Everyone who regularly searches for new blog topics, be it for customers or private blogs, knows the problem: At some point, you think you have already written about everything. You sit in front of an empty sheet of paper – or an empty Word document – and worry about new topics. Here are a couple of tips on how to find great new blog topics – and how not to…

The first step to find new blog topics is the most difficult one

How do you find a suitable topic for a new blog post? Especially when you can’t think of anything, this first step is often the most difficult. The following tips can help:

Think about what questions your customers/readers have and try to answer them in your blog posts. If you don’t know what moves your customers, you can ask colleagues who have a lot of customer contact – they can certainly give you some advice.

Is there anything new in the company that you want to share with readers? These can be new products, services and events, but also internal happenings such as a company outing that you can share with your readers. Also think about how long you want your blog post to be.

Vary your blog topics – from one to many

Have you found a suitable topic? Then try to vary this blog topic! There are several ways to vary blog topics:

• Change the scope of the blog topic: Let’s say the topic is “10 tips for social media beginners”. Then this topic could be divided into “10 tips for Facebook/Instagram/Twitter beginners”, etc. That’s how a whole bunch of new topics come about.
• Change the target group of the blog topic: Topics can easily be transferred to other target groups. The “10 tips for social media beginners” theme can easily be changed to “10 tips for social media professionals/managers”, etc. Of course, these blog entries should deal with other aspects relevant to the respective target group.
• Change the time frame of the blog topic: Articles can also simply be limited in time, e.g. “The best movies of the last year/the last 10 years/the 1990s” etc.

But watch out! Many of the blog posts that are varied in this way will resemble each other to a large extent. What works well for some topics doesn’t work for others. In addition, at some point you will always end up with the same topic or draw the same conclusion.

The rule has to be: Quality before quantity! Quantity means that you will quickly collect a large amount of content. But are these content pieces also high-quality blog posts that offer added value for your readers? Because the added value of the blog threatens to fall by the wayside with too many similar blog topics, tips and best-of articles.

More tips to find new blog topics

There are a lot of other tips on the internet that can help you find new ideas for blog topics. However, some should be treated with caution – especially if you value creative, unique content with added value. Often, the added value is lost in favor of search engine optimization and a better SEO ranking.

• Vary blog formats: A post like “The Ultimate Email Marketing Guide” can be easily changed to “The Ultimate Email Marketing Checklist”. But isn’t that basically the same? Whether I call my listicle a checklist, a guide or a to-do list – enumeration is enumeration. Also result and statement of the blog article will not change by just  putting it into another form. It is better to create more detailed articles, comments or whitepapers based on the original article.
• Re-phrase blog topics: Formulate blog topics negatively instead of positively: From “10 ultimate cooking tips” to “10 tips how not to cook”. Apart from the fact that “10 tips” articles are already scratching the click-bait line: Why should I read the second article after the first one? If I already know how it works, I don’t need to know how it doesn’t work anymore. Where is the added value?

Creative blog topics – added value for the reader

So instead of formulating a whole truckload of similar blog articles according to scheme X, bloggers should focus on creativity and quality. Of course, you should never lose sight of SEO. And not everyone is equally creative. But I believe that creativity is in everyone – often only the spark that ignites it is missing. What does this spark look like?

• Let yourself be inspired: Inspiration can hide everywhere – in a painting, a film, in music, conversation or in nature. Only when we experience something new do we set creative processes in motion. Collect new impressions and incorporate them into your blog posts.
• Exchange ideas with others: The best ideas often come from a team. Talk and brainstorm with colleagues and friends about new blog topics.
• Stay up to date: Read other blogs, magazines and the news. On your blog, you can pick up on current events, news or curiosities, comment on them, question them or prepare them for your audience. This creates many new blog posts.
• Change your perspective: Put yourself in the world of a reader, customer, salesman, manager or a person who may never have heard of your company. Doubt things and try alternatives – taking a different perspective helps to find a new view on things and new blog topics.
• Use your own interests: You can also add your own interests and hobbies to your blog topics. Do you like watching movies or series, going to museums regularly or cooking passionately? Use these interests and draw comparisons, create metaphors and parallels – this often results in creative, funny and entertaining blog topics.

Last but not least

One of my personal hobbies is whisky. I am fascinated by the spirit, its production and above all its variety, which it has in spite of always having the same ingredients. Maybe good blog posts are like a good whisky: A good whisky is versatile, but still has an individual character. It’s fun to enjoy and it gives the drinker a “wow!” experience. But making a great whisky takes time, patience, creativity and expertise.

That’s exactly what it takes to find versatile, interesting blog topics that have real added value for readers. So, don’t worry if you brood over your empty Word document for a while. You can’t collect a bunch of good ideas in half an hour. Use the tips above to boost your creativity and find the right blog topics with your colleagues.

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