There is nothing worse for a blogger than staring at a blank screen, fingers poised over the keys, eyes glazed over, and nothing to blog about. It may be writer’s block or just the need to bring in more subscribers with something fresh. It doesn’t matter why you’re drawing a blank it only matters that you get past it. There are 4 questions that you can ask yourself to help choose a topic and get those fingers moving.
1: What do you know?
The most important part about the topic for your blog is that you have a basic understanding or knowledge of it. If you choose a topic that you know nothing about you’ll never get much further than the starting line. Go with things that you know or are willing to research. Don’t try to stretch out topics that you aren’t familiar with or know absolutely nothing about. It doesn’t matter how popular the topics themselves are if you don’t know what you are talking about your readers will take notice.
2: What kind of reaction do I want?
You want your subscribers to be interested enough to read but what kind of interest are you looking for? Are you hoping to start a discussion with your post? Are you interested in creating a moving piece that really touches your audience? Or do you want to hit on a controversial topic that gets some strong reactions? If you know what you want your readers to think and feel, then you’ll be able to determine what kind of subject matter you want to start with. Not all writers like to blog about controversial topics. Some like to take an impartial stance and stick to more widely accepted ideas. Others like to push the envelope and are happy to have viewers coming even if it is to protest in the comment section.
3: Who am I writing for?
You probably have an idea of your audience and who you are writing for. If you are writing for a company blog then you want to think about topics that relate to your company, things that are current talking points, changes in the company, tips or interests of like-minded clients. If you are writing for a demographic, then you want to steer towards topics that are freshly important to those readers. Things that they are buzzing about or may be interested in. If you are writing for yourself, then stop worrying. Take a break and don’t overthink it. If you are stumped for a topic, then chances are it’s due to stress over other issues or projects. Step away and come back when you can think with an open mind.
4: What can I give?
Some of the most popular blogs are the “How To” or those that provide some stress relief through entertainment. If you have something that you can teach or a topic that you are knowledgeable about that you can provide advice on, then that’s a good start. The other ways to give are through simply providing comic relief or storytelling to your audience. Being able to give them something to laugh about or sharing an interesting anecdote or even story that you make up will be a huge success.
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