to get inspiration from others!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Are You Bothered When People Blog Differently Than You?
Hi Rebecca Livermore,
First of all thanks for posting such a great article.
Many times we are pissed off because we do not have article topics to write for. I love to appreciate the way you have presented your article with the use of infrographic, this is a nice way to scan your full article.
Thanks.
Regards Sneha.
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Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, Sneha. I’m glad you found my post helpful!
Rebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Do You Have Dreams of Being a Professional Blogger? [Infographic]
Twitter: hmgrblog
says:
Rebecca, thank you for your insight into blogging ideas, but as for me I just have no time to write about everything I want: I always have very many ideas to write about online marketing which is my favourite topic.
But the most preferable things is interviewing and guest posting, for me these two areas are too hard :(
Vit recently posted..Which is better to look for help from other people or become successful and help others?
Twitter: rlivermore
says:
Vit, it is great that you tend to have a lot of ideas! Other bloggers would love to have that problem, so you are blessed indeed!
Rrebecca
Rebecca Livermore recently posted..Are You Afraid To Put Content Creation Prices On Your Website?