How to Find Blog Content Ideas: 7 Easy Ways

Published on May 30, 2023

I’ve been a content writer for years now – and to be honest, it can sometimes feel like a hopeless endeavour. Writing blog posts can often feel like trying to shout over a thundering waterfall; you have thoughts to share, but you just don’t know how to rise above the noise.

Every day is a constant struggle of searching “how to find content ideas for blog” and seeing the age-old answer: Know your audience. This isn’t the answer I want. Instead, I want to know the exact sources I should go to in order to generate a steady stream of novel content ideas – which is why I wrote this guide. From the power of personal storytelling to the untapped potential of social forums and artificial intelligence (AI), I’ll show you how you can position your brand as a forward-thinking thought leader in your industry.

How to Find Content Ideas for Blog

1) Share Personal Stories

Please share your personal stories on your blog. Humanise your brand. When you talk about your own experiences, you significantly enhance your blog’s value by adding a human touch, which resonates with readers.

Personal stories can help illustrate a point more effectively than abstract explanations. Every journey, whether successful or not, comes with valuable lessons that others can learn from. In fact, sharing failures can often be even more impactful, as it shows one’s authenticity and resilience.

For example, once a month, a health and fitness blog could ask a member of their team to share their personal health journey. The lead nutritionist, someone who had overcome the struggle of unhealthy eating habits, can speak candidly about the emotional and physical toll it took on her, as well as how the experience became the driving force behind her passion for nutrition.

By sharing experiences relevant to your industry or topic, you bring your insights to life, making your brand more credible and relatable. You’d also be establishing deeper connections with your audience – and who doesn’t want that?

Sharing personal stories will always be a unique idea. It’s content that no one else can replicate, giving you an edge in the saturated online world. Check out some of the personal stories we’ve shared on our Facebook page (Manifest Website Design).

2) Look at the Table of Contents of Books

Books, particularly non-fiction ones relevant to your industry, can serve as a springboard for blog content ideas. The table of contents often provides a broad overview of the subject, which can be broken down into numerous blog post topics. It shows how complex subjects can be broken down into digestible sections.

Studying books can also help you identify gaps in existing content (topics that haven’t been adequately covered or new angles that haven’t been explored). These gaps present opportunities for novel blog content.

3) Check Social Forums Like Quora and Reddit

Social forums, like Quora and Reddit, can be a goldmine for blog topics. They serve as platforms where real people ask real questions, providing insight into the issues, concerns, and interests of your potential readers.

Forums also reveal trends and hot topics within your industry. When you tune into these conversations, you’re also exposing yourself to possible article topics that are timely and relevant. Let’s say, for example, you run a blog dedicated to digital marketing. As you browse the threads in the subreddit r/digital_marketing, you might see topics such as:

Question: “How do I optimise my social media posts for maximum engagement?”

Blog Post Idea: “A Comprehensive Guide to Optimising Social Media Posts for Enhanced Engagement”

Question: “What are some cost-effective strategies for small business digital marketing?”

Blog Post Idea: “Budget-Friendly Digital Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses”

Question: “How to measure the ROI of Content Marketing”

Blog Post Idea: “Navigating the Metrics: Measuring Your Content Marketing ROI”

4) Use ChatGPT for Content Idea Generation

ChatGPT, a free AI platform, can generate ideas based on specific prompts, making it an excellent brainstorming partner. It can also flesh out vague ideas, provide SEO-friendly outlines, and edit your articles.

It’s accessible and easy to use. It doesn’t require any technical knowledge so it’s a must-have content marketing tool for bloggers of all levels.

5) Follow Industry News

Another source for ideas is the endless stream of news we’re bombarded with everyday. When you keep up with the latest developments, trends, and discussions in your industry, you can ensure your blog content is always relevant and timely. Here are some popular news sources for a variety of industries:

6) Do Competitive Analysis to Find Content Gaps

Similar to reading the table of contents in books, by analysing the content offered by your competitors, you can identify gaps – topics they haven’t covered or angles they haven’t explored – and fill them with your content. If all your competitors are writing about the same topics, there’s a chance to stand out by covering something different.

Learn from your competitors’ successes and mistakes. By observing what works and what doesn’t for others, you can make more informed decisions about your own SEO content strategy.

Pro tip: Competitor analysis isn’t about copying what others are doing. It’s about understanding the landscape and finding your unique place within it.

Related articles:

Why Is SEO Important for a Website?

What Is SEO in Digital Marketing? 2023 Guide

7) Use Content Tools

I highly recommend using keyword research tools, like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush, that can provide insight into what terms people are searching for. These tools can show you popular keywords in your industry, suggesting topics that are likely to attract traffic.

As has been mentioned, one of the secret weapons of content writers nowadays is the free AI platform, ChatGPT. Its instantaneous generation capability saves you time, effort, and every possibility of writer’s block. Instead of heads down grinding to brainstorm ideas or conduct research, you can input text prompts that generate answers that not only inspires new ideas but also expands on existing ones.

Pro tip: Exercise caution and review ChatGPT-generated ideas critically. While the tool can provide valuable suggestions, it may occasionally produce inaccurate or irrelevant content. Human judgement and expertise remain vital in the blog content creation process.

Train Your Idea Muscle

Finding blog content ideas is akin to training your idea muscle: The more you practise, the stronger and more efficient it becomes. By exploring the aforementioned sources of ideas, you’re not only flexing this muscle but also toning it to perfection. As this muscle grows stronger, you’ll find that the well of ideas never runs dry, making your blog a beacon of knowledge and insight in your industry.

At Manifest Website Design, content writing is one of our specialties – it’s one of the things that make our SEO services different from the rest. We’re not here for the hard sell; instead, we’re committed to supporting your online success, from day 0 to market penetration. We’ll make sure that your brand’s voice doesn’t just rise above the noise, but makes a lasting impact on your target audience. Let’s create compelling narratives that your audience can’t resist.