15 Ways I Use To Generate Content
Posted on March 18th, 2008 in Blogging Tips |
Rubbing your head and wondering what to write about? Can’t think of anything? Writers block is something that all bloggers will experience on their journey. Here’s a list of 15 proven ways to help generate content for your blog, all of which I’ve used.
Browse Comments
Your readers comments left on your blog or another blog will indicate to you what they like reading and what they would like to read. You can ask your readers to comment in a post and ask them what they wish to read.
Browse Other Similar Blogs
Browse other blogs that are similar to yours, after all you don’t want to visit a dance blog if your blog is about dogs. 
You can browse their archives and find a topic to write about. Take the idea and write something expanding on the subject and inject a new take on it.
Look Back on Your Posts
Have you written about a way your going to earn money online? Then write about how it is performing for you. This is an example but you can look back on your posts and follow them up and if you’ve learnt something new let your readers know.
Useful Resources
Have you found some very nice WordPress themes that people would like to use? Find some free resources that people could use and they’ll love you. 
Hold a Contest
A contest creates buzz around your blog and everyone loves winning things that are FREE. It’s not hard to gather prizes, maybe offer some free advertising on your blog. It’s entirely up to you, the bigger the better. 
Write a Response Article
Have you seen a post that you like or disagree with? Write a response to it and it will attract visitors from that post if you link to it. If you’re lucky the original post owner may link to you in a future post.
Find Useful Tools
Find a useful tool that can assist people in their blogging. Have you found a social bookmarking tool or a program that will help your readers? Then write about it.
Find Videos
There are millions of great videos on the net, find a preview of a video or a funny video and post it on your blog, if you find it interesting others will do to.
Create a List
Lists are easy to write and are convenient to read for others. You can come up with lists easier than writing articles. Why not list 10 things you did today? Or 10 plugins you use, 10 things you hate about another website, you choose. 
Find Images
Did you find an image that you thought was funny? Take a leaf out of icanhascheezburger’s blog. Simply add the picture and write about it.
Write about How You Make Money
When I visit another blog if they have a post that lists their monetization methods I check it out to see if I can try a new service to earn money that I’m not already using. If you list yours people will do the same. If you earn them money from introducing them to a new service, they will thank you and you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy. 
Wordpress Plugins
Plugins are great enhancements to your WordPress. There are many useful ones out there, I wrote about plugins that people will find useful in this post as well as here.
Write about Your Journey
Write down the journey so far, what you’ve learnt and what you hope to do in the future. List your aims and what you’ve completed. People will spur you on and congratulate you on your achievements. Did you receive your first cheque today? Take a picture of you with it and say how you earned it, be proud that you earn it.
Write a Review
Found a website you like or one you don’t like? Used a method of earning money and it’s performed well for you? Or has one not earnt you a single penny? Let your readers know. A common way of reviewing is exchanging reviews with another website, you build links from each other and you can find out what others are thinking.
Write About Your Statistics
Did your stats explode this month? Your RSS Feed count rise considerably? How did you do it? Write about growth and how you achieved it.
Things I am Going to Try:
- Create a Podcast - A podcast is a unique way of communicating with your readers. Readers can hear your voice and a better connection is built, I can talk as well as write so I’ll be trying this soon. You’ll have to settle with my British accent though!
- Interview Others - I’ve requested interviews with some people, this is something that I haven’t done before but I’ve I think people would love to know the answer to what I’ve asked.
There you have it you have no excuse to write nothing now!
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Hi Carl,
Another idea is to write about the latest book you have read! I love to read books and it’s great when someone can give me a quick run down on a book.
It’s great for the busy readers who do not have time to sit at the bookstore and figure out what book to read next.
It’s also a great way to put your childhood book report skills to work…. hehe
Carol - Blog.ConchoLakeAZ.com’s last blog post..Concho, AZ Real Estate / Construction Update
I’m not really a book person, if that’s acceptable! I should read regularly but I don’t find time with work, internet, working again, working on blog and everything else.
Definitely something for others to try!
Carl
Sounds like a busy life!! I bet you are one of those people who don’t know what is on network TV either.
People at my work think I am crazy because I don’t know who is on American Idol.
Keep up the good work! and definately find time for your blog. I enjoying your articles.
Carol - Blog.ConchoLakeAZ.com’s last blog post..Concho, AZ Real Estate / Construction Update
Nice list.
Thanks:)
Joliveira’s last blog post..WordPress Theme Generator II
I just got another idea to generate content, just by looking at your blogroll, will be posting about it tomorrow
Mirjam’s last blog post..Not Just for Newbies: 47 Common Mistakes Bloggers Make
These are all good ideas for trying to break through the dreaded “blogger’s block”. I have another one to add to the list - answering your visitors’ search queries. I started doing this about one month ago and have now made it a weekly feature post that I do every Sunday.
The posts are easy to write because all I have to do is look at my FireStats, call up the search queries for the last 7 days or so, and copy/paste into my post the ones that are asking some type of question that I can easily answer. Then I put each query phrase in boldface and write a sentence or two answering it, including links to my previous posts where appropriate. I have found that I only need to do about eight of these and I have a nice post that is around 600-1000 words in length. Any queries left over after the first eight can be carried over to the next week, making the job even easier for future “editions”.
This strategy has two other benefits besides just getting in a relatively easy post:
1) This type of post gives you a chance to include lots of internal links that you can use to answer the questions. These internal links will encourage the search engine spiders to crawl deeper into your site and get more of your pages indexed and ranked better.
2) By posting the actual queries and giving the answers, you will end up providing a nice service for other visitors who come along later and search on the same or similar keyword phrases. When the searchers actually find what they are looking for, they are much more likely to be favorably impressed with your site. And of course more satisfied visitors = more subscribers, more traffic, more backlinks, and ultimately more money.
Excellent input into the community their Karlonia!
Thank you very much for taking time to write that, it will help a lot of people.
Best Wishes
Carl